Five Fathom Bank

Bait Ground·Western Australia·Australia

Field notes

A long limestone shelf off Fremantle in roughly 8 to 12 metres, fished hard by metro boats. Sand patches between reef hold pink snapper and dhufish, with samson fish stacking up on bait schools. Closed for demersals Oct 15 to Dec 15.

Current conditions

Wind
4.3 kt NW
Gusts 8 kt
Waves
2.4 m
Period 13.7 s
Swell
2.4 m
Period 11.6 s
Sea temp
19.3°C
Air 16.5°C
Next 12 hours
01:00
4.3 NW
2.4m
02:00
3.7 WNW
2.4m
03:00
4.3 WNW
2.4m
04:00
4.1 WNW
2.4m
05:00
4.7 WNW
2.4m
06:00
5.8 NW
2.4m
07:00
7 NW
2.5m
08:00
9.3 NW
2.5m
09:00
11.1 WNW
2.5m
10:00
11.2 WNW
2.5m
11:00
11.3 WNW
2.5m
12:00
11.4 WNW
2.5m
Tides
Nearest BOM tide station: Fremantle ↗ (14.2 km · primary)
We don't predict tides on-site — BOM's published tables are authoritative.
BOM · Perth CoastIssued at 7:01 am WST on Wednesday 21 October 2026
Situation. A ridge over southern WA is weakening. A series of weak cold fronts will brush past the southwest coast from today until Saturday. A new ridge will develop over southern WA on the weekend.
Wednesday 21 October until midnight. Winds: Southerly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 2.5 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.
Thursday 22 October. Strong Wind Warning for Thursday for Ningaloo Coast Winds: Southerly 15 to 25 knots, reaching up to 30 knots inshore in the late afternoon. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning, then increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2.5 to 3 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.
Friday 23 October. Winds: Southerly 20 to 30 knots. Seas: 2 metres, increasing to 2.5 to 3 metres during the afternoon or evening. Swell: Southwesterly 3 metres. Weather: Cloud clearing. Gascoyne Coast: Cape Cuvier to Kalbarri
Wednesday 21 October until midnight. Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots, reaching up to 25 knots about Shark Bay in the afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 2 to 3 metres. Weather: Mostly sunny.
Source: Open-Meteo Marine + ECMWF (15-min cache) · BOM (1-hr cache). Not for navigation.

Sun & moon

Today
Sun↑ 05:32↓ 18:34
Moon↑ 13:42↓ 03:03
PhaseWaxing gibbous 73%
Best windows
  • Dawn05:07 – 06:32
  • Dusk17:34 – 18:59
Tomorrow
Sun↑ 05:31↓ 18:34
Moon↑ 14:41↓ 03:29
PhaseWaxing gibbous 81%
Best windows
  • Dawn05:06 – 06:31
  • Dusk17:34 – 19:00
Best windows combine civil twilight with the hour either side of sun transit — the universal low-light feeding window most species respond to. Moon phase influence is folkloric; full and new moons coincide with the strongest tide swings.

What's biting

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Access & logistics

Spot type
Bait Ground
Region
Western Australia, Australia
Fishing style
offshore and bluewater fishing
Structure
Typically holds drop-offs — work the structure for holding fish.
Licence
Recreational fishing licence may apply — check the Western Australia fisheries regulator before fishing.
Closures
Always confirm current marine park / closure status and seasonal bag limits.

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