Fishing & Aquaculture

		Angling Waters of the Tambo River Basin
			TAMBO RIVER BASIN MAP (PDF 153Kb)
			BOGGY CREEK
			BUNGA LAKE
			HAUNTED STREAM
			KING LAKE
			LITTLE RIVER
			NICHOLSON RIVER
			STONY CREEK
			SWIFTS CREEK
			TAMBO RIVER
			TIMBARRA RIVER
			TYERS LAKE
			EELS

A Guide to the Inland Angling Waters of Victoria
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Tambo River Basin 23
MANAGEMENT | DIVERSIONS | HERITAGE | FISH STOCKING | BEST FISHING WATERS | THREATENED FISH | ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS | EELS

Tambo River

The Tambo and Timbarra Rivers have a reliable flow, with the former never ceasing to flow. The Nicholson River often ceases to flow during summer. Forests vary from very tall Ash and Alpine/subalpine vegetation in the headwater area of the Timbarra River to low mixed species forest in the middle and lower reaches of all the rivers. Both Nicholson and particularly the Tambo Rivers have extensive estuaries with the predominant species being bream, with estuary perch common in the Tambo River. Access to most rivers is restricted because of the terrain. Unfortunately the most accessible river (the Tambo) is of limited angling value because of the scarcity of angling species.

Management

Fisheries Victoria, DPI manages stocking and fisheries policy. The Gippsland Fisheries, DPI, manages compliance with fisheries regulations and angler contact. The Victorian Inland Fisheries Strategy has identified the Haunted Stream and Nicholson River as mixed species waters; the Tambo River, above Ensay and the upper Timbarra River as salmonid waters, and the Tambo River below Ensay and the lower Timbarra River as native fish water. The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority manages the catchment. Gippsland & Southern Rural Water Authority manages irrigation and rural diversion, while the East Gippsland Region Water Authority manages urban water diversion. No Streamflow Management Plans are currently being prepared for waterways in this Basin.

Diversions

Water is pumped from the Tambo River to Swifts Creek and Bruthen; from Nicholson River to Lakes Entrance direct; from Nicholson River to a 637ML reservoir then also to Lakes Entrance; and from Boggy Creek to a 45ML reservoir then to Nowa Nowa.

Heritage River Areas, Natural Catchment Areas and Representative Rivers

The Upper Nicholson River has been listed as a Representative River for East Victorian dissected uplands. Stony Creek is listed as a Natural Catchment Area.

Ramsar Sites

The Gippsland Lakes and Lake Tyers, which are the receiving bodies for all water flowing out of this Basin, are listed as wetlands of international significance under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran 1971).

Fish Stocking

No waters in this basin are currently stocked. A number of rivers were historically stocked with brown trout but all have proved to be either self-sustaining for this species or unable to support them at all.

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

Freshwater Fish in the Basin

The spiny crayfish present is the Gippsland spiny crayfish, Euastacus kershawi. The main features of the freshwater fish populations are the scarcity of brown trout in the Tambo River, (which is thought to be caused by high summer water temperature as trout occur in the tributaries), and the large population of Australian grayling in the Tambo River. This population has very high conservation value. In contrast to Basins further west, there is only one galaxiid species (common galaxias) present in any number. The rainbow trout are ‘wild populations’ occurring only in the upper reaches of the Tambo and Timbarra Rivers.

Threatened Fish Species

The Department of Sustainability and Environment has listed the Australian grayling as Vulnerable and Cox's gudgeon as Endangered. Both species are also listed under the Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Environmental Condition of Waterways

The sections of waterways flowing in forest are in excellent environmental condition. This represents 57% of the total length of the Tambo River and 93% of the length of tributaries and minor streams. The main concerns are the sections where the Tambo River and to a lesser extent the Nicholson River, flow through cleared farmland. The upper reaches of the Tambo River around Swifts Creek and Ensay retain good channel form and substrate but the riparian vegetation of grass and willows has resulted in poor fish habitat.

The lower reaches around Bruthen are now a shallow channel with extensive sand substrate from sedimentation, resulting in little fish habitat remaining. Fortunately the main fishing waters are mountain streams flowing in forest, which provide a very pleasant fishing experience. The estuaries are in good environmental condition with stable banks, good water depths and open access to Lake King.

© The State of Victoria