Fishing & Aquaculture

		Angling Waters of the Portland Basin
			PORTLAND BASIN MAP (PDF 110Kb)
			ARINGA RESERVOIR
			ARRONDOOVONG CREEK
			BRANXHOLME RESERVOIR
			BRIDGEWATER LAKES
			CAMP CREEK
			CONDAH LAKE
			DARLOT CREEK
			EUMERALLA RIVER
			FITZROY RIVER
			MOYNE RIVER
			SHAW RIVER
			SURPRISE LAKE
			SURREY RIVER
			TOWER HILL LAKE
			YAMBUK LAKE

A Guide to the Inland Angling Waters of Victoria
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Portland Basin 37
MANAGEMENT | DIVERSIONS | HERITAGE | FISH STOCKING | BEST FISHING WATERS | FISH SPECIES | THREATENED FISH | ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Angling Waters of Victoria

Mean annual rainfall is lowest (600-700mm) in the northeastern half of the Basin and higher in the south (700-1,000mm). There are five small waterways (each around 4km long) draining the Basin. Each river has some estuarine water, which provides most of the fishing. River blackfish, redfin and short-finned eel are the predominant angling species in the fresh water. Brown trout are scarce or absent in most rivers.

Management

Fisheries Victoria, DPI, manages stocking and fisheries policy, and the South West Fisheries, DPI, manages compliance with fisheries regulations and angler contact. Aringa Reservoir has been listed as a salmonid water in the Victorian Inland Fisheries Strategy. Catchment management is the responsibility of Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority. Portland Coast Region Water Authority manages urban water. Irrigation and rural water use by Gippsland & Southern Rural Water Authority

Diversions

None from waters listed in this Basin

Heritage River Areas, Natural Catchment Areas and Representative Rivers

Camp Creek is listed as a Representative River for volcanic plains, coastal plains.

Ramsar Sites

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

Fish Species in the Basin

Features of the fish populations are the scarcity of introduced fish, the wide distribution of Yarra pygmy perch (5 rivers) and the presence of dwarf galaxias in at least two rivers. Several species common in Gippsland such as long-finned eel, Australian bass, striped gudgeon and Cox's gudgeon do not occur in western Victoria. One species, Yarra Pygmy perch, is restricted to coastal streams west of Melbourne. Of the 14 native species in fresh water, 9 move into estuarine water at some time in their life cycle.

Threatened Fish Species

The Department of Sustainability and Environment has listed the dwarf galaxias and Yarra pygmy perch as Lower risk-near threatened and both species are also listed under the Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Environmental Condition of Waterways

Most of the rivers, (including their tributaries), flow through cleared farmland with grass riparian vegetation and often bank erosion from unrestricted stock access. Most of their length (90%) is considered to be in poor to moderate environmental condition. Sections flowing in forest such as the Fitzroy River in the Cobboboonee State Forest are in excellent condition. Salinity exceeds 1,000EC in all the major streams except the Surrey River. It is also significantly higher during summer and is caused by elevated groundwater and minor dry land salting.

© The State of Victoria