From Friday, September 1, the closed season comes into effect for much of Victoria and remains in place for three months until December 1 to give the iconic native fish a chance to breed.
Meanwhile, trout season re-opens in rivers on Saturday, September 2.
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 Murray cod fishing, with more than 2.4 million fingerlings stocked in the past five years. Rocklands in western Victoria has had 2.75 million cod released since stockings began in 2017, some of which are now legal size between 55cm and 75cm.
Lake Eildon, waters of the Wimmera and Millicent basins (including Rocklands Reservoir) and waters south of the Great Dividing Range will not be affected by the Murray cod closed season, with the exception of the Wimmera River and Yarra River, where the closed season applies.
“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,” Victorian Fisheries Authority chief executive officer Travis Dowling said.
“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,” Mr Dowling said.
Friday, September 1 also marks the closure of the fishing season for Murray crays (until June 1 next year) and river blackfish (south of the Great Dividing Range until January 1).
For more information on closed seasons, download the free Vic Fishing smartphone app or head to: www.vfa.vic.gov.au/fishingguide
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