Fishing & Aquaculture

		Angling Waters of the Loddon River South Basin
			LODDON RIVER SOUTH BASIN MAP (PDF 167Kb)
			ANDERSONS LAGOON
			BARKERS CREEK RESERVOIR
			BET BET CREEK
			BIRCH CREEK
			BULLAROOK CREEK
			BULLARTO RESERVOIR
			CAIRN CURRAN RESERVOIR
			COSGROVE RESERVOIR
			CRESWICK CREEK
			CRUSOE RESERVOIR
			DAYLESFORD LAKE
			DEAN RESERVOIR
			DEEP CREEK
			EVANSFORD RESERVOIR
			EXPEDITION PASS RESERVOIR
			GLENLYON DAM
			GOLDFIELD RESERVOIR
			GOVERNMENT DAM
			HARCOURT RESERVOIR
			HEPBURN LAGOON
			HEPBURN RESERVOIR
			JIM CROW CREEK
			JUBILEE LAKE
			KENNINGTON RESERVOIR
			LAANECOORIE RESERVOIR
			LANGDONS CREEK
			LODDON RIVER
			NEANGER LAKE
			NEWLYN RESERVOIR
			OLD TOWN WATER SUPPLY Dunolly
			ROTARY PARK LAKE Bendigo
			RUSSELLS DAM
			ST GEORGES LAKE
			SPRING GULLY RESERVOIR
			TALBOT RESERVOIR
			TOM THUMB LAKE
			TULLAROOP CREEK
			TULLAROOP RESERVOIR
			VICTORIA LAKE
			WEEROONA LAKE
			WOMBAT CREEK
			CENTRAL HIGHLANDS REGION WATER AUTHORITIES STORAGES

A Guide to the Inland Angling Waters of Victoria
Home | River Basins Map | Angling Waters A-Z

Loddon River South Basin 7
MANAGEMENT | DIVERSIONS | HERITAGE | RAMSAR SITES | FISH STOCKING | BEST FISHING WATERS | THREATENED FISH | ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS | CENTRAL HIGHLANDS REGION WATER AUTHORITIES STORAGES

Boatramp at Cairn Curran Reservoir

The southern area of the Loddon River Basin is mostly gentle to moderate hilly terrain, 300 to 741m in altitude and of sedimentary and granitic origin. There is also some flat farmland with volcanic rock in the Tullaroop and McCallum Creek catchments. Land use is mostly grazing with numerous scattered areas of mixed species forest. Rock, rubble and gravel are common substrates in the waterways.

Mean annual rainfall is high (700-1,000mm) in the upper reaches of the Loddon River system but decreases downstream to only 400-500mm north of Bendigo. Flow from the upper tributaries is sufficient to maintain water in the three large reservoirs on the Loddon River (Tullaroop, Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie). These together with numerous other smaller reservoirs provide excellent fishing opportunities mostly for redfin, golden perch, rainbow trout and brown trout. Groundwater is fresh to brackish although there is some saline water northeast of Bendigo and around Lexton.

Surface waters are mostly fresh (<800EC) but some streams such as Bet Bet and Tullaroop Creek can have marginal salinities (800-2400EC) at times.

Management

Fisheries Victoria, DPI, manages stocking and fisheries policy. Northern Fisheries, DPI, manages compliance with fisheries regulations and angler contact in waters north of Talbot. The South West Region, DPI, carries out similar duties in southern waters and these waters will be noted in the text.

The Victorian Inland Fisheries Strategy has listed Laanecoorie Reservoir as a native fish water, and Cairn Curran Reservoir, Goldfield Reservoir and the Loddon River below Cairn Curran Reservoir as mixed species fisheries. Salmonid waters are Barkers Creek Reservoir, Cosgrave Reservoir, Dean Reservoir, Hepburn Lagoon, the Loddon River above Cairn Curran, Newlyn Reservoir, Talbot Reservoir, Tullaroop Reservoir and Wombat Creek Reservoir. A Fisheries Management Plan has been prepared for the Loddon River catchment as far downstream as Fernihurst Weir and includes Barkers Creek Reservoir, Crusoe Reservoir, Jim Crow Creek, Cairn Curran Reservoir, Tullaroop Reservoir and the Loddon River between Laanecoorie and Bridgewater.

