DURING the recreational marron season, which runs from noon on January 8 to noon on February 5, what types of fishing gear are legal for fishers to use?
Drop nets, scoop nets and snares are legal fishing gear but fishers are only allowed to use one method at a time.
If using the drop net method a licensed fisher can use up to six drop nets.
If using the scoop net method only one wire basket crab scoop may be used per licensed fisher.
Similarly, if using the snare method only one bushman’s pole snare may be used per licensed fisher.
All other fishing gear including any type of trap is illegal.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) fisheries management officer Amie Steele said fishers need a licence and must be able to produce it if required.
Gingin Brook is part of Moore River and its tributaries, so recreational fishers can fish for marron there during the marron season.
Catch and size limits
Trophy waters – ‘Trophy waters’ are within 500m of the high-water mark of Harvey Dam, Waroona Dam and the Hutt River.
- Minimum legal size to keep – 90mm carapace length.
- Daily bag limit per licensed fisher – five marron.
- Possession limit – a person must not possess more than five marron at any time on or adjacent to trophy waters.
All other open waters
- Minimum legal size to keep – 80mm carapace length.
- Daily bag limit per licensed fisher – eight marron.
- Possession limit – 16 marron.
Fishers need to be aware the daily bag limit applies from noon on any given day until noon the next day.
‘Possession limit’ means you may only accumulate your daily bag limits up to this number.
A possession limit applies everywhere except in your principal place of residence.
Marron waters include:
Moore and Hutt rivers and their tributaries.
- Collie River (upstream of the Australind Bypass Rd and downstream of the Wellington Dam wall, and upstream of the Mungalup Rd Bridge);
- Deep, Gardner, Warren, Donnelly, Blackwood, Capel and Preston rivers and their tributaries; and
- Murray River (upstream from the Pinjarra weir).
Within 50m of the waterline of marron waters:
- You may have only legal marron fishing gear in your possession.
- Net restrictions apply – licensed freshwater anglers using a single rod and line may possess only a short-handled (50cm) trout landing net. Using a trout landing net to fish for marron is prohibited.
Snare-only waters
In these waters, you may use only a pole snare to take marron. All other methods are illegal. Within 50m of the waterline you may not be in possession of any marron fishing gear except a pole snare.
Snare-only waters include:
- Margaret River (outside of closures – see closed waters section);
- Big Brook Dam, Drakes Brook Dam, Glen Mervyn Dam and Logue Brook Dam;
- Harvey Dam and the Harvey River upstream of the South Western Hwy including the tributaries flowing into those waters;
- Waroona Dam (Lake Navarino) and its tributaries; and
- Wellington Dam (all waters and tributaries upstream of the Wellington Dam wall, excluding the Collie River upstream of Mungalup Rd Bridge).
Closed waters
Public water supply dams – any not listed in this guide are generally closed to fishing. For details, visit the Water Corporation’s website at watercorporation.com.au
Shannon River – for marron research purposes, the Shannon River and its tributaries are closed to all fishing.
Margaret River – you must not fish for marron in the Margaret River and its tributaries upstream of the Ten Mile Brook junction (to protect a species known as ‘hairy marron’), or in waters within 300m upstream and 50m downstream of the Bussell Hwy traffic bridge.
Fishing for marron anywhere outside of the marron fishing season is illegal.
Transporting marron outside the season including marron grown in dams on private property is illegal.
Marron purchased from a licenced commercial aquaculture facility must only be transported with receipt as proof of purchase.
This helps to protect the marron aquaculture industry, which is licensed to grow and sell marron to restaurants and the public.
Alkimos man, Yanchep man caught using illegal fishing gear in Moore River
