Baw Baw Shire Fishing Guide
Baw Baw Shire has a number of excellent fishing spots.
Do I Need a Licence?
A Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) covers all forms of recreational fishing in all of Victoria's marine, estuarine and freshwaters. Unless you are exempt, a RFL is required when taking, or attempting to take, any species of fish by any method including line fishing, bait collection, gathering shellfish, yabby fishing, prawning and spear fishing.
Who is Exempt?
You will not need a licence to fish if you are:
- under 18 years of age;
- 70 years of age or over; or a holder of a:
- Victorian Seniors Card or interstate equivalent;
- Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Card;
- Veterans' Affairs Repatriation Health Card coded (TPI)
- Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card code either (DSP), (DSP Blind), (AGE), (AGE Blind) or (CAR)
What Happens if I Don't Have a Licence?
Fisheries Officers will be on patrol to ensure fishers hold a valid licence. Penalties apply for fishing without a licence.
How do I Obtain a Licence?
Victorian anglers now have the option to buy:
- A three-year Recreational Fishing Licence
- One-year Recreational Fishing Licence
- 2-day Recreational Fishing Licence
Permitted Use of Equipment
Equipment Type Maximum No. Permitted - Inland Waters
Lines per person 2
Hooks per line 2 or one bait jig
Bait traps - labelled * 2
Hoop Nets - labelled * 10
Baited line with no hook 10
Dip/landing net 1
Bait pump 1
* The use of hoop nets and bait traps is permitted ONLY if each piece of equipment is tagged and labelled. The tag must remain on or above the water surface when the device is in use.
Bait Traps
- Funnel entrance diameter must not exceed 5cm.
- The height of the trap must be no more than 25cm. e trap must also be within the confines of 25cm wide and 50cm long.
- A maximum of two labelled bait traps are permitted per person.
Hoop Nets
- A hoop net is a cylindrical net open at the top, consisting of one or two hoops not exceeding 77cm in diameter. The net must not have a drop of more than 50cm. You may use hoop nets that are labelled to take Spiny Freshwater Crayfish or Yabbies.
- A maximum of 10 hoop nets may be used in inland waters within this region.
Dip Nets
- A dip net consists of an open-faced net with a width and depth not exceeding 90cm, attached to a handle.
- A maximum of one dip net may be used to take a variety of fish or invertebrate species, with or without a light.
Labelling
Hoop nets and bait traps must be attached to a tag that remains about the water's surface with the recreational fisher's full name and place of residence clearly and legibly written.
Non Permitted Use of Equipment
You must not use or possess these in, on or next to Victorian waters, including private:
- Set lines
- Mesh nets, cast nets
- Snares
- Yabby or Opera House nets
- Explosives, firearms
- Bows and arrows
Yabby Pot or Opera House Net
The definition of a yabby pot includes opera house nets and folding frame nets. The use or possession of yabby pots is prohibited in, on or next to all Victorian public waters.
Yabby ports/opera house nets can only be used in private inland waters such as farm dams where a maximum of three pots applies.
Native Species
Large fish - Australian Grayling, Gippsland Spiny Crayfish, Long-finned Eel, River Blackfish, Short-finned Eel and Yarra Spiny Crayfish.
Small fish- Australian Smelt, Bluespot Goby, Climbing Galaxies, Common Galaxies, Congoll, Eastern Dwarf Galaxies, Flathead Gudgeon, Mountain Galaxies, Pouch Lamprey, Shorthead Lamprey, Southern Pygmy Perch, Trout Galaxies and Yarra Pygmy Perch.
Protected Fish
The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) lists fish classified as threatened species in Victoria and these may not be taken without authorisation. Protected fish encountered by anglers in the region include:
- The Australian Grayling
- Eastern Dwarf Galaxias
Introduced Species
Introduced species in the region include:
- Brown Trout, Eastern Gambusia, European Carp, Goldfish, Oriental Weatherloach, Rainbow Trout, Redfin and Roach.
Know Your Limits
When going fishing, remember to pick up the latest edition of the Recreational Fishing Guide from your Recreational Fishing Licence agent or DPI office.
Target Species
Brown & Rainbow Trout
Where: Found at Blue Rock Lake and in all running streams and rivers throughout West Gippsland. Trout are aggressive feeders, feeding on both aquatic and terrestrial insects, small fish and frogs. They put up a good fight which makes them a great sport fish not only for the serious angler, but are also great fun for the family.
