August 29, 2023
Lake Eildon and Rocklands Reservoir will continue to provide top quality Murray cod fishing as the annual closed season begins elsewhere on Friday in many rivers and lakes.
From 1 September, the closed season comes into effect for much of the state and remains in place for three months until 1 December to give the treasured native fish a chance to breed.
Eildon and Rocklands have been at the heart of Victoria’s record-breaking fish stocking program, funded through the reinvestment of recreational fishing licence fees and the Government’s Go Fishing Victoria plan.
Since 2017, Lake Eildon has been open year-round for cod fishing and is regarded as the state’s cod mecca with more than 2.4 million fingerlings stocked in the past five years. Rocklands is fast emerging as its western counterpart with 2.75 million cod released since stockings began in 2017 – some of which are now legal size between 55 and 75 centimetres.
In 2021, the Murray cod closed season was removed from the Wimmera and Millicent basins, with the exception of the Wimmera River, opening up year-round fishing opportunities at locations like Taylors Lake and Green Lake near Horsham. At Eildon, a fixed marker remains in place at the Jamieson boat ramp to clearly define the lake area where the closed season does not apply.
Lake Eildon, waters of the Wimmera and Millicent basins and waters south of the Great Dividing Range will not be affected by the Murray cod closed season, with exception of the Wimmera River and Yarra River, where the closed season applies.
Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Travis Dowling said warmer weather, longer days and upcoming school holidays offer loads of opportunities to get into the great outdoors and wet a line with family and friends.
“Lake Eildon and Rocklands are fishing well for cod and we’ve stocked millions of fish into both lakes to ensure that’s the case for years to come,” Mr Dowling said.
“Trout season re-opens in rivers this weekend with our Goulburn and Ballarat Fishing Festivals (on September 2), stonker rainbow trout have been stocked into family-friendly waters across Melbourne and spring always means redfin and golden perch schooling up in the state’s big lakes like Hume and Eppalock.”
Friday 1 September also marks the closure of the fishing season for Murray crays (until 1 June) and river blackfish (south of the Great Dividing Range until 1 January). For more information on closed seasons, fishers can download the FREE Vic Fishing smartphone app or head to www.vfa.vic.gov.au/fishingguide
