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Golden perch in Australia

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. Best: November to April. Best month across the Australia waters we cover: January.

Golden perch field-guide illustration

Identification and biology

The golden perch, Macquaria ambigua, yellowbelly, callop in South Australia, is the bread-and-butter native of the Murray-Darling: a deep, humped, golden-olive fish with a yellow belly, a small mouth for its size and a slow, dogged fight, living in the slow rivers, the billabongs and the big stocked lakes of the inland. It spawns in spring and early summer when a rise in the river triggers it, and the fish move upstream with the rising water, which is why a rise after rain brings the perch on and a dry, falling river shuts them down. Stocking has made the lakes, Windamere, Burrinjuck, Wyangala, Copeton, Eildon, Eppalock, Cairn Curran and the Queensland impoundments, into the most reliable golden perch fisheries in the country.

Where they live through the year

From spring to autumn golden perch are on the points, the timber, the rock walls and the weed edges of the lakes and in the snags and the deep bends of the rivers, feeding best in warm water in the mornings and the evenings and moving shallow on a rising lake. Summer is the peak on the lakes, trolling and casting lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics along the drop-offs and the timber; in the rivers the fish run with a rise. In winter they are deep and slow, and the best of the cold months is a slow-hopped blade or a bait held still on the bottom in the warmest hours; the species has no closed season in the states covered here.

The mistakes that cost fish

Working the lure too fast: a golden perch follows a lure and takes it on the pause, and a lipless crankbait hopped along the bottom or a plastic paused beside a tree out-fishes a straight retrieve. Fishing the open water instead of the structure, when the fish hold on the points, the timber and the walls. Ignoring the level: a rising lake brings the perch shallow and a falling one pulls them deep, and the gauge on each lake page shows which is happening. And fishing cold water expecting summer fish; winter perch are a slow, midday proposition.

Reading the report for golden perch

The level chart on the gauged lakes and the water temperature estimate are the two numbers; the calendar shows the southern summer as the peak; the pressure row helps, a falling barometer bringing the perch on before a storm. The wind row decides which arm of a long lake is fishable. The species card rates the month; the state hub lists the closures that apply to the cod that share the water, so the day is planned for both.

Tackle setups

SituationSetupWhy it works
Lakes, casting the timber2.1 m spin rod rated 3 to 6 kg, 6 to 8 kg braid, 8 to 10 kg leader, lipless crankbait or 1/2 oz spinnerbaitHopped along the bottom beside the trees where the perch hold
Trolling the drop-offs1.8 m rod rated 4 to 8 kg, 8 kg braid, 10 kg leader, deep-diving 60 to 80 mm hardbodyCovers the summer drop-offs and finds the schools
River bait2.1 m rod rated 3 to 6 kg, 6 kg mono, running sinker, shrimp, yabby or wormHeld still in the snag or the deep bend on a rising river

Playbook by water temperature

The plan the daily report picks for golden perch 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)

Early and late around the standing timber and the rock walls with lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

Warm water (18 to 27 °C)

Prime. Hop soft plastics and vibes around the timber, or fish shrimp and worms on the bottom.

Cool water (10 to 18 °C)

Slower. Work the deeper timber and the drop-offs with vibes and bait.

Cold water (under 10 °C)

Almost dormant; a bait fished slowly in the deepest water on the warmest afternoons.

Month by month

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

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Golden perch
SlowPeak

Waters we cover for golden perch

173 Australia waters carry golden perch on their species card, each with a daily report.

New South Wales 70

Lake HumelakeBurrinjuck DamlakeLake St ClairlakeLake MulwalalakeCopeton DamlakeMurrumbidgee RiverriverWyangala DamlakeDarling RiverriverLake BurrendonglakeCarcoar DamlakeChaffey DamlakeLake GlenbawnlakeLake KeepitlakeLostock DamlakePindari DamlakeSplit Rock DamlakeWindamere DamlakeLake CargelligolakeLake MenindeelakeBrogo DamlakeFitzroy Falls ReservoirlakeTallowa DamlakeMurray River at AlburyriverMurray River at CorowariverMurray River at TocumwalriverMurray River at WentworthriverMurrumbidgee River at Wagga WaggariverMurrumbidgee River at NarranderariverMurrumbidgee River at GundagairiverMurrumbidgee River at HayriverLachlan River at ForbesriverLachlan River at CowrariverMacquarie River at DubboriverMacquarie River at WellingtonriverNamoi River at NarrabririverNamoi River at GunnedahriverGwydir River at BundarrariverSevern River at AshfordriverAbercrombie RiverriverBarwon River at WalgettriverBarwon River at MungindiriverLachlan River at CondobolinriverLachlan River at HillstonriverMurray River at BarhamriverMacquarie River at WarrenriverMehi River at MoreeriverMurray River at JingellicriverEdward River at DeniliquinriverEdward River at MoulameinriverLachlan River at BooligalriverDarling River at LouthriverDarling River at TilpariverDarling River at MenindeeriverDarling River at PooncarieriverBarwon River at BrewarrinariverBarwon River at CollarenebririverNamoi River at BoggabririverGwydir River at PallamallawariverCastlereagh River at CoonambleriverBogan River at NynganriverMacintyre River at InverellriverMacintyre River at YetmanriverDumaresq River at BonshawriverLachlan River at NanamiriverGwydir River at GravesendriverBogan River at GongolgonriverNamoi River at MolleeriverNamoi River below Keepit DamriverDarling River at BurtundyriverCastlereagh River at Gungalmanriver

