The Latics looked destined to record their only goalless draw since entering the Premiership after Danny Landzaat missed a 76th-minute penalty.
Referee Graham Poll had awarded the spot-kick when Zat Knight handled Camara's shot on the line, but Landzaat, a £2.3million summer signing from AZ Alkmaar, hit the crossbar.
• Jewell looks to Heskey and Camara
Camara showed no such nerves, however, as he capitalised on an error from Fulham's defence with a magnificent finish to end Wigan's away day blues.
The Cottagers named an unchanged line-up following last Saturday's 1-1 draw at Aston Villa and paid the price for their lack of ambition.
Brian McBride, operating as a lone striker, struggled to make an impression and a formation which has served them well on the road looked toothless at Craven Cottage.
Jimmy Bullard made a brief appearance before kick off, hobbling onto the pitch to warm applause from both sets of fans.
The midfielder left Wigan for Fulham over the summer, only to sustain knee ligament damage after just four games and it is unknown if he will play again this season.
Bullard took his place in the stands as Wigan made an impressive start with Camara firing over the bar.
But it was panic stations in the visiting defence moments later when McBride's shot was blocked by Arjan De Zeeuw.
A Claus Jensen corner fell to McBride, but he tried to set up Michael Brown instead of shooting and the chance was gone.
Fulham continued to press, with skipper Knight picking out Tomasz Radzinski at the far post, only for the Canadian international's header to sail wide.
It was an open match, with Wigan also creating opportunities as Emile Heskey just failed to meet Emmerson Boyce's cross and Camara saw a good shot well saved.
Paul Scharner sent a diving header wide of the right post after being teed up by Teale as Wigan maintained the pressure on Fulham's goal.
Franck Queudrue was struggling to contain Teale on the right, with the Scotland midfielder feeding Heskey on the edge of the area, but the Wigan striker's turn and shot was too slow.
Jensen made a magnificent run which swept him past three defenders, but his final effort sailed inches over the bar and a heartbeat later it was McBride who went close, with Radzinski's centre just deflecting out of his reach.
The initiative regularly changed hands, with Landzaat making a mess of one chance in the 38th minute after more good work from the alert Teale.
Brown was penalised for making a dangerous tackle on Scharner, but Teale's rocket flew off target after Landzaat had hit the wall with his free-kick.
Volz surged through midfield and fed McBride, whose shot was blocked by De Zeeuw as Fulham made a bright start to the second half.
However, a blunder in the home defence meant Wigan went desperately close to taking the lead.
Heskey directed a header towards the left post which Liam Rosenior missed completely and it was only the sharp reactions of Antti Niemi that stopped it from going in the net.
But the Finland goalkeeper's despairing lunge saw the ball travel downwards, with replays showing it may have crept marginally over the line.
Coleman replaced Volz with Wayne Routledge in a bid to give Fulham more attacking options, but McBride was still operating alone up front.
Webster's full Premiership debut then came to end, with Matt Jackson coming on to replace him.
The arrival of Luis Boa Morte, back after recovering from a damaged cheekbone, from the bench provoked a big cheer from home fans with Brown making way.
Controversy reigned in the 74th minute when Wigan were awarded a penalty for Knight handling the ball on the line.
Boyce crossed from the right and Camara shot, but Knight kept the ball out of the net with his arm and Poll, who only booked the Fulham defender, pointed to the spot.
Landzaat's disappointing afternoon continued, however, when he smashed the penalty against the crossbar.
Wigan did manage to take the lead in the 83rd minute, though, when Kevin Kilbane charged down Knight's clearance, with the ball falling to Camara, who escaped Queudrue and finished superbly.
Lee McCulloch could have made it 2-0 late on, but the substitute was denied by Niemi.
Jewell looks to Camara and Heskey
Wigan boss Paul Jewell claimed it would have been a 'crime' had his side
left Craven Cottage without all three points today.
He said: 'We played very well and the score doesn't do us justice. I wasn't
very happy at half-time because I thought we should have been out of sight with
the situations we had.
'I thought it would be like last year when we dominated the game for long
periods but came away with nothing. We need to be more ruthless in front of
goal.
'It would have been a crime if we hadn't won today - that was our best
performance of the season. We played some good football, created some good
opportunities and had a desire about us not to concede.
'Our away form was good last year and we got a monkey off our back today.'
Jewell hailed Camara's finish and predicts he will forge a deadly partnership
with Emile Heskey, who limped off with a thigh injury which should not prevent
him starting against Bolton next weekend.
He said: 'Camara is a menace. He has unbelievable pace. Camara and Heskey are
a decent pair.
'But we have to improve our goal-scoring because we didn't score enough last
season. Our front two of Camara and Heskey must be looking to get 10 or 15
each.
'If they both hit double figures we'll be OK. But the most pleasing aspect
from today was not our finishing but the chances we created because we looked
pacy and good on the break.'
Wigan were awarded the penalty when Zat Knight handled a Camara shot close to
the line but referee Graham Poll only gave the Fulham skipper a yellow card.
Jewell said: 'I don't want anyone sent off because a penalty is enough. But
the rules said it should have been a red card.
'Graham must have thought there was someone behind Knight. If there was he
must have been in the back of the stands. I'd like to see it again.'
Fulham boss Chris Coleman admitted his side deserved to finish empty-handed
but refused to criticise his players too heavily.
He said: 'If we had come with away anything we would have been lucky. Wigan
bossed it in the first half.
'We huffed and puffed a bit in the second but they had the better chances and
played the better football.
'We were disappointed with the way we defended. I can't get stuck into the
players because they've been superb all season. We have to put it behind us and
concentrate on Everton.
'I'm not taking anything away from Wigan because they're a good team. I think
they're better this year than last.'
Fulham 0 - 1 Wigan Athletic
