Victorian recreational fishers enjoy best trout fishing in 30 years

by Simon Price on 4 Jul 2012 Victorian recreational fishers are enjoying the best trout fishing in 30 years thanks to the Victorian Coalition Government’s extensive fish stocking program and the end of the drought. At Lake Burrumbeet, west of Ballarat, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh today said the Government’s drought recovery trout stockings were now delivering outstanding results, with young trout released two years ago now providing some fantastic opportunities for the state’s anglers.

'As a result of more than a decade of drought, many lakes with high quality trout fisheries in central and south west Victoria dried up, but when rains arrived in the spring of 2010, many of them filled rapidly and came back to life,' Mr Walsh said.

'Fisheries Victoria together with recreational fishers moved quickly to rapidly stock an extra 187,000 trout into 14 formerly drought-affected lakes and reservoirs.

'Since then the conditions have been ideal for those fish and their growth rates have been exceptional. As a result, trout fishing in some Victorian lakes and reservoirs at the moment is as good you will find in the iconic trout fishing destinations of Tasmania and New Zealand.

'There are reports of 75 gram trout released into Lake Bolac in late 2010 being caught 12 months later weighing three kilograms. That is a phenomenal growth rate that is also being reported at a number of other lakes where young trout were released, including here at Lake Burrumbeet where 2kg trout are caught regularly.'

The $231,000 drought recovery trout stocking program was funded from revenue from the sale of recreational fishing licences.

Mr Walsh said since 2010, 25,000 rainbow trout had been stocked into Lake Burrumbeet, including 10,000 today. A further 5000 brown trout will be released into the lake in August.

'The program has provided valuable economic stimulus to drought-affected regions thanks to its effectiveness in attracting an increasing number of recreational anglers to those areas,' Mr Walsh said.

For a full list of lakes and reservoirs stocked under the program, click DPI Victoria website