Queensland 48

Lake SomersetlakeWuruma DamlakeCania DamlakeLake BoondoomalakeBjelke-Petersen DamlakeLake WivenhoelakeLake Samsonvale (North Pine Dam)lakeLake MoogerahlakeLake MaroonlakeHinze DamlakeWyaralong DamlakeBorumba DamlakeLake MacDonaldlakeCressbrook DamlakeLeslie DamlakeCoolmunda DamlakeGlenlyon DamlakeBurnett River at GayndahriverBurnett River at MundubberariverMary River at GympieriverDawson River at BaralabariverDawson River at TheodoreriverCondamine River at WarwickriverCondamine River at ChinchillariverBalonne River at St GeorgeriverFlinders River at HughendenriverBen Dor WeirlakeBill Gunn DamlakeCecil Plains WeirlakeCooby DamlakeEwen Maddock DamlakeJones WeirlakeLemon Tree WeirlakeMount Morgan No. 7 DamlakeLake KurwongbahlakeTalgai WeirlakeWhetstone WeirlakeMacintyre River at GoondiwindiriverDawson River at TaroomriverBalonne River at SuratriverMaranoa River at MitchellriverWarrego River at CunnamullariverMoonie River at NindigullyriverSevern River at BallandeanriverBalonne River at WarrooriverBalonne River at WeriboneriverMoonie River at FentonriverWarrego River at Augathellariver

Victoria 40

Lake EildonlakeLake EppalocklakeCairn Curran ReservoirlakeLake NillahcootielakeLaanecoorie ReservoirlakeWaranga BasinlakeLake NagambielakeRocklands ReservoirlakeLake BellfieldlakeMalmsbury ReservoirlakeUpper Coliban ReservoirlakeLake GlenmaggielakeDevilbend ReservoirlakeMurray River at EchucariverMurray River at Swan HillriverMurray River at MildurariverMurray River at RobinvaleriverGoulburn River at SeymourriverGoulburn River at SheppartonriverOvens River at WangarattariverLoddon River at BridgewaterriverLoddon River at NewsteadriverCampaspe River at RochesterriverBroken River at BenallariverGlenelg River at CastertonriverWimmera River at HorshamriverTaylors LakelakeGreens LakelakeMelton ReservoirlakeBarkers Creek ReservoirlakeCampaspe River at RedesdaleriverLoddon River at KerangriverWimmera River at DimboolariverMurray River at CobramriverGoulburn River at MurchisonriverBroken River at Casey WeirriverCampaspe River at BarnadownriverOvens River at PeechelbariverBroken River at GowangardieriverLoddon River at Appin Southriver

South Australia 12

Lake AlexandrinalakeMurray River at RenmarkriverMurray River at BerririverMurray River at MorganriverMurray River at MannumriverMurray River at Murray BridgeriverLake AlbertlakeMurray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1)riverMurray River at Lock 2 near WaikerieriverMurray River at Lock 3, Overland CornerriverMurray River at Lock 4, BookpurnongriverMurray River at Lock 6, Murthoriver

Australian Capital Territory 3

Lake Burley GriffinlakeLake GinninderralakeLake Tuggeranonglake

Common questions

Is there a closed season for golden perch?

None of the states covered here publishes one; size and bag limits apply and the agency page is linked from every water. The Murray cod that share the water are closed from September to November, which changes what can be kept on a mixed trip.

What is the best lure for golden perch?

A lipless crankbait or a small spinnerbait hopped along the bottom beside timber, a 75 to 100 mm soft plastic paused beside a tree, a blade in the cool months; a shrimp, a yabby or a worm on bait.

Why are golden perch called yellowbelly?

For the yellow belly of the adult fish; South Australia calls them callop. All three names are the same species, Macquaria ambigua.