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New Fish Stock For Lake Eildon Is Golden

07 July 2015

A record number of golden perch have been stocked into Lake Eildon to improve freshwater fishing opportunities for Victorian anglers.

Around 250,000 golden perch fingerlings have been released this year, eclipsing the previous biggest total of 233,500 in 2009. Golden perch do not breed in Lake Eildon, so stocking is the only way to maintain the fishery.

This new stocking record complements another big summer season of native fish stocking across northern Victoria that saw over two million fingerlings released into more than 91 lakes and rivers.

Funded by recreational fishing licence fees and the Victorian Government, the majority of the fish stocked were golden perch and Murray cod, with smaller numbers of Australian bass, estuary perch and silver perch.

Last summer, 607,000 Murray cod were stocked, the bulk of which were grown at Fisheries Victoria’s own hatchery at Snobs Creek, near Eildon.

This is the third consecutive season the fish production team at Snobs Creek have grown more than 500,000 Murray cod onsite for recreational stockings.

The remainder of Murray cod fingerlings were bought from private hatcheries in Victoria and NSW.

The Andrews Labor Government’s Target One Million plan will grow recreational fishing in Victoria by increasing the participation to one million anglers by 2020 and will boost fish stocking from three to five million per year.

For a full list of waters stocked with native fish last summer visit www.vic.gov.au/nativefish2015External Link

Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Jaala Pulford

“Lake Eildon’s golden perch fishery is one of the state’s very best and we’re keen to keep it that way.”

“Our Target One Million plan will grow recreation fishing in Victoria, creating jobs, supporting local businesses and giving families better opportunities to spend time together outdoors.”

“We’ll also boost fish stocking from three to five million per year and invest in improved fishing facilities, creating more opportunities for our anglers to wet a line.”

Key facts

  • In addition to Lake Eildon’s big boost, golden perch were also stocked into Cairn Curran Reservoir (20,000), Lake Eppalock (120,000), Goulburn River (65,700), Lake Hume (120,000), Taylors Lake at Horsham (30,000), Laanecoorie Reservoir (35,000), Loddon River (50,000), the Wimmera River (70,000) between Jeparit and Glenorchy, Lake Charm (5,000) and Boosey Creek (9,000).
  • Waters that shared in Murray cod included the Goulburn (100,000), Campaspe (20,000), Broken (20,000), Loddon (35,000) and Mitta Mitta (20,000) rivers and lakes Nillahcootie (20,000), Hume (90,000), Kangaroo (20,000), Taylors (20,000), Buffalo (23,690) and Eppalock (75,000).

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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