Sticking to bag and size limits is one of the ways you can help ensure our precious fish stocks remain sustainable.
Finfish categories
For bag and size limits, finfish are categorised according to their habitat and biology (see diagram below).
Demersal finfish* generally live on or near the ocean floor usually at depths of more than 20 metres.
Large pelagic finfish are those that usually inhabit the surface or middle depths of the ocean.
Nearshore and estuarine finfish typically live in the estuary reaches of rivers and/or in the ocean usually in depths of water up to 20 metres.
Freshwater species can be found in the mid to upper non-saline reaches of rivers and are in freshwater lakes and dams. These species are part of a managed fishery and you will need a 
freshwater angling licence.
Bag and size limits by species
Bag and size limits can be found in our
Recreational fishing guide or accessed through the online recreational fishing rules website -
rules.fish.wa.gov.au. You can search for recreational fishing rules on the rules website by species and location.
* For demersal finfish, separate bag and size limits still apply in the
West Coast Bioregion (north of Kalbarri to Black Point, east of Augusta). Following research that showed these species were being overfished, a series of measures were introduced a few years ago to reduce the take of demersal finfish in this area. The measures will be reviewed following future stock assessments.