Size limits allow fish to reach maturity to complete their breeding cycle. Measure all your fish and return undersize or excess fish alive to the water.

Bag limits assist in sharing the resource and contribute to the sustainable management of the State’s fish stocks.

A daily bag limit is the maximum number of fish that you may take or bring onto land in any 24-hour period, from midnight to midnight (except from midday to midday for marron, prawns and when recreational netting).

For rules about fish kept and stored beyond 24 hours, see 'Possession limit' for details.

Individual species daily bag limit

This is the maximum number of an individual species that you may take within your total mixed species daily bag limit.

For demersal finfish, large pelagic finfish and nearshore/esturarine finfish, an individual daily bag limit for a group of species applies to each of the individual species in that group. 

For example, emperors (except blue-lined emperor) have an individual daily bag limit of three in all bioregions except the West Coast. They are also within a mixed species daily bag limit of five (across all demersal scalefish for these bioregions).

• 3 fish = 3 red-throat emperor 
  OR
• 3 fish = 1 coral trout (species has an individual species bag limit of 1) and 2 red-throat emperor.

Mixed species daily bag limit

To protect fish and their habitats in key environments, some activities are banned. In particular you are not allowed to:

• use fish traps or ‘pots’ of any kind (except lobster pots and octopus trigger traps – see the website for further information);
• use dredges;
• obstruct any bay, inlet, river, creek or any tidal or inland waters so that fish are enclosed, left stranded, destroyed or wasted;
• be in possession of explosives or noxious substances (for example, fish poisons);
• ‘jag’ (deliberately foul-hook) fish;
• use commercial fishing gear of any kind;
• use set-lines; or
• attach fish hooks to lobster pots, anchors and anchor lines or moorings.

Note: Fishing tackle stores may carry gear that does not meet WA legal requirements. In particular, the use of crab traps, ‘opera house’ traps and bait jigs with more than three hooks are illegal in WA waters. Please check before you make a purchase.

This species does not have a specific boat limit, so bag limits apply when fishing from a boat.

A fisher who does not hold a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence (RFBL) can fish with the use of a powered boat if at least one person on board the boat has an RFBL.

This is allowed provided the total catch of everyone on board stays within the bag limit(s) of the one or more fishers who hold an RFBL. This only applies to the RFBL and not to other fishing licences.

The master of the boat must ensure these rules are followed.

Species with a specific boat limit

Boat limits apply for demersal scalefish, blue swimmer crabs, mud crabs, squid, octopus, cuttlefish, greenlip/brownlip abalone and rock lobster. 

There is a mixed species demersal scalefish boat limit of 4 in the West Coast Bioregion.

A boat limit is the maximum number of fish of a species or group of species that may be on a boat or attached to a boat at any one time.

This limit applies regardless of how long the vessel is at sea.

For bag and size limits, finfish are categorised according to their aquatic environment:

In some cases there are rules that apply to specific biological regions – the North Coast, Gascoyne Coast, West Coast or South Coast bioregions.

The FishWatch phone line provides a quick and easy way to report sightings or evidence of:

• illegal fishing;
• aquatic pests; and
• aquatic diseases (including fish kills).

You can also report illegal or suspicious fishing activities via our online form. 

Illegal fishing could include someone netting in the river, exceeding their bag or possession limits, taking undersize fish, fishing in a closed area, having more fishing gear in the water than they should or illegally selling recreationally caught fish.

Before you call or report online, note:

• How many people you saw.
• Who they were. Did you hear/know any of their names?
• What they were doing.
• Where it happened; the nearest known landmark or intersection of the closest road.
• What type of equipment, cars or boats, registration numbers and descriptions.
• When it happened: time and date. Is it something that is happening right now, while you are making a report, or was it something you observed previously?

Your reports are treated in strict confidence. We recommend you do not approach anyone you think is involved in illegal activity relating to fish or fishing.

If you don’t wish to contact us through FishWatch you can pass information to your local Fisheries office or to Fisheries Officers.

Call FishWatch now - 1800 815 507.

An individual bag limit applies to each individual species in this group, within your total mixed species bag limit of finfish. 

See 'Bag and size limits' for details.

Interfering with another person's fishing gear or catch, selling recreationally caught fish and other similar offences can result in penalties of up to $400,000, imprisonment for four years and loss of boats, vehicles and equipment.

Offenders may also lose the privilege of engaging in a licensed fishing activity.

Legal fishing gear is outlined below; everything else is illegal.

• Rods, lines and hooks – you can only use a maximum of one bait or lure on each line fishing for demersal scalefish in the West Coast Bioregion. You can only use a maximum of three baits or lures on each line when fishing in other areas or for other species categories. Shore-based fishers may use a maximum of two fishing lines. Rods and lines must be attended.
  Note: To catch barramundi, you are only permitted to use a single rod, reel and line or a single hand-held line.
• Rock lobster pots – fishers (including divers) must not remove form the water or interfere with any rock lobster pot that does not belong to them. Fishers who come across someone else's pot that appears snagged or with unmarked floats or without a rope and float attached, are encouraged to record the GPS coordinates and report it to a Fisheries Officer or through Fishwatch.
• Spearfishing – generally allowed in ocean waters, except in some marine protected areas and around dive wrecks. Further information on specific restrictions in marine protected areas is available from your local Fisheries office or through our location search – click on the 'View map' link at the top of this page or search for your location. 
  All inland waters (rivers, tributaries and dams) are closed to spearfishing. However, the use of a hand spear (gidgie) is permitted to take estuarine cobbler in estuaries.
• Haul, set and throw fishing nets – most of the State is closed to set and haul netting. See our Recreational Net Fishing Guide for details.
• Release weights – required if line fishing for demersal species Statewide.

Measure finfish from the point of the snout to the tip of the tail.

Pick up a free fish ruler sticker from Department of Fisheries offices or participating retail stores.