A number of major soil groups can be recognised in the Kimberley:

Shallow skeletal soils
Deep red or brown sandy soils
Red earths
Yellow earths
Grey and brown cracking clays

Shallow skeletal soils
Shallow skeletal soils and rock outcrop covers about one third of the region. This is largely brought about by sparse vegetation cover and heavy seasonal rain combining to erode surface soil. These soils are generally unsuited to pasture growth and to agriculture. 

Deep red or brown sandy soils
These soils occupy approximately one-quarter of the region. They are formed on sand plains and dune fields in the East and West Kimberley and extend south into the Great Sandy Desert. Pindan vegetation occupies much of these areas. Soils in this group do support useful pasture growth in areas south of the Fitzroy River, but for the most part they are considered to have low capacity for pastoral activity. These soils have low nutrient status and are susceptible to drought. Some success with agriculture has been achieved, however, where irrigation and careful land management techniques are applied. Severe erosion can occur following land clearing. 

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Red earths
Red earths occupy approximately one-eighth of the area, occurring on a range of land forms such as undulating terrain, sand plains and plains and hill slopes based on basalt. Although these soils generally have low nutrient status, some (for example red earths formed on volcanic rocks in the North Kimberley) are capable of supporting agricultural use. 

Yellow earths
Yellow earths occupy about one-twelfth of the region. These soils are similar to the red earths, but less permeable. They have moderate pastoral value and some potential for agriculture. Limitations include susceptibility to waterlogging and erosion.

Grey and brown cracking clays
These soils commonly known as 'black soils' or 'black soil plains' occupy less than one-tenth of the area but are the backbone of the grazing industry and offer good potential for the development of irrigated agriculture. They occur as broad open alluvial plains flanking the Fitzroy, Ord, Meda and other rivers of the area and also on somewhat more elevated plains developed on limestone and shale. These areas have supported grazing pastures since early settlement and pastoral value is high or very high.Under irrigation at Kununurra and Camballin these soils have been shown to be capable of supporting a wide range of agricultural crops.