Golden perch
Excellent
Prime. Hop soft plastics and vibes around the timber, or fish shrimp and worms on the bottom.
Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) Fishing Report
Updated Mon, 9 Nov 2026 from live weather and tide data
The River Murray at Lock 1, Blanchetown: callop in the first weir pool above the lakes, cod for release only, and a Bureau gauge upstream of the lock.
3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Level
3.20 m27,907 ML
Air / High
21 °C / 29 °C
Wind
ENE 9 km/h
Sources: Bureau of Meteorology gauge A4260902, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.
Today's Fishing Report
Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) has the water in the comfortable band where most of its fish feed through the day. The gauge reads 3.20 m, holding steady. Today brings a mixed sky, wind ENE around 8 km/h, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 29 °C. Water sits around 19 °C for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:20 PM-1:20 AM and 11:47 AM-1:47 PM: the windows to build the day around.
Murray cod
Closed today
Catch and release reopens 1 Jan 2027. No Murray cod may be taken at any time from the River Murray or lakes Albert and Alexandrina. Catch and release is allowed from 1 January to 31 July, except on the Chowilla floodplain and in lakes Albert and Alexandrina; from 1 August to 31 December cod may not be targeted at all, trolling included.
Tie on: Soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jighead · Small hardbody, shallow diver · Squid jig, size 3.0 · Fresh pipi or worm on a small hook. Prime windows: 11:20 PM-1:20 AM, 11:47 AM-1:47 PM, 5:06 AM-6:06 AM. Similar at 29 °C. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.
Before you go
South Australia has no general fishing licence, but rules and permits apply. South Australia fishing licence: cost, rules and where to buy →
Chasing murray cod here? Check the size and bag limits with PIRSA before you keep anything; the Murray cod page has the seasons and the tactics.
Fishing times for Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) today
Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today from sunrise (06:03), sunset (19:47), the moon and today's score. Tap a bar to see why.
Bite planner
Solunar majors 11:20 PM-1:20 AM and 11:47 AM-1:47 PM; minor 5:06 AM-6:06 AM. New Moon, 0% lit.
Water and weather
Live readings from Bureau of Meteorology station A4260902 (River Murray at Lock 1 Upstream (AMTD 274.3km)).
River level, last 30 days
Bureau of Meteorology Water Data Online, station A4260902. Latest reading 2026-11-07 09:30.
Right now
Latest readings
Air temp21 °C
High / Low29 °C / 11 °C
WindENE 9 km/h, gusts 15 km/h
Pressure1012.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain36% cloud, 69%
Sunrise / Sunset06:03 / 19:47
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~19 °C est.
7-day fishing forecast: which day to fish Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1)
The best day on Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) this week looks like Thursday 12 Nov, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.
Best day this week: Thursday, 12 Nov — good at 4/5, steady pressure, neither help nor hindrance.
Today, 9 Nov — Fair
A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
- Solunar majors
- 11:20 PM-1:20 AM and 11:47 AM-1:47 PM
- Minor period
- 5:06 AM-6:06 AM
- Sun
- 06:03 to 19:47
- Moon
- New Moon, 0% lit
- Sky and wind
- Storms, 21 km/h
- Rain chance
- 69%
Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out.
Species guide
The species that matter on Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1): seasons written for the southern year, and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.
Murray cod
Closed 1 September to 30 November in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, and 1 August to 31 October in Queensland; check the exempt lakes
Closed now Catch and release reopens 1 Jan 2027. No Murray cod may be taken at any time from the River Murray or lakes Albert and Alexandrina. Catch and release is allowed from 1 January to 31 July, except on the Chowilla floodplain and in lakes Albert and Alexandrina; from 1 August to 31 December cod may not be targeted at all, trolling included. Rule as read from PIRSA on 2026-09-25.
The giant of the inland rivers and the big lakes (Hume, Mulwala, Eildon). A snag fish that eats big lures, and a species with a closed season across the Murray-Darling.
Golden perch
Best: November to April
Yellowbelly. The bread-and-butter native of the Murray-Darling lakes and rivers; loves warm water, structure and a lure worked slowly past its nose. Prime. Hop soft plastics and vibes around the timber, or fish shrimp and worms on the bottom.
When to come: the Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) calendar
Activity by species and month for the southern year, and how the water warms and cools. Tap any cell.
Species activity by month
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted. January is midsummer here.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Murray cod
Golden perch
SlowPeak
Water temperature through the year
Typical surface temperature for this water type in degrees Celsius; today is around 19 °C (estimated, not a reading).