The North Central Catchment Management Authority is responsible for catchment management. The Goulburn-Murray Water Authority manages irrigation and rural diversion. The Coliban Region Water Authority manages urban demand in all except the upper reaches of the Loddon River, which is managed by Central Highlands Region Water Authority. Streamflow Management Plans are being prepared for the Upper Loddon which may affect flows in this section of the Basin.

Diversions

Water is pumped from the Loddon River to supply Inglewood, Bridgewater, Dunolly. From Bet Bet Creek to Laanecoorie and Tarnagulla. From Doctor's Creek into a 135ML reservoir then to Lexton. From McCallums Creek into Evansford Reservoir (1,390ML) then to Maryborough. From McCallums Creek into Talbot Reservoir (830ML) and then to Talbot. From Stony Creek into Talbot Reservoir then Talbot. From Tullaroop Creek into Tullaroop Reservoir then to Maryborough, Carisbrook and Bowenvale-Timor.

From Creswick Creek, into Cosgrave Reservoir (683ML) then to Creswick. From Bullarook Creek into Dean Reservoir (164ML) then to Creswick. Also from an unnamed creek into Russell Reservoir (64ML) then to Creswick. From Birch Creek into Newlyn Reservoir (3,300ML) and then to Spring Hill and Clunes. From Kangaroo Creek into Bullarto Reservoir (200ML) then to Daylesford. From Wombat Creek into Wombat Reservoir (750ML) then to Daylesford. From Spring Creek into Hepburn Reservoir (45ML) to Hepburn.

Heritage River Areas, Natural Catchment Areas and Representative Rivers

McCallum Creek is listed as a Representative River for West Victorian dissected uplands, volcanic plains.

Ramsar Sites

None in this Basin

Freshwater Fish in the Basin

*Freshwater catfish are being stocked but are not expected to become common for several years. #Silver perch were reported in this section of the Loddon River pre 1981 but are unlikely to still occur.

Because of the limitations of sampling methods used, and the survey schedule, small fish may be more common and widespread than recorded.

Fish Stocking

The Department of Primary Industries' (DPI) fish stocking program is designed to enhance recreational fishing opportunities for:

• Desirable introduced species such as brown trout, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon and Atlantic salmon, and
• Desirable native fish species such as golden perch, Murray cod, Australian bass and silver perch.

Stocking Plans for desirable species are developed annually as part of the regional consultation process involving VRFish representatives and various arms of DPI including Fisheries Victoria and Primary Industries Research Victoria (PIRVic).

Up to date information can be found on the Fish Stocking section in Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Best Fishing Waters

Threatened Fish Species

The Department of Sustainability and Environment has listed silver perch as Critically Endangered, Murray cod, freshwater catfish and golden perch as Vulnerable. Silver perch, Murray cod, freshwater catfish, the Lowland Riverine Fish Community of the Southern Murray-Darling Basin have been listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Environmental Condition of Waterways

The Department has assessed almost all waterways as being in poor to moderate condition, based on the condition of bank vegetation and bank stability. However instream habitat for aquatic biota is generally quite good, particularly in the Loddon River. There has been a reversal of the flow regime of the Loddon River with low flows in winter/spring. Observations of the river during these months revealed good conditions were still present in the pools with adequate habitat to ensure survival of fish.

The river has good instream debris. The presence of numerous barriers to fish movement and spawning runs in this section of the river means that 'migratory' fish such as golden perch will have to be maintained by regular stocking. Temperature of water released from the reservoirs may also be too low to ensure spawning of golden perch and Murray cod, which require minimum water temperatures of 23^oC and 20^oC respectively.

© The State of Victoria