Fishing in Cape Range National Park

Cape Range National Park sits on the North West Cape near Exmouth in Western Australia, forming part of the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area.

The park's western edge runs along the shore of Ningaloo Marine Park, and that relationship between the national park and the marine park is the defining fact for anyone who comes here to fish.

The water is saltwater — reef, coast, and creek mouth — and where you can fish, and how, depends on which zone you're standing in. Ningaloo Marine Park divides its waters into zones, and those zones determine what's permitted.

Fishing is allowed in general use and recreational zones. Sanctuary zones are closed to fishing entirely.

The Osprey Bay area, for example, sits beside a sanctuary zone, but the shoreline there is designated as a special purpose zone where shore-based fishing is allowed.

To the south of Mandu Mandu Creek, fishing is not permitted; to the north, a recreational zone opens things up. Before you rig up anywhere along this coast, know which zone you're in — the boundaries matter and they're enforced.

Yardie Creek sits at the southern end of the park and is one of the more distinctive waters here, a tidal creek cutting through the limestone range to the coast.

Tantabiddi Creek, toward the northern end of the park, is another access point where the land meets the reef edge. Both creeks and the coastline between them are where land-based anglers work the park's fishable stretches.

Lure fishing from the shore is a practical approach along this coast, with the reef structure close in at many points. Camping inside the park puts you within reach of these waters at first and last light, which is when it counts.

Check current rules with the park directly — zone boundaries, what's permitted at each campground, and any conditions that apply to boat launching from sites like Osprey Bay. The rules here exist because the reef does.