Mandurah Crabbing Season Guide: Rules, Gear and Where to Stay

Mandurah crabbing season: what is open and when

WA Fisheries (DPIRD) closes crab fishing in Perth and South West waters from 1 September to 30 November. The closure covers coastal waters, rivers and estuaries between the Swan and Canning Rivers and Minninup Beach, about 15 km south of Bunbury, including Cockburn Sound. Mandurah and the Peel-Harvey estuary sit between those two points, and local operators such as Mandurah Boat Hire also state that the Peel-Harvey estuary is closed to crabbing from 1 September to 30 November each year.

One thing to check before you book: in March 2026 DPIRD opened a public consultation on proposed West Coast crab rule changes, including extending that closure to 31 December and standardising the bag limit at 10 crabs and the boat limit at 20. At the time of writing we could not find a published decision, so we are not quoting an opening date here. Look at the current crab page on rules.fish.wa.gov.au before you plan your dates.

Size, bag limits and what you can't keep

• Minimum size: 127 mm carapace width, measured across the widest part of the shell from tip to tip of the spikes. Use a proper crab gauge, not a ruler or a drink can.
• Bag limit: DPIRD lists 10 crabs per person for the West Coast outside the Swan River, Canning River, Cockburn Sound and Geographe Bay entries, with a boat limit of 20. Swan and Canning Rivers and Cockburn Sound are 5 per person. Check the rules page for your exact spot.
• Egg-carrying (berried) females and undersize crabs are totally protected and must go straight back in the water. DPIRD says keeping them can mean fines of up to $5,000 plus mandatory penalties.

Legal gear for crabbing near Mandurah

DPIRD says crabs may only be taken by hand or with hand-held rigid scoop nets, drop nets or blunt wire hooks. The rules page lists a scoop net with an internal diameter no bigger than 375 mm and a depth of no more than 210 mm, and drop nets no wider than 1.5 metres across, with a limit of 10 drop nets per person or per boat. Crab pots, traps, rakes, dip nets and fishing nets are not legal for recreational crabbing.

You do not need a licence to fish from the shore. If you use a powered boat to crab or to reach your crabbing spot, the people on board need a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence (RFBL).

Where people crab in the Peel-Harvey estuary

Local guides describe two main methods. In clear, calm shallows you can drift or wade the flats, spot crabs on the sand and scoop them up. Drop nets are baited and set near a sand or weed edge in about one to three metres of water, then lifted smoothly after 15 to 20 minutes. Blue swimmers are usually found over clean sand and along seagrass edges. People crab from the foreshore, jetties and small boats, and hire boats are available in Mandurah for the estuary grounds around Boundary Island and the banks in Peel Inlet. Perth Weekend notes that shore crabbing can work well in the right spots, so be ready to move if it is quiet.

We have not verified individual shore spots from an official source, so we are not ranking "best" spots. Ask at a Mandurah tackle or boat hire shop on arrival and check conditions that day.

Crabbing code of conduct and safety

• Do not scoop crabs that are obviously undersized, and do not "high grade" (swap smaller keepers for bigger crabs).
• If you use drop nets, return undersized or berried crabs before you pull the next net.
• Crabs kept out of the water for even 10 minutes may not survive release.
• Keep uncooked crabs whole unless you are preparing them for immediate eating.
• Check the weather first, wear a lifejacket on a boat, keep drop net floats clear of boating channels, and avoid waders when scooping.

Mandurah Crab Fest

The City of Mandurah's Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest ran on 14 and 15 March 2026 on the Eastern Foreshore, with free entry. Dates for the next festival were not published when we checked, so watch the City of Mandurah events page.

Where to stay for a Mandurah crabbing weekend

If you are driving down for a weekend from Perth, Bunbury, Busselton or further away, Josh's Sea Breeze is a two-bedroom apartment that sleeps four. It is a 5-minute walk to Silver Sands Town Beach, 7 minutes on foot to the Mandurah Foreshore and 15 minutes to the Mandurah Ocean Marina, with a shared year-round outdoor pool, a private balcony with a pool view and shared tennis court and BBQs. Pets are by request: ask before booking. A second apartment in the same area is Sea Breeze Apartment, also two bedrooms for four guests, with a private terrace and balcony. Booking direct with WTP Holiday Homes means live availability and no platform middleman.

Planning a longer WA coast trip? See our guides to Preston Beach cafes, pubs and wine and Preston Beach swimming and sunsets. Own a holiday home yourself? See Wealth Through Property full management.