Fishing & Aquaculture

		Angling Waters of the Otway Basin
			OTWAY BASIN MAP (PDF Kb)
			AIRE RIVER
			ALLEN RESERVOIR
			ANGLESEA RIVER
			BARHAM RIVER
			BREAM CREEK
			CARISBROOK CREEK
			CARLISLE RIVER
			COBDEN LAKE
			CUMBERLAND RIVER
			CURDIES RIVER
			ELINGAMITE LAKE
			ERSKINE RIVER
			FORD RIVER
			GELLIBRAND RIVER
			KENNETT RIVER
			PAINKALAC CREEK
			PARKER RIVER
			PURRUMBETE LAKE
			ST GEORGE RIVER
			SCOTTS CREEK
			SHERBROOK RIVER
			SKENES CREEK
			SMYTHE CREEK
			SPRING CREEK
			THOMPSONS CREEK
			WILD DOG CREEK
			WYE RIVER
			FRESHWATER FISH HABITAT

A Guide to the Inland Angling Waters of Victoria
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Otway Basin 35
MANAGEMENT | DIVERSIONS | HERITAGE | FISH STOCKING | BEST FISHING WATERS | THREATENED FISH | ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS | FRESHWATER FISH HABITAT

Curdies Creek waterfall

The remainder of the basin receives 700-1,000mm except around Torquay which receives 500-700mm. There are two large rivers, Gellibrand and Curdies. Other waterways are small streams flowing a short distance from forested hills to the sea. They have high gradients and are characterised by cascades and rapids, with coarse substrates and small estuaries. The high rainfall in the forested areas ensures a reliable flow regime in most waterways and particularly in the Gellibrand River. The streams flowing through native forest carry self-sustaining populations of brown trout and provide very scenic fishing environments.

Management

Fisheries Victoria, DPI, manages stocking and fisheries policy. Compliance with fisheries regulations and angler contact is managed by South West Fisheries, DPI. In the Victorian Inland Fisheries Strategy, Lake Elingamite is classified as a salmonid fishery, the Gellibrand River as a native fish water and Lake Purrumbete as a quality salmonid fishery. The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority is responsible for catchment management. Irrigation and rural diversion is controlled by Gippsland & Southern Rural Water Authority. Urban water diversion is controlled by Barwon Region Water Authority east of the Gellibrand River and South-West Water Authority west of the Gellibrand River.

Diversions

Water is diverted from the Olangolah River into a 135ML weir then to Colac. From the West Gellibrand River into a 1,970ML dam then to Colac, from Lardners Creek to Gellibrand township, from Barramunga Creek to Geelong, from Barham River and Andersons Creek to Apollo Bay. From Skenes Creek to Skenes Creek township, from St Georges River into Allen Reservoir (220ML) to Lorne, from Erskine River to Lorne, from Painkalac Creek into a 410ML reservoir then to Aireys Inlet. Water is diverted from two locations on the Gellibrand River and from Arkins Creek into the Otway system. The Otway system transfers water to Cobden and Simpson townships within this Basin and to Camperdown, Lismore and Derrinallum in Basin 34 and to Warrnambool, Purnim and Terang in Basin 36.

Heritage River Areas, Natural Catchment Areas and Representative Rivers

Kennedy Creek a tributary of the Gellibrand River has been listed as a Representative River of dissected coastal plains, volcanic plains. The Gellibrand River upstream of Carlisle has been listed as a Representative River for Otway Ranges, dissected plains.

Ramsar Sites

There are none in this Basin.

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

Short-finned eel is the most widespread species. Three species of galaxias are abundant with many creeks containing all three. The only other Basin this occurs in is Basin 28 in creeks on the Mornington Peninsula. Australian grayling are quite widespread but never in large numbers. It is interesting that the fauna of the short coastal streams differs from that of the adjacent Barwon or Gellibrand River systems. For example river blackfish, Australian smelt, mountain galaxias and southern pygmy perch are not found in any coastal creeks from Anglesea to Cape Otway.

Instead the fish fauna in these streams resembles that in the eastern coastal streams of Mornington Peninsula and in Tasmania. Rivers in the Otway region contain a valuable assemblage of mainly native freshwater fish, which should be protected. Communities of three species of galaxias are uncommon and of high conservation value.

There is only one widespread introduced fish, the brown trout. Large numbers of brown trout of good angling size were present at 52 sites surveyed by the Department in comprehensive surveys in this Basin from 1983 to 1988. For this reason only two waters are now regularly stocked.

Threatened Fish Species

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

Environmental Condition of Waterways

The waterways in the forested section of the basin (extending from Anglesea to the Gellibrand River) including the short, coastal streams, are mostly in excellent condition. There is dense native riparian vegetation, a stable channel, clean substrate, good flows and excellent fish habitat. Although much of the Gellibrand River flows through farmland there is usually good riparian vegetation of trees.

The banks are unstable because of soil type but generally there is little serious bank erosion. The land west of the Gellibrand River is mostly cleared farmland with willows or grass as riparian vegetation. Environmental condition of streams in this area varies from poor to moderate. However fish habitat is still quite good. In contrast to other basins in western Victoria, ground water and surface waters are fresh except in some small waters (Kennedys Creek) in the far west.

© The State of Victoria