Black Bream
Estuary / RiverThe Swan River's signature species. Found around bridge pylons, jetties, and rocky edges year-round. Best on light tackle with prawns, worms, or small soft plastics. Strong fighters that test light line.
Black bream are the Swan River's most popular target — smart, wary fish that test an angler's skills on light tackle. Found around structure year-round, they're a true Perth estuary icon. Catching bream consistently requires finesse, patience, and an understanding of their habits around tides and structure.
Prawns (fresh), tube worms, sand worms, mussels
Small soft plastics (Z-Man GrubZ 2.5 inch, Gulp Minnow), small hard-bodies, blade lures
Running sinker rig with a size 2–4 hook and a small ball sinker (just enough to reach the bottom). Use 4–6lb fluorocarbon leader — bream are line-shy. For lures, a 1/8–1/4oz jig head with a small paddle-tail plastic is the go-to.
Fish tight to structure — bridge pylons, jetty posts, rock walls, and moored boats in the Swan River. Cast close to the structure and let your bait or lure sink to the bottom. Bream often pick up the bait gently and move off — feel for the weight before striking. On lures, use a slow hop-and-drop retrieve along the bottom near pylons.
Bite throughout the day, but early morning and late afternoon are most consistent. Tide changes around structure are key — bream use the current to ambush food washing past pylons. The cooler months can produce bigger fish.
Up to 4kg, commonly 500g–1.5kg
Year-round
Good eating — mild, white flesh. Pan-fry whole or fillet larger fish. Better from clean, salty water rather than the upper reaches of the river.
Bag limit: 6 (combined bream group). Minimum size: 25cm. In the Swan and Canning rivers, only 2 black bream over 40cm per day. Always check current DPIRD rules — regulations may change.
The Narrows, Canning, and Stirling bridges are classic bream spots. Fish the shadowed side of pylons during the day. Pre-dawn sessions with fresh prawns on the bottom are a reliable way to bag a few bream. Keep your drag light — bream will bust you off on structure if you lock up.