Is Bremer Bay worth the visit?
Bremer Bay, located in the great southern region of Western Australia is nestled in a small coastal town bounded by the Southern Ocean. It is located two hours east of Albany and four hours west of Esperance. You can also reach Bremer in about seven hours as the crow flies from Perth city. The town is part of The Great Southern Treasures.
Considered a small coastal town, Bremer Bay is a small fishing community of 211 people, although these days it is mainly sustained by tourism. In the summer months the population can swell to over 10,000. It is home to incredible beaches and stunning wildlife, including migrating southern right whales, humpback and killer whales. The pristine waters in and around Bremer provide a food source for a range of fish species and depending on how you like to fish we will give you an idea of where to fish whilst in Bremer. Bremer Bay is not limited to fishing though, there is a range of activities to be enjoyed here and are not limited to swimming, surfing, snorkelling, walking and beach combing, 4 wheel driving, camping, touring and whale watching.
Is Bremer Bay good for fishing?
There is no doubt that fishing is great in Bremer Bay. There are numerous places to visit and the range of fish available is second to none. There are a number of methods for fishing, the most common is by boat followed by beach and shore via the estuary and river.
Bremer Boat Fishing
Offshore fishing is a popular past time in this coastal town. The town has a dedicated launch ramp located at the Bremer Bay Boat Harbour on Fishery Beach in a sheltered cove that is popular for swimming, boating and fishing. Catches that have been brought back include dhufish, skippy, red snapper, breaksea cod, pink snapper, queen snapper and king george whiting. Deep sea fishing catches also include southern bluefin tuna, bonito, salmon and yellowtail kingfish.
Bremer Beach Fishing
Keep in mind that the Bremer Marine Park is located close to this region and fishing is not allowed in this area.
Beach fishing is suitable for those with a surf rod and reel with a variety of lures and baits as a good option, a lighter rod for targeting herring or whiting will ensure a good catch.
At times the southern ocean conditions can make for a difficult cast but the best part is there are a number of beaches located throughout the Bremer area, some are sheltered enough during these times to allow a good cast and catch.
East of Bremer you can find Trigelow Beach, House Beach and Peppermint Beach which only have 4WD access.
East to south east of bremer is Main Beach which can be accessed by 4WD or you can park and walk. Back Beach is a great 4WD drive or you can also park and walk.
Beach Fishing Spots
Bremer Bay Boat Harbour
Accessible by car along a sealed road with a brief walk from the car park to the beach side. There is also wheelchair access available. Catches from the jetty have revealed herring, skippy, whiting, squid in the evening and blue swimmer crabs seasonally.
Short Beach
A 500 metre long beach, driving to Short Beach head out of Bremer Bay along Wellstead Road and turn onto Point Henry Road and then along Short Beach Road to the car park then walk to the beach. Catches here include, salmon, herring and skippy.
Banky Beach
Banky is a 350 m long beach, wedged in between two 40 m high headlands, with steep 20-30 m high active dune-capped scarps behind. There is vehicle access to the top of the bluff, with a steep climb down to the beach. Banky beach is known as a highly hazardous beach due to permanent rips.
Dillon Bay
Faces south-southeast and curves round for 6.7 km in the main bay. Excellent fishing for Australian Salmon, Herring, Skippy and Whiting. Stream Native Dog and Blossoms Beach are all beaches that are accessible by car then walk near Dillon Beach.
Little Boat Harbour
Located on the north side of Point Henry. The 100 m long beach faces northwest into the bay and combined with the protection afforded by the point receives low waves. The beach has vehicle access to the eastern end. It is used to launch small fishing boats. Due to its sea wrack meadows squid may be caught here using jigs off a kayak.
Rock fishing is considered dangerous along the coast here. You can loan free life jackets from Bremer Bay Hardware, they are located at 144 Wellstead Road in Bremer. Rock fishing will require a sturdy rod and reel with heavy line and tackle.
Fosters Beach
One of the highest energy beaches on the south coast. The 6.5 km long beach faces directly into the southwest waves, which average over 2 metres. Access can be difficult so a 4WD high wheel base is essential. The 4WD access track, called the Minarup Road, reaches the western end of the beach where there is a solitary fishing shack. Catches here include seasonal salmon, herring, shark, skippy and silver bream. Blue Groper have also been caught from the rocks over holes using crab for bait.
Reef Beach
Has a rock platform with cliffs dropping into deep water. Fish caught here include salmon, pink snapper and mulloway at night. Reef Beach is a second 8.4 km long exposed high energy beach, which also faces to the southwest. There is 4WD vehicle access to the beach via the eastern Warramurrup Road and in the west via the rough Reef Beach Road, this terminates at a small fishing camp and informal camping area.
Estuary, River Fishing & Inlet Fishing
There are a number of accessible estuaries throughout Bremer Bay. Fishing is accessible in places with tracks usually available to the edges. Checking Google maps can also be a great help if you have good phone reception. For estuary fishing, a lighter rod and reel with smaller lures and baits is more suitable.
Wellstead Estuary is located near Bremer Bay Caravan Park and is not always open to the southern ocean due to a sandbank across the mouth. The estuary is shallow at 1m deep in most places but fishing with lures, poppers and bait can reveal bream and herring. When the sandbar breaks there is good fishing for Mulloway. Other frequented fishing spots include Gordon Inlet which is best fished on using a kayak or rooftop boat where you may catch a bream. Beaufort/Pallinup Estuary where you can fish upstream for black bream using bait or soft plastics.
Salmon Fishing
Salmon fishing is a big event along the coast of Western Australia. Most beaches along the east and west and in front of Bremer are great places to fish during the season in March to May. Our beach and boat fishing guide above will tell you where best to go.
Cleaning your fish:
It is not recommended to dispose of fish offal in any rubbish bins around town but there are two fish cleaning stations located at the marina and in town.
Using Fresh Bait: Bait commonly used include mulies, herring, whitebait, and pilchards. You can buy fresh bait from the Beaches kiosk (pilchards, coral prawns or squid)- or the General Store on Mary Street.
Sustainable Recreational Fishing
A good guide to sustainable fishing can mean doing the right thing. Good advice includes only take your fair share – size and possession limits are there to protect fishing stocks. Use approved fishing methods, remove your waste, measure your catch, release fish properly, check for fishing equipment regulations and if you require a license by using the fish.wa.gov.au website.
Killer Whales in the Bremer Canyon?
Naturaliste Charters take tours from December to April out to the Bremer Canyon located 70 kilometres off the Bremer Coast. The orca are known to breed here during the season so sighting calves here is quite common. The family pods feed and socialise throughout the canyon ‘hotspot’, surfing waves and hunting their meals. Bremer Canyon is rich in micro nutrients so is also a feeding ground to many different pelagic species and birds.
