Fishing – Grampians
Home to a third of all lakes and rivers in Victoria as well as diverse and plentiful species of fresh water fish, the Grampians region is a freshwater fishing enthusiast's paradise. Some of the most popular (and well-stocked) lakes favoured by anglers are Rocklands, Lake Wartook and Lake Fyans. The fish bite all year round in the Grampians. Brown trout, rainbow trout, the Murray cod, silver perch, golden perch, freshwater catfish, river blackfish, redfin and carp, are all part of the challenge of fishing in the area.
Anglers head to Mackenzie River for brown trout, and Lake Wartook where redfin are prolific. Trophy brown and rainbow trout, as well as redfin, can be found in Lake Fyans near Stawell.
Lake Bellfield, 4 kilometres south of Halls Gap, provides excellent opportunities for fly-fishing, with redfin, trout and river blackfish the main species to be caught. Towards Horsham and beside the Western Highway, is Taylor's Lake – well known for its exceptional golden perch, as well as Murray cod and redfin.
The Wimmera River has a healthy population of golden perch, redfin, freshwater catfish, silver perch, Murray cod and carp, and is the only area in Victoria where you can legally catch and possess two freshwater catfish over 30 centimetres, with some tipping the scales at 6 kilograms. The Horsham, Dimboola and Lake Hindmarsh stretches of the river offer exceptional fishing for native species. Downstream from Horseshoe Bend, the river offers the angler an opportunity to target golden perch, Murray cod, freshwater catfish, redfin and carp.
Subject to water levels, an annual event on the Wimmera River is the Horsham Fishing Contest. Staged on the Labour Day weekend, this is the largest inland fishing competition in Australia, with over AUD$60,000 in prizes and contested by more than 3,000 anglers. The contest is a catch-and-release event, with all fish except carp being kept alive in aerated tanks and released back into the river at the end of the contest.
Tucked away in the heart of Hamilton is Lake Hamilton, a well kept fishing secret that produces redfin and trout, and in recent years has been stocked with estuary perch with some success. North of Hamilton is Rocklands Reservoir, the second largest lake in Victoria. Brown trout and redfin are the predominant species and the deepest part of the lake can be found at the wall area near Balmoral.
Yabbies are prolific throughout the region and in the warmer months, and targeting these delightful creatures is a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. As the lake system is also a major part of the water supply system for the Wimmera-Mallee, water levels can fluctuate widely and due to several years of low rainfall, many lakes are dry. Lakes that can produce well when they contain water are Lonsdale, Charlegark, Booroopki, Wallace, Dock, Pine, Natimuk and Hindmarsh.
