Fishing & Aquaculture

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

Angling Waters of the Bunyip River Basin 28

Ararat Creek, Nar Nar Goon K 4
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A small, narrow, snaggy, mud-bottom creek flowing through open grazing country. Carries small brown trout av. 220g, small river blackfish and short-finned eel as well as short-headed lamprey, spotted galaxias, common galaxias and southern pygmy perch.

Aura Vale Lake, Emerald I 2
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16ha. Parkland & picnicking with all facilities. Boating not permitted. Melway Map 126 D 4,

An artificial lake formed at the northern end of Cardinia Reservoir to prevent local urban run-off water from reaching the main storage. Access from the Selby-Aura Road. Contains small redfin, river blackfish and short-finned eel. Several attempts have been made to establish a trout fishery but water quality has not been suitable for their survival.

Balcombe Creek, Mt Martha E 7
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Balcombe Creek

A small creek rising near Mt Eliza and flowing for 40 km to enter Port Phillip Bay near Mt Martha. It has a reliable flow and a stable channel 3-7m wide. Pool depth varies from 50cm upstream to 100cm downstream. Sand substrate. Although it flows through largely cleared farmland, there is dense riparian habitat and good quality fish habitat. The overflow from Devilbend Reservoir enters via Devilbend Creek. Contains short-finned eel, common galaxias, spotted galaxias, flat-headed gudgeon, mosquitofish, dwarf galaxias and southern pygmy perch.

The estuarine section also contains yellow-eye mullet, small trevally and black bream. Possibly the best populations of dwarf galaxias in Victoria occur in the upper reaches of Devilbend Creek, upstream of Devilbend Reservoir.

Berwick Springs, Berwick Springs Estate H 4
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3ha. Picnic facilities and good access to wheel chair standard. Melway Map 130 J 4

An open and relatively exposed water located in a residential area surrounded by parkland. The entire shoreline is suitable for fishing. Stocked annually with rainbow trout. The fish are usually stocked in two batches approximately 6-8 weeks apart. A popular water providing good fishing in the winter and spring.

Bunyip River, Bunyip M 3
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Rock-ramp fishways have been installed at the following barriers: 11 Mile Road, Ellis Road, Evans Road, Iona, Koo-Wee-Rup, Tonimbuk Gauge and Vervale. This has opened up 200km of water to migratory species.

Bunyip River

Above the Princes Highway

Rises in forested hills and flows south to the Princes Highway at Longwarry North. In the upper reaches is 3-5m wide, with pools 70-130cm deep and riffles 30-50cm deep. The bottom is fine gravel with light debris and provides good trout habitat. Approximately 8km above the Highway the land becomes flatter and has been cleared for farming. The bottom is all sand through this section. There is reasonable road access along gravel roads to a Melbourne Water diversion weir in the upper reaches.

There is no road access above the weir. The upper reaches contain mainly brown trout and rainbow trout to 200g with brown trout and river blackfish in the middle reaches. Tupong and short-finned eel are also found closer to the Princes Highway. Other species present are pouched lamprey, short-headed lamprey, common galaxias, mountain galaxias, Australian grayling, southern pygmy perch and goldfish. A number of rock ramp fishways have recently been constructed to assist natural fish migration in the river.

Below the Princes Highway

The river has been formed into a drainage channel known as the Main Drain. It is 10-12m wide with little instream fish cover. Water depth in summer varies from 35-100cm, the substrate is smooth sand and the water is turbid. There is almost no riparian vegetation except for some clumps of rushes along the banks. This is poor fish habitat carrying a few brown trout av. 400-500g. There are old reports of it carrying a spawning run of sea-run brown trout from Western Port.

Cannibal Creek, Longwarry L 4
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A small narrow creek with some brown trout to 300g (av. 200g) near its junction with the Bunyip River. Also carries river blackfish, short-finned eel, some redfin, mosquitofish, southern pygmy perch and dwarf galaxias.

Cardinia Creek, Beaconsfield I 5
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North of the Princes Highway

This is a small, narrow, deep creek flowing from timbered hills to flat open farmland. Gravel in the upper reaches and sand downstream. Carries mainly brown trout av. 350g with some river blackfish, rainbow trout, short-finned eel, long-finned eel, short-headed lamprey, broad-finned galaxias, dwarf galaxias, spotted galaxias, Australian grayling, tupong, mosquitofish and goldfish.

