Lake Clifton Fishing in Waroona, Western Australia

• Overview

  Look for Lake Clifton in Waroona, Western Australia. The country round it is warm bottomland from end to end. At roughly 16.19 sq km it ranks among the larger waters in the region. At about 43 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. On our Waroona list it sits near the top for size. Nearest place of any size is Dawesville, 18 km away. For a city, Mandurah is 30 km off. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lake Clifton

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Salt or brackish and tidal: fish the flow, rest at slack, and watch the mud on a falling tide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Nearby survey and observation records mention crimson-backed sillago, King George whiting, sandy sprat and western pygmy perch. Records show what people reported, not what is stocked. Lake Clifton repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put February at about 23°C and July near 13°C. Winter is simply the pleasant end of an unbroken season. The shoulder seasons either side of summer are the ones to aim for. Spring, September into November, fishes hardest, with autumn a close second. That is the shape of the year on Lake Clifton.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lake Pollard at 3.3 km is the sensible second choice. Where Lake Clifton is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.