Overview

Try your hand at fishing in great rivers, mountain streams and alpine lakes and try to nab some of mainland Australia's largest river-dwelling trout.

Fly fishing

Practice the art of fly-casting between Myrtleford and Harrietville on the Ovens River tributaries, including the Buffalo River, Buckland River, German Creek, and Morse's Creek (or the Bright Pool). 

Head east to the Kiewa River in summer for more superb fly fishing. Expect to bag a few between Mount Beauty and Mongan's Bridge. 

Alpine angling

Make the most of summer's almost-perfect conditions for excellent bait and lure fishing in the high altitude lakes at Rocky Valley Reservoir and Pretty Valley Reservoir, near Falls Creek.

Casting for trout

Cast a line and catch trout in the lower Mitta Mitta River, Lake Dartmouth and Snowy Creek and Little Snowy Creek in summer.

Stay closer to Melbourne and snare brown and rainbow trout in Lake Eildon and the Eildon Pondage. 

Try fishing various types of river – like the Rubicon, Jamieson, Howqua and Delatite mountain freestone rivers to the Acheron and Taggerty meadow stream rivers, and the mighty Goulburn tailrace river.

Lake Eildon region encompasses Australia's fastest growing and most exciting freshwater sport fisheries. In its rivers and lakes, anglers can find brown and rainbow trout, redfin, golden perch, and our most prized native fish, the Murray cod.

Just over one hour's drive from Melbourne, the Taggerty, Acheron, Rubicon and Steavenson rivers provide a healthy environment for the region's brown trout population.

These rivers, as well as Lake Eildon, flow through to the Goulburn River, which supports Victoria's most popular trout fishery and where both brown and rainbow trout abound. As the river has cool water year-round, the trout fishing is superb even in the hot summer months. Access to the river is excellent with numerous bridge points and parallel road access and fishing guides service the area well.

Lake Eildon and surrounds

In recent years, Lake Eildon has run an impressive stocking program that now produces consistent catches year-round. From the bank or the boat, rainbow and brown trout over the magic ten pound mark are being caught. Murray cod have also been introduced in this stocking program, and cod from two to thirty kilograms are being caught in the warmer months. The revival of this great sport fish has been one of Lake Eildon's great success stories, as has the introduction of golden perch.

Producing trout to seven kilograms each year, Eildon Pondage is another gold medal fishery in the area, as are the streams of the nearby high country. The region's attractions also extend to the inflowing rivers of this massive impoundment: the Upper Goulburn, Delatite, Big, Howqua and Jamieson. These rivers are among Victoria's best trout fisheries and now hold both brown and rainbow trout.

Before you go

Be sure to buy a Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) before you leave. The licence covers all recreational fishing in Victoria's marine, estuarine and freshwaters. And please note that all Victorian streams and rivers close during the wintertime, from Queens birthday weekend at the start of June to the first weekend in September. However, anglers may still fish for trout and salmon all year round.

Find out everything you need to know about recreational fishing from the Victorian Fisheries Authority:

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