The Swan River is famous for Black Bream fishing, perhaps since they are easy to catch on bait but often a challenge on lures. The Swan River also fishes well for Flathead during the summer, Flounder, Yellow Fin Whiting, Tailor, Herring and Grunter.
Fishing the Swan River can be productive from land and boat, however due to heavy fishing pressure some knowledge of where the fish are will increase your successes.
For targeting Bream, boaters and land-based anglers should seek out the bream instead of waiting for the Bream to eventually swim past. The usual Bream hideouts are snags, jetties, mussel banks and bridge pylons. Often the most active or feeding Bream are found on the sand banks near weed where they feed on shrimp, mussels and worms.
During the summer months the Black Bream move upstream as far as the Middle Swan area and take shelter in the snags. Look for fallen down trees, rocky areas and shade areas.
Lure fishing for Bream in the Swan River becomes quite successful over the summer months, lightly weight soft plastics and suspending hard bodies are the go. The Bream tolerate the brackish water and will stay upstream until the rain returns.
Some places to look for Bream during summer in the Swan River are the Canning Bridge, The Causeway, Mt Henry and The Narrows. Land based anglers can walk the shore around Midland and Guildford flicking lures at snags – there are plenty of bream there and unweighted soft plastics are quite effective.
In the lower reaches of the Swan are Flathead, Flounder, Molloway and Tailor. The blowfish are overwhelming so a hard body lure is a must. Work the shallows and drop offs early morning for Flathead around Point Walter, Leeuwin Boat Ramp and Applecross Jetty. However flathead can be found as far up as Guildford.
When the rain starts all the fish are pushed downstream into saltier water.
The winter rains push the bream downstream to saltier water and the best bet is targeting the Perth yacht clubs, jetties and the flats around Fremantle. The outgoing tides in June, July and August produce good fishing around the East Fremantle area for Whiting.
For black bream during winter try jetties around Mosman Park and Claremont.
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February 5, 2017
is the bay around eat greek and the swan yatch club to zepyr cfae good for scoop netting, flathead and bream fishing and maybe even whiting? please reply back
February 14, 2017
Hey Max, we never had a great deal of luck around here, there’s not enough weed to attract the whiting, and during the day there was a heap of blowfish. With all this rain the Bream might be heading down closer to the mouth of the river to get more salt water… You can try flicking soft plastic around the jetty pylons here for Bream. Try scoop netting south of Leeuwin Boat Ramp.
November 29, 2018
As long as it’s this side of Melville waters ok
April 27, 2017
riverton bridge? has anyone gone there? whats the fishing like?
April 29, 2017
riverton bridge any good?
canning bridge any good?
freshwater bay any good?
May 1, 2017
Hey Max, I know some guys get some good Bream at the Canning Bridge, on bait and soft plastics.
July 18, 2017
hi guys a report in the cockburn gazette states that there have been recent reports of people fishing at lake coogee munster i know that it is a lake and it is not in the swan river, im not sure if there are actually fish in lake coogee i did some research about it and i found black bream have been caught on the lake i am just curious to know if anything else have been caught there let me know that would be great thanks
July 18, 2017
Hey Max, Thanks for the info! It’s definitely possible, black bream have a pretty good tolerance for freshwater. Who knows what people have put in there!? I fished some little lakes / dams on Karnup Road, there was a few small fish in there but didn’t catch a bream. Also over on the East Coast a lot of fish get washed into land locked lakes during floods, bream, mangrove jack, trevally, tarpon.
December 30, 2017
Any info on fishing the Swan opposite the old Police Academy (Rivervale, down from the new stadium)?
April 5, 2018
Don’t because they are biulding the bridge and I think they close it of about 3.00pm
April 5, 2018
What time can you get fish in swan river?
April 25, 2018
beast time to go is early morning or late arvo – darkness, i found i had alot more bites and caught more fish when the weather was warmer or after the rain
April 8, 2018
Are there any flathead or whiting around in the swan or is it getting to cool ????
April 8, 2018
Yep flathead around all year, if there hasnt been any rain they should be a bit further upstream.
April 25, 2018
What is the best time to fish at the old swan brewery today?
July 11, 2018
Where can I buy bait around East Perth? Thanks!
August 16, 2018
Is pepi grove jetty and banks a great spot for bream and flathead and what soft plastics do you use/lures.
December 31, 2018
Hi caught some bream, mostly just size or under plus yellowtail about midnight last night at Garvey Park Redcliffe.?