South of the Princes Highway

The creek flows through flat open country and often becomes dry in summer. Some brown trout to 700g are taken during periods of good water flow.

Cardinia Reservoir, Emerald I 3
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A Melbourne Water domestic water storage which is not open to angling.

Dandenong Creek, Dandenong G 1
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Rises in open farmland then flows through residential areas. It is a small stream with a highly modified channel and catchment. Water flow and level fluctuate wildly and the water is often turbid and polluted. Carp to 5kg, redfin to 1.5kg, and short-finned eel provide some fishing. Other fish are short-headed lamprey, pouched lamprey, common galaxias, broad-finned galaxias, tupong, blue-spotted goby, Yarra pygmy perch, spotted galaxias, dwarf galaxias, southern pygmy perch, and oriental weatherloach.

Deep Creek, Pakenham South J 5
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A small, narrow, muddy stream running through flat open farming country. Carries a few small brown trout and river blackfish.

Devilbend Reservoir, Mornington Peninsula F 7
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245ha.

A domestic water storage recently decommissioned by Melbourne Water. A management plan for reservoir and surrounding land has been proposed. There is considerable potential for a recreational fishery as well as a conservation/recreation area.

Diamond Creek, Tonimbuk L 3
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A fast-flowing, shallow, overgrown stream flowing though timbered hilly country, sand and gravel bottom. Contains mainly river blackfish average 100g, short-finned eel, some brown trout to 200g, as well as common galaxias, mountain galaxias, dwarf galaxias, short-headed lamprey and southern pygmy perch.

Labertouche Creek, Longwarry North N 4
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Narrow (1.5m wide) creek originating in steep forest. Sand substrate and pools to 30cm deep. In the middle and lower reaches, flows through flat farmland to the Tarago River. Here, it is up to 4m wide but is mostly shallow water with riffles 12-35cm deep and pools to 70cm. Dense riparian vegetation consists of tea tree, rushes and blackberry. Sand substrate, but instream habitat is good. Contains mainly brown trout to 350g, (av. 90g), with river blackfish (av. 90g), short-finned eel and southern pygmy perch.

Lang Lang River, Lang Lang L 7
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Heads Road Wall

Rises in open, moderately hilly country as a shallow stream with a gravel bed. Becomes progressively wider (6m) with extensive deep pools (200+cm) as it flows towards Heath Hill. The catchment is highly modified, the stream channelised in some areas and the water is generally turbid. Attempts have been made in recent years to stabilise the system and restore habitat values.

Carries mainly brown trout av. 220g, (max. 1kg), with some river blackfish to 500g, rainbow trout, short-finned eel, redfin, pouched lamprey, short-headed lamprey, Australian grayling, tupong, common galaxias, broad-finned galaxias, Australian smelt, goldfish and Gippsland spiny crayfish. In recent years a trial stocking of this water has been carried out, with local angling groups to report on results.

The trial was completed in 2001. Returns of stocked brown trout were poor and stocking has been discontinued. Below Heath Hill, the river has been straightened and partly channelised with steep banks and a mud bottom. Contains mainly small brown trout with a few larger fish to 700g taken in early summer when the water clears. There are also both species of eel, tupong and occasional Australian grayling. Access is limited due to private property.

Lysterfield Reservoir, Lysterfield H 3
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75ha. 4,200ML.

A former domestic water storage, now part of the Lysterfield State Park and managed by Parks Victoria. Open to most forms of recreation but the shoreline is considered too fragile to permit fishing.

Main Creek, Mornington Peninsula F 9
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Main Creek

A small creek flowing through moderately sloping farmland. Upper reaches 2-3m wide, with shallow riffles (15cm) and occasional pools to 70cm, clay substrate. Width increases to 4m wide in the lower reaches with pools over 100cm, but there are extensive areas of shallow water with sand substrate.

Riparian vegetation is good particularly where it flows alongside the Point Nepean National Park and near Boneo Road. Accessible only at road crossings or from walking tracks in the National Park. Contains a small self-sustaining population of brown trout to 600g, as well as short-finned eel, common galaxias, spotted galaxias, broad-finned galaxias, river blackfish, tupong and southern pygmy perch. Good fish habitat but not a popular angling water.

