February 18, 2026
Photo of Tarago Reservoir: Melbourne Water
When the Victorian Government announced plans to open Tarago Reservoir for on-water recreation, back in 2022, recreational fishers were thrilled. For years, fishers had called for restoring public access to the reservoir often highlighting its potential to become one of Victoria’s premier trout fisheries.
Tarago Reservoir is a drinking water storage managed by Melbourne Water and provides water to Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs as well as the Mornington Peninsula and towns in the Westernport region. The reservoir is known to boast a strong population of brown trout as a result of stocking programs prior to its closure to recreational access in the 1970’s.
Announced in 2022, opening a new boating facility at Tarago Reservoir is a key commitment of the Victorian Government’s Go Fishing and Boating Victoria plan. In November 2024, the project was progressing and an announcement by the Minister for Outdoor Recreation, Steve Dimopoulos, revealed the selected location of the new boating facility – along Tarago Reservoir’s western shoreline, off North Jindivick Road.
At the North Jindivick Road site, the reservoir will a receive a single-lane boat ramp, car park and amenities block to allow recreational fishing and boating access at the reservoir.
Since the project was announced, we’ve been hearing from excited recfishers seeking updates on the project. We know you’re keen to try your luck at reeling in a giant brown trout! So, we reached out to the team at Better Boating Victoria and they kindly answered some of the key questions you’ve asked – including when you can expect to get on the water at Tarago.
To support recreational access to the reservoir, water treatment upgrades were required and undertaken by Melbourne Water and Gippsland Water. The good news is, now these upgrades are complete, the project is now entering its final designs and approvals phase.
Better Boating Victoria and Melbourne Water have finalised the detailed designs and the tender for a suitably qualified builder has been released. The Victorian Fisheries Authority is progressing with statutory approvals, such as Town Planning and the Cultural Heritage Management Plan.
Melbourne Water is leading the development of the Recreational Area Management Plan (RAMP) in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Energy & Climate Action and Traditional Owners. The RAMP will identify how the boat ramp, boating and fishing will be managed at the reservoir including rules required to protect the drinking water quality.
So, when can you expect to be on the water at Tarago? According to Better Boating Victoria, the current timeline expects the on-ground works to commence mid-2026 and the new ramp is expected to be opened in October/November 2026.
A key consideration when allowing recreational access to water storages that provide communities with drinking water is ensuring the quality of the drinking water is protected. Due to this, it has been confirmed that petrol motors (and petrol related components such as fuel cells) will not be permitted on vessels used at Tarago Reservoir. Instead, alternatives such as vessels with electric motors and non-motorised craft (canoes, kayaks) will be allowed. This requirement likely isn’t a huge surprise to many fishers as it aligns with the approved on-water access to other Victorian drinking water storages such as the Upper Coliban, Malmsbury and Lauriston reservoirs.
Melbourne Water have made the decision to restrict activities that are perceived to increase the level of contact that recreational users have with the drinking water at Tarago Reservoir. Unfortunately, this includes shoreline fishing.
While we are excited for the upcoming on-water access to Tarago Reservoir, we are disappointed that shoreline fishing will not be permitted once the facility is opened.
We know how important it is for recreational fishers to have good land-based access to our waterways. After all, not everyone has access to a vessel, and our past VRFish surveys have found that more than 70% of recreational fishers wet a line through utilising land-based access.
As mentioned, Melbourne Water and partners are currently developing a Recreational Area Management Plan (RAMP) for Tarago Reservoir ahead of its opening to public access which is expected to be released for public comment and further community engagement by the project team is set to commence shortly.
VRFish will remain engaged in progress of the project and continue to advocate for land-based recreational fishing access to the reservoir.
More information
Keen to learn more about the Tarago Reservoir project? Visit:
- Melbourne Water | Opening Tarago Reservoir for on-water recreation
- Melbourne Water | Tarago Reservoir
- Better Boating Victoria | Tarago Reservoir
- Better Boating Victoria | Recreational fishing rules at Tarago Reservoir
