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The DoT-operated Bandy Creek Boat
Harbour is located 10 kilometres east of the town
centre. It comprises a commercial area on the
eastern side with 26 boat pens for vessels up to 25
metres in length, a jetty and a land-backed wharf,
fuelling and maintenance facilities, a 150-metre
service wharf and public toilets. The west (or
‘recreational’) side has 20 Mediterranean-type
pens for boats up to 15 metres long, serviced by
power, water and lighting. Adjacent to the boat
pens is a two-lane boat ramp accessible from Daw
Drive and Summys Park, with a barbeque, a fish
cleaning table and public toilets. At the southern
end of the land-backed service wharf, the “trawler
jetty” was constructed in 1989 to accommodate
two large vessels up to 30.6 metres long. The
Esperance Professional Fisherman’s Association
operates a private slipway on the northern side of
the harbour, with a 60-tonne capacity.
In Cape Le Grand National Park, small boats
are best launched at Lucky Bay and from Cape
Le Grand Beach. There is an anchorage 1.5
nautical miles north of Cape Le Grand, locally
known as O’Briens Beach, which provides good
protection from north-east to south-east winds
with little surge. The bottom is weed over sand
at 10 to 12 metres deep, with the possibility of
getting in closer. Launching at Rossiter Bay is not
recommended but there is an anchorage about
one nautical mile north of Mississippi Point with
protection from westerlies.
The western side of Lucky Bay has an anchorage
in depths of two to three metres, with protection
from the south-west through north to south-east.
The eastern side of the bay is deeper and offers
better protection over sand from strong easterlies,
but not westerlies. Thistle Cove, immediately west
of Lucky Bay, is a pleasant little cove offering
shelter from the north-west to north-east, in five
to 10 metre depths, but is somewhat exposed to
other directions. There is a chance of swell entering
with fresh south-west winds.
There are only a few recommended anchorages
within the Recherche Archipelago due to the
deep water close inshore and variable winds.
Landing on most islands is difficult and onlythree have sand beaches: Figure of Eight, Middle
and Sandy Hook. There is good access to Middle
Island, with a popular anchorage providing safe
landing for boats.FISHING
Esperance is an angler's paradise. The easiest
option is to pick any one of the many beaches
(or wharfs and jetties) in and around the town,
all with magnificent views of the coastline. A
handy Beach Fishing Guide is available online or
from local tackle shops. Rock fishing from any of
Esperance’s granite headlands can offer a range of
species, but it can be very dangerous due to rogue
waves and slippery algae. Ensure you wear a life
jacket and always use the mooring hooks installed
at popular rock fishing locations.
Offshore fishing provides boat anglers with a
wide selection of deep sea fish species, but you’ll
need a fishing licence and be aware of regulations
about size and bag limits, gear control and fishing
seasons. If you’re keen for a deep sea angling
experience but don't own a boat (or don’t have