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Brown trout in Australia

The wild trout of the highland rivers and Tasmania's lakes. Spawns in autumn, hence the closed rivers through winter in NSW and Victoria. Open season from October to June in NSW and Victoria; Tasmania from August. Best month across the Australia waters we cover: April.

Brown trout field-guide illustration

Identification and biology

The brown trout, Salmo trutta, arrived in Tasmania from England in 1864, the first successful introduction anywhere in the southern hemisphere, and from Tasmania it went to Victoria, New South Wales and the highlands, where it breeds in the wild in cold, gravel-bottomed streams and lives in the lakes they feed. It is the wild trout of Australia: bronze to olive with black and red spots, a square tail, a wariness that grows with size, and a spawning run up the inflowing creeks in autumn that is the reason the streams of New South Wales and Victoria close through winter and the Tasmanian season ends in late April or early May. Big browns are old, and the biggest come from the lakes at night and in the cold months.

Where they live through the year

In Tasmania the brown trout waters open on the first Saturday of August and close on the Sunday nearest 30 April, and the plateau lakes fish from the early-season lure and bait fishing along the edges at Arthurs and Great Lake, and fly fishing only at Penstock and Little Pine, through the spring dun hatches and the summer beetle falls into the autumn drop-offs. Most lowland rivers keep the same season, but the lower South Esk, Macquarie and Meander stay open to the Sunday nearest 31 May, the Derwent below New Norfolk is open all year, and designated rainbow waters such as Dee Lagoon run from October to May. In New South Wales and Victoria the browns of Eucumbene, Jindabyne, Eildon and Dartmouth are along the edges in autumn and spring and deep in summer, and the streams are open from spring to the June long weekend. Everywhere the biggest browns are taken at night, along the edges, on bait and slow-rolled lures in the cooler months.

The mistakes that cost fish

Fishing the rivers in the closed season, computed for this year on the state hubs; and fishing a Tasmanian water outside the dates the Inland Fishing Code sets for it, because the waters differ. Fishing too heavy and too visible in clear water, where a brown inspects the lure and turns away; a lighter leader and a longer cast fix more slow days than a lure change. Ignoring the wind on the plateau, which makes its own weather and can turn a lake dangerous in an hour. And missing the night: the best browns of the Snowy lakes are caught after dark along the edges on bait and on slowly worked lures.

Reading the report for brown trout

The water temperature estimate and the calendar show the cool-water edge seasons and the deep summer; the wind row is the number to respect on the plateau and the Snowy lakes; the level chart on the gauged lakes shows the rising water that floods new ground where the browns feed and the low water that pushes them to the drop-offs. The species card rates the month; the season line on each water says open or closed today, from the rule the agency wrote.

Tackle setups

SituationSetupWhy it works
Lake edges at night2.1 m rod rated 2 to 4 kg, 4 kg mono, running sinker or unweighted, worm, wattle grub or mudeyeThe big browns feed along the edges after dark on bait
Spin and troll2.1 m spin rod rated 1 to 3 kg, 3 kg braid, 3 kg leader, 50 to 80 mm minnow or a Tasmanian DevilThe edges at dawn and the drop-offs by day
Fly on the plateau2.7 m 5 or 6 weight, floating line, 3 kg tippet, dun, beetle or nymph patternsPolaroiding the shallow bays and the wind lanes on the plateau lakes
Streams in season2.1 to 2.4 m 3 or 4 weight, floating line, 2 kg tippet, dry fly or small nymphThe open-season rivers of the highlands

Playbook by water temperature

The plan the daily report picks for brown trout in each band; the water temperature on each page is a seasonal estimate for its type of water and says so.

Hot water (over 27 °C)

Dawn at the lake edges and the cold inflows; the rivers at first light only.

Warm water (18 to 27 °C)

Early and late with flies and small lures along the weed edges and the river runs.

Cool water (10 to 18 °C)

Prime. Nymphs and streamers on the rivers, and the lake edges on the overcast days.

Cold water (under 10 °C)

The lake fishery: bait or slow lures in the deeper bays; the rivers are closed in NSW and Victoria.

Month by month

Activity for the southern year, 1 slow to 5 peak; January is midsummer. Current month highlighted.

