The fishing around Rottnest is very good for both shore and boat anglers.
Rottnest offers a great location for chasing bread and butter species from the shore at any number of locations, with herring and skippy often prolific. Many of the bays also hold good numbers of squid.
King George whiting are an occasional capture from the shore, but more often from boats around Rottnest. Some big silver bream also come from the shore, and tailor are a regular capture around the reefs. School mulloway are another possibility. Boat anglers working close to Rottnest will find plenty of skippy, squid and often yellowtail kingfish, along with pink snapper and the occasional dhufish.
Trolling around West End and along the south side can produce spanish and shark mackerel. Most years Rottnest also produces a very good salmon run, with big schools of fish encountered from shore and boats around West End.
Find even more info on the best fishing spots in Perth and the best fishing spots Western Australia here.
Rottnest Trench
The Rottnest Trench is situated 20kms west of the island and is a favourite spot for big scale gamefishing.
Fish aggregating Devices placed near the edges of the trench attract dolphin fish, wahoo and marlin. For more information regarding the FADs check out our article on the FADs project here.
Local Species
Boat Fishing Safety
Boating to and around Rottnest Island can be hazardous, particularly in the northern bays during Winter and southern bays in Summer.
Before venturing to the island, have a read of our Boat Fishing Safety Guide for information to help you stay safe while boating.
