Fishing in Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park

Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park runs for 120 kilometres along the southwestern tip of Western Australia, between Cape Naturaliste in the north and Cape Leeuwin in the south.

The park is primarily a coastal one — rugged limestone headlands, surf beaches, and rocky reef — but it also holds stretches of karri and jarrah forest inland, and the small streams and brooks that drain through that country toward the sea.

The fishing here is shaped by that coastal character. Rock and beach fishing along the park's Indian Ocean frontage is the main draw, with anglers working the headlands and reef edges for whatever the swell allows.

The cliff sections demand real caution — the park is explicit about this — and the exposed nature of the coast means conditions can change quickly.

Fishing from powered boats requires a recreational fishing licence issued by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The freshwater side of the park is quieter.

The Margaret River and smaller watercourses including Wilyabrup Brook, Ellen Brook, Wyadup Brook, and Quininup Brook run through or near the park's forested sections.

Freshwater angling in waters south of latitude 29°S and above the tidal influence — which covers this region — requires a separate south-west freshwater angling licence, also issued through DPIRD.

Check current rules with the department before fishing any of these streams, as gear restrictions and species rules apply.

The park sits adjacent to marine park zones around the capes, and standard recreational fishing rules apply throughout, including bag and size limits and gear restrictions.

Sanctuary and National Park zones within any adjoining marine park are no-take — worth confirming the zone boundaries before you launch or wade in. This is a park where the fishing is woven into a bigger, wilder coastline.

The same headlands that hold fish also hold serious swell, and the same forest streams that might carry trout run through country managed for conservation. Go with that in mind.