Fishing & Aquaculture

		Angling Waters of the Werribee River Basin
			WERRIBEE RIVER BASIN MAP (PDF 129Kb)
			CHERRY LAKE
			COLBROOK RESERVOIR
			DJERRIWARRAH RESERVOIR
			DJERRIWARRAH RIVER
			EXFORD WEIR
			KOROROIT CREEK
			LERDERDERG RIVER
			MELTON RESERVOIR
			MERRIMU RESERVOIR
			PYKES CREEK
			WERRIBEE RIVER
			REDFIN
			RED WORMS IN FISH

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

Werribee River Basin 31
MANAGEMENT | DIVERSIONS | HERITAGE | RAMSAR | FISH STOCKING | BEST FISHING WATERS | THREATENED FISH | ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS | REDFIN

Cherry Lake

This results in low flows in many of the waterways during summer. The flow regimes of rivers in the Basin are highly regulated and water is diverted for irrigation and domestic use. Most major rivers have significant water quality problems such as high salinity, elevated colour and high bacterial counts. These have been caused by flow regulation and agricultural and urban development. Most angling occurs in the Werribee and Lerderderg Rivers. There is lake fishing only in Pykes Creek Reservoir and Melton Reservoir. Lake Merrimu and Djerriwarrah Reservoir are domestic water supplies and closed to fishing.

Management

Fisheries Victoria, DPI, manages stocking and fisheries policy. Port Phillip Fisheries, DPI, manages compliance with fisheries regulations and angler contact. The Victorian Inland Fisheries Strategy has assessed Pykes Creek Reservoir and the Werribee River as mixed species fisheries. The catchment Management Authority is Port Phillip Catchment and Land Protection Board. Irrigation and farm diversion is managed by Gippsland and Southern Rural Water Authority. Urban water diversion is managed by Central Highlands Region Water Authority and Western Region Water Authority. Melbourne Water Corporation manages urban water demand in the extreme southern end of the Basin.

Diversions

Water is diverted from the Werribee River into Melton Reservoir. From Pyrities Creek, the Lerderderg River, and Goodman Creek into Lake Merrimu then to Melton and Bacchus Marsh. From Kyneton Creek and Long Gully Creeks to Blackwood and Barrys Reef. From Djerriwarrah Creek into a 1,068ML reservoir then to Melton. From Pykes Creek into Pykes Creek Reservoir then to Myrniong and from Korweinguboora Creek into Colbrook Reservoir (164ML) then to Ballan.

Heritage River Areas, Natural Catchment Areas and Representative Rivers

The banks and bed of the Lerderderg River between the downstream edge of Roach Road crossing and the point where the river crosses the boundary of the southern extremity of Lerderderg State Park has been

listed as a Heritage River Area. The Lerderderg River, at O'Briens Crossing, has been listed as a Representative River of West Victorian dissected uplands, volcanic plains.

Ramsar Sites

The western shoreline of Port Phillip Bay, which is the receiving body for all water flowing out of this Basin, is listed as a wetland of international significance under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran 1971).

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

Freshwater Fish in the Basin

The streams have populations of native and introduced fish with brown trout and river blackfish predominant in the upper forested reaches, and with redfin, roach, tench, goldfish and carp becoming more common downstream. Short-finned eel are present throughout the catchment and Australian smelt and common galaxias are abundant in suitable areas.

Threatened Fish Species

None present in this basin.

Environmental Condition of Waterways

The upper, forested-section of the Lerderderg River is in excellent condition with stable banks, native riparian vegetation and good instream channel structure. The area provides a scenic fishing environment. The Werribee River upstream of Melton Reservoir varies from poor to good environmental condition with the best area extending through the Werribee Gorge State Park, with good instream habitat and riparian vegetation.

The lower Werribee and Lerderderg Rivers are in moderate condition with good bank vegetation in sections and usually good instream channel structure. However, they suffer aesthetically because they flow through open, farmland with few trees present and then into urban areas. Flow during summer is often low to non-existent and water is turbid in the lower Werribee River.

The majority of the tributaries and minor streams are in poor to very poor condition because of low summer flows and a lack of riparian vegetation The upper reaches of Pyrites and Djerriwarrah Creek are still in excellent condition but are too small to be considered as angling waters. The upper reaches of the Werribee and Lerderderg Rivers have fresh water but salinities increase to more than 1,000EC downstream, mainly from soil erosion, urban development and drainage from irrigation.

© The State of Victoria