Monbulk Creek Retarding Basin, Scoresby
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(Not on map) Melway Map 84 A 2

The larger and lower of two retarding basins on the Monbulk Creek. Stocked in the past with brown trout but did not produce a fishery. Contains small roach, redfin, some short-finned eel and occasional river blackfish.

Patterson River

Patterson River, Carrum G 4
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A highly modified water which only provides a fishery downstream from the Wells Road Bridge. In this area, it has been opened up to provide boating access to Port Phillip Bay and contains black bream, short-finned eel and occasionally flounder and mullet. A popular bank fishing area although access is limited.

Releasing yearling rainbow trout

Rowville Lakes, Rowville
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(Not on map) Melway 72 K 12

Three lakes set in a reserve in a residential area. The upper two of these, Lake Hill (1 ha) and Lake Sutton (2.5 ha), are stocked with rainbow trout for the 2^nd and 3^rd term school holidays. Access to the shoreline is somewhat restricted by property boundaries and reed growth but the area attracts considerable fishing pressure.

Lake Sutton will receive two separate releases of rainbow trout and Lake Hill two lots of rainbow trout. It is also privately stocked for a community fishing event and is a Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body family fishing water. Contains roach to 400g, redfin to 1kg and rainbow trout. Popular fishing baits for roach are worms, corn and bread; and worms and live bait for redfin.

Tarago Reservoir, Neerim O 3
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200ha. 37,500 ML.

A domestic water storage closed to fishing. Contains brown trout, which spawn in the upper Tarago River, and river blackfish. The closure of this water is currently under review.

Tarago River, Neerim N 4
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Above Tarago Reservoir

Flows through steep forest with good access hindered only by steep banks and dense blackberry growth in some areas. The water is mainly shallow (less than 50cm) with small pools to 100cm deep. The bottom is sand, with gravel in some of the riffles. A natural forest area suitable for wading and fly-fishing. Contains mostly brown trout, av. 150g, (max. 1kg), a few river blackfish and some rainbow trout, along with spotted galaxias, broad-finned galaxias, mountain galaxias, tupong and southern pygmy perch. Larger trout to 2.5kg enter the river from the reservoir during the winter and spring.

Below Tarago Reservoir

The river flows through open hilly country and is wider (8-10m) and has low banks and good riparian vegetation. The riffles are generally 30-50cm deep with significant areas of deeper water to 100cm and pools to 140cm. Suited more to bank fishing than wading. Access is good. Excellent habitat for larger fish. Contains brown trout to 1kg, some large river blackfish to 2kg, carp, short-finned eel, southern pygmy perch, tupong, common galaxias, Australian grayling and goldfish. Popular fishing water suitable for wet fly fishing or baits, such as worms drifted downstream.

Toomuc Creek, Nar Nar Goon J 4
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A small stream with turbid water and badly silted in places. Access is restricted by private property. Contains common galaxias, southern pygmy perch and short-finned eels.

Dwarf Galaxias
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The dwarf galaxias is a threatened fish species in Victoria. It is a brilliantly coloured fish during the spawning period in particular and has an elaborate and fascinating spawning behaviour. It occurs only in waters south of the Divide and west of Lakes Entrance and occurs in at least 8 creeks on Mornington Peninsula. Adults reach 40 mm in length and prefer still water, often less than 30 cm deep with abundant aquatic vegetation. Juvenile fish congregate in schools of about 20 fish on the surface of pools.

At spawning time the female only lays a few (10) eggs each day for up to two weeks placing each egg carefully on vegetation. Populations can survive in areas that partially or completely dry up during summer. It appears likely that they can bury themselves beneath rocks or logs as the water recedes and survive until water level rises again. This process is called aestivation.

They can also travel overland between swamps and ponds providing there is a thin layer of moving water at least 2mm deep. This explains why they occur in swamps or isolated ponds, some distance from rivers. Their survival depends on retaining areas of shallow, still water. They are most common in the La Trobe River Basin, Bunyip River Basin and the upper reaches of the Glenelg River Basin.

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