Stream trout are easily spooked so if fishing from the bank, it is important to use any structure or vegetation for camouflage. Stream trout often face upstream awaiting food so to avoid spooking trout you can wear waders and walk upstream behind them. Lake trout will spend most of their time cruising amongst structure or along the lake perimeter searching for food.
Technique & Tackle: There are many techniques that can be used with success on both stream and lake trout. Fishing with live bait, artificial bait, lure or fly are all different yet productive techniques when well presented to a hungry trout. Use light gear to maximise the fun you'll have when a fish is on! Baits such as garden worms and scrub worms are easy to gather and are very effective. Lures to try are spinner bladed lures, minnow styled floating hard bodies and soft plastics. When out fly fishing it is important to carry a mixture of flies including beaded nymphs to best match the catch.
Size: Typically stream trout average 300-500g and are a lot of fun on light tackle. There are plenty of specimens around 1 - 1.5kg in the harder to reach fishing spots which put up a hard fight when you are battling against fish, stream flow and structure. Remember that trout are not stocked in any streams or rivers throughout West Gippsland so it is important for the future of stream trout fishing in this region to practice catch and release.
Blue Rock Lake typically produces trout around the 400-700g but there are some monster trout swimming around reaching up to 4kg. Blue Rock Lake is stocked with both brown and rainbow trout on an annual basis.
Eel (short & long-finned)
Eel inhabit similar waters to River Blackfish and share the same technique & tackle for catching them.
River Blackfish
(Minimum Legal Size: 23cm)
Where: River Blackfish occupy all streams and rivers throughout West Gippsland. They prefer very slow flowing deep dark pools with plenty of structure for habitat. They put up a respectable fight using light gear and are a good alternative for trout anglers.
Technique &Tackle: Blackfish feed off live baits presented at the bottom of the pool. Either fish the bait off the bottom using a weight or under a float with a leader of line that allows the bait to sit on or just off the bottom.
Size: Most blackfish caught by anglers are around 200-500g but larger specimens around 1kg+ can be caught in those harder to reach pools.
Australian Bass
(Minimum legal size: 27cm)
Australian bass are an elite sports fish and targeted by anglers across Australia for their aggressive nature and fight. Bass have only recently been stocked at Blue Rock Lake and will create a lot of fun for anglers in the years to come. Bass are shy and hide amongst structure feeding, which makes them a challenge to catch. Live baits and lures work best on these fish either cast or trolled around structure.
Gippsland Spiny Freshwater Crayfish & Freshwater Yabby
Crayfish and yabbies can be found in all streams and bodies of water throughout the West Gippsland region. Technique is simple; use a line or string with meat attached and dropped into the water. Once you have caught something, pull in the line slowly using a small landing net to scoop up the crayfish or yabby.
Responsible Fishing Behaviour
By treating fish humanely, you are maintaining the quality of the fish and ultimately avoiding waste. When fishing it is important that you:
- Use appropriate tackle and bait for the species and size of fish you are targetting
- Keep watch over your gear to ensure that hooked fish are retrieved as soon as they are hooked
- Dispatch fish Immediately; and
- Store fish away from sunlight and preferably on ice or in a moist bag or cooler.
- Live bait fish
- Fish declared to be noxious. You must dispose of the fish as soon as practicable after killing it. It Is recommended that you do this by burying it a suitable distance from the waterway where it was caught or disposing of it in a rubbish bin.
There is a closed season for salmonids (typically from mid June to end of August). During this time, anglers must not take or possess trout or salmon in rivers and streams within Baw Baw Shire. Some sections of the Tanjil River and tributaries are closed to all hook and line fishing during the salmonid closed season, regardless of the fish species being targeted.
Suggested Fishing Locations (refer to map)
1 Picnic Point
2 Fisher Road Reserve at Robin Hood
3 Stock Road
4 Rokeby Bridge
5 Rokeby Reserve
6 Elton Road (upstream from bridge)
7 Latrobe and Loch Rivers Reserve
8 Hawthorn Bridge Camping Ground
9 Blue Rock Lake
10 Crater Lake, Rawson
11 Tanjii River West Branch
12 Bruntons Bridge
13 Costins Road Bridge
Prohibited Fishing Locations (refer to map)
14 Tarago Reservoir
15 Moondarra Reservoir
16 Thomson Lake