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Brown trout
SlowPeak

Waters we cover for brown trout

141 Australia waters carry brown trout on their species card, each with a daily report.

Tasmania 73

Great LakelakeArthurs LakelakeLake BarringtonlakeBronte LagoonlakeLake BurburylakeLake CrescentlakeLake SorelllakeDee LagoonlakeLake EcholakeLake King WilliamlakeLittle Pine LagoonlakeMeadowbank LakelakeLake PedderlakePenstock LagoonlakePine Tier LagoonlakeLake St ClairlakeWoods LakelakeLake GordonlakeDerwent River below MeadowbankriverSouth Esk River at PerthriverSouth Esk River at LlewellynriverMacquarie River near RossriverMeander River at DeloraineriverMersey River at LienariverLeven RiverriverHuon River at JudburyriverTyenna RiverriverLake AugustalakeLake CatagunyalakeLake CethanalakeCluny LagoonlakeLake GairdnerlakeLaughing Jack LagoonlakeLake MackenzielakeLake MackintoshlakeLake MargaretlakeLake MurchisonlakeLake PaloonalakeLake ParanganalakeLake PiemanlakeLake PlimsolllakeLake RepulselakeLake RoseberylakeLake RowallanlakeShannon LagoonlakeLake TrevallynlakeTungatinah LagoonlakeWayatinah LagoonlakeNorth Esk River at BallroomriverElizabeth River at Campbell TownriverForth River below the WilmotriverClyde River at BothwellriverBreak O’Day River at Killymoon BridgeriverGeorge River above St HelensriverInglis River at FlowerdaleriverDuck River at ScotchtownriverArthur River below the Rapid RiverriverCoal River at RichmondriverRingarooma River at MoorinariverGreat Forester River at Prosperity RoadriverSwan River at The GrangeriverMontagu River at Stuarts RoadriverOuse River at AshtonriverNive River at Gowan BraeriverShannon River at HermitageriverSt Pauls River above the South EskriverSouth Esk River at the Upper Esk Road bridgeriverJordan River at MauricetonriverEsperance River at DoverriverLake River at ParknookriverArm River above the MerseyriverCam River above SomersetriverRingarooma River above Branxholmriver

Victoria 44

Blue Rock LakelakeLake WendoureelakeLake DartmouthlakeLake BuffalolakeLake William HovelllakeTullaroop ReservoirlakeNewlyn ReservoirlakeLake ToolondolakeLake FyanslakeLake WartooklakeLauriston ReservoirlakeTarago ReservoirlakeLal Lal ReservoirlakePykes Creek ReservoirlakeGoulburn River at EildonriverGoulburn River at AlexandrariverOvens River at BrightriverOvens River at MyrtlefordriverKiewa River at Mongans BridgeriverMitta Mitta River at Mitta MittariverLatrobe River at NoojeeriverMacalister River at LicolariverTambo River at Swifts CreekriverDelatite RiverriverHowqua RiverriverJamieson RiverriverRubicon RiverriverBuckland RiverriverSteavenson RiverriverYarra River at WarburtonriverThomson River at WalhallariverBarwon River at InverleighriverMoorabool River at BatesfordriverKing River at CheshuntriverBuffalo River at AbbeyardriverBig River at Jokers CreekriverAcheron River at TaggertyriverOvens River at HarrietvilleriverBarwon River at WinchelseariverHopkins River at FramlinghamriverYarra River at WarrandyteriverBarwon River at PollocksfordriverThomson River at WandockariverWonnangatta River at Crooked Riverriver

New South Wales 16

Lake EucumbenelakeLake JindabynelakeGoogong ReservoirlakeSnowy RiverriverBlowering DamlakeOberon DamlakeTalbingo ReservoirlakeTantangara ReservoirlakeJounama PondagelakeWingecarribee ReservoirlakeTumut River at TumutriverSnowy River at DalgetyriverGoodradigbee River at Wee JasperriverBombala River at BombalariverBemboka River at Morans CrossingriverStyx River at Jeoglariver

Western Australia 5

Harvey DamlakeWaroona DamlakeLogue Brook DamlakeWellington DamlakeWarren River at Pemberton Weirriver

South Australia 3

Warren ReservoirlakeMyponga ReservoirlakeSouth Para Reservoirlake

Common questions

When does the Tasmanian trout season open?

The brown trout waters open on the first Saturday of August and close on the Sunday nearest 30 April; for 2026-27 that is Saturday 1 August 2026 to Sunday 2 May 2027, as the Inland Fisheries Service publishes. Some waters, Great Lake among them, are open all year.

Where were brown trout first introduced in Australia?

Tasmania, in 1864, from ova shipped from England; the Plenty hatchery stock founded the trout of the southern hemisphere.

What is the best way to catch a big brown trout?

At night along the lake edges in the cooler months with bait or a slowly worked lure, or at first light along the drop-offs; in the rivers, a nymph or a dry fly in the open season.