Angler reports
Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. Nothing here is copied from a shop or a charter. The water log below tracks each day automatically.
No angler reports yetBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) today.
Water log, last days
Auto-logged from live dataSun, Nov 8
2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Golden perch led the card at excellent. High of 23 °C, wind to 18 km/h.
Sat, Nov 7
4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Golden perch led the card at excellent. High of 21 °C, wind to 24 km/h.
Fri, Nov 6
4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Golden perch led the card at excellent. High of 27 °C, wind to 24 km/h.
Before you go
Licence
South Australia has no general recreational fishing licence; the limits and closures do. Details and where to buy →
Regulations
Size and bag limits, closed seasons and marine park zones are set by PIRSA and change: confirm the current rules on the agency page linked from the South Australia licence page before you keep anything.
Access
South Australia needs no fishing licence at Blanchetown; PIRSA sets the size, bag and boat limits, the Murray cod rule, release only and never kept, and the 150 m closure around the locks and weirs, all linked from this page.
About this water
Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) is a river in South Australia, Australia, covered from the South Australia reports and listed in all Australia waters.
Fishing Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1): the full guide
Blanchetown and Lock 1
Blanchetown is the river town where the Sturt Highway crosses the River Murray in South Australia, and SA Water lists Lock 1 at Egerton Street in the town, the lowest of the river’s locks, with limestone cliffs and red gum flats around it. The Bureau of Meteorology’s station upstream of Lock 1, which its name places 274.3 km from the Murray Mouth by adopted middle thread distance, supplies the river level and the 30-day chart on this page. The river at Morgan upstream and Mannum downstream has its own pages.
Species and seasons
Golden perch, callop in South Australia, are the fish most anglers keep at Blanchetown, taken on shrimp, worms and lures along the snags and the cliff faces, with a PIRSA minimum of 33 cm and a bag of five. Cod live in the deeper holes and timber but can never be taken from the Murray here; release fishing is allowed only between 1 January and 31 July, and from 1 August to 31 December they may not be targeted, as the species card shows. Redfin and carp are declared noxious and must not go back into the water.
Where to fish it
The riverfront reserves and the caravan park at Blanchetown give bank access, and the ramp puts a boat onto the weir pool upstream, where the cliffs and the snags hold fish. PIRSA closes all waters within 150 m of every lock and weir on the River Murray, so the water right at Lock 1 is off limits; fish the reaches above and below that line.
Planning a visit
Blanchetown is on the Sturt Highway about where the Adelaide traffic reaches the river, with a ramp and houseboats and shacks along the reach. Bring bait for callop; for release fishing in the months it is allowed PIRSA asks for barbless hooks, barbless trebles on lures and a knotless landing net. A kayak suits the backwaters, and in summer the bite is early and late.
Reading this report here
The level chart shows the weir pool held behind Lock 1; the Department for Environment and Water manages the weir pools for navigation and irrigation and at times raises or lowers them for the environment. A rising river after a flow from upstream colours the water and moves the callop. The water temperature estimate, labelled as one, is warm in summer; pressure and sky build the score at Blanchetown.
Licence, access and rules
South Australia needs no fishing licence at Blanchetown; PIRSA sets the size, bag and boat limits, the Murray cod rule, release only and never kept, and the 150 m closure around the locks and weirs, all linked from this page. The reserves and the ramp are public.
Common questions
Can I fish right next to Lock 1?
No. PIRSA closes the water within 150 m of every lock and weir on the River Murray.
What can I catch at Blanchetown?
Golden perch (callop) to keep within PIRSA’s limits; redfin and carp must not be returned; Murray cod for release only, January to July.
Do I need a licence at Blanchetown?
No licence is needed at Blanchetown; PIRSA’s limits and closures still apply.
Is fishing good at Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) right now?
Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Nearby waters
Where this page's numbers come from
- Storage and river readings
- Bureau of Meteorology, Water Data Online, station A4260902 — River Murray at Lock 1 Upstream (AMTD 274.3km)
- Open-Meteo forecast model
- https://open-meteo.com/
- Moon and solunar windows
- Calculated on this site
- Pages checked
- pir.sa.gov.au/fishing-and-aquaculture/recreational-fishing/rules/speci
- pir.sa.gov.au/fishing-and-aquaculture/recreational-fishing/rules/fishi
- pir.sa.gov.au/fishing-and-aquaculture/recreational-fishing/rules/speci
- sawater.com.au/water-and-the-environment/south-australias-water-source
- environment.sa.gov.au/topics/water-and-river-murray/basin-river-murray
- bom.gov.au/waterdata
- The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on How our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.