Pink Snapper
Reef / OffshorePink snapper is one of WA's premier demersal reef fish — sweet eating, hard fighting, and found over reef and structure from the West Coast through the Gascoyne. Mainly a boat species, but land-based pinks are caught from deep rock walls and channel edges around Dawesville Cut and the Moles. Not to be confused with bight redfish (also called red snapper).
Overview
Pink snapper are one of WA's most sought-after fish, combining excellent fight with outstanding eating quality. While mainly a boat species, land-based snapper are caught from deep-water rock walls and channel edges — and hooking a big pink from the shore is a red-letter day in any angler's diary.
How to Catch
Whole squid, pilchards, octopus, mulies
Soft plastics (paddle-tail and jerk shad), metal jigs, vibes
Paternoster rig with two 4/0–6/0 hooks and a bomb sinker, or a running sinker rig with a single large hook for bigger baits. Use 30–40lb fluorocarbon leader near structure.
Target deep-water structure — rock walls, channel edges, and areas where current flows past reef. Lower bait to the bottom and hold position, or cast soft plastics and work them slowly along the bottom near structure. Snapper feed close to the reef, so accuracy matters. When you get a bite, let the fish take the bait before setting the hook firmly.
Best from May through September, when cooler water pushes fish closer to shore structure. Dawn and dusk on tide changes near structure are prime. Overcast days with moderate current flow are ideal. The days after a storm can produce excellent fishing as dirty water stirs up bait and brings snapper in to feed.
Up to 15kg, commonly 2–5kg
May–Sep
Yes — pink snapper is one of the best table fish in WA: sweet, delicate white flesh that holds together beautifully. Pan-fry fillets, bake whole over fennel and lemon, or steam Cantonese-style. Bleed and ice straight away to keep the flesh firm.
Pink snapper (Snapper, Chrysophrys auratus) is a demersal scalefish. Minimum legal size (West Coast bioregion): 500 mm between Lancelin and Black Point (east of Augusta); 410 mm between Lancelin and the Zuytdorp Cliffs (north of Kalbarri). Outside the West Coast bioregion: 450 mm. Individual species daily bag limit: West Coast bioregion 2, Abrolhos Islands 1, other bioregions 2. It is counted within the demersal scalefish mixed daily bag — and in the West Coast bioregion that TOTAL mixed demersal bag is 2 fish (not 4), within which you may take up to 2 pink snapper. (The 1-June-2026 reform set the mixed demersal bag at 4 fish only in the North, Gascoyne and South Coast bioregions, outside the West Coast bioregion.) The West Coast bioregion boat-based demersal scalefish closure runs until Spring 2027 (land-based fishing exempt). Pink snapper spawning closures: Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds (west to 5 Fathom Bank) closed 1 August – 31 January inclusive; Shark Bay closures apply on differing dates. Always check current DPIRD rules — regulations may change.
Perth Tips
Dawesville Cut, North Mole, and South Mole are the best land-based snapper spots in Perth. Winter is your best chance from shore, especially after a storm. Use quality hooks — snapper have a hard, bony mouth that will straighten cheap hooks.