News

Casting into the School Holidays

With the winter school holidays here, it is the perfect time to head to your local waterway and share your love of fishing with your family.

Across the state, there are so many opportunities to wet a line. Family fishing lakes provide fishers with land based opportunities with good access through fishing platforms and tracks.

Make sure you keep up to date with and adhere to any Covid-19 restrictions that may apply. Pay particular attention to avoiding crowding or gatherings on jetties and platforms and always maintain physical distancing.

Prior to the school holidays, the Victorian Fisheries Authority have stocked almost 80 family fishing lakes across the state with more than 35,000 ready-to-catch rainbow trout.

For kids and people new to fishing, these trout can be caught using natural baits such as worms or artificial baits such as powerbait. A bubble float is great way to keep your hook off the bottom while being able to see bites or a hook-up.

Last year and over summer, some of these lakes also received their first stockings of native fish such as Murray cod and golden perch, including some that are already at a catchable size. This means it’s worth your while throwing some lures out for a surprise catch.

Included in the recent stocking bonanza, Ouyen Lake which was stocked for the first time with 500 rainbow trout to provide more opportunities for families fishing in the northwest.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority have listed the waters specifically stocked for these winter holidays include:

  • Albert Park Lake (1,500)
  • Lillydale Lake (1,000)
  • Emerald Lake (500)
  • Spavin Lake in Sunbury (600)
  • Victoria Lake in Shepparton (750)
  • Hyland Lake in Churchill (800)
  • Pakenham Lake (750)
  • St Augustine’s Water Hole in Geelong (750)
  • Kennington Reservoir in Bendigo (500)
  • Darlingsford Lake in Melton (500)
  • Pertobe Lake in Warrnambool (450)
  • Yarrambat Lake (1,000)
  • Casey Fields Lake in Cranbourne (750)
  • Crusoe Reservoir (450)
  • Eildon Pondage (1,100+)
  • Marysville Lake (450)
  • Ouyen Lake (500)
  • Tchum Lake in Birchip (1,000)

Family fishing Lakes have a different set of fishing rules. A daily bag limit of 5 trout applies to Family Fishing Lakes, of which only 2 trout can exceed 35cm.


Recommended for you

Subscribe to our mailing list

Join our 50,000+ subscribers in receiving our Fishing Lines News delivered straight to your inbox. Don’t miss out on all the issues affecting your fishing, projects improving your fishing and opportunities to have your say about your fishery.

* indicates required
Communication Preferences (tick all that apply)