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Murray cod in Australia

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. Closed 1 September to 30 November in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, and 1 August to 31 October in Queensland; check the exempt lakes. Best month across the Australia waters we cover: March.

Murray cod field-guide illustration

Identification and biology

The Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii, is what PIRSA calls one of Australia’s largest native freshwater fish and the totem of the Murray-Darling: a large, deep-bodied fish, cream to olive-green with darker blotches, a white belly, a big mouth with a protruding lower jaw and a tail that can drive a big fish through a snag pile. The Status of Australian Fish Stocks report gives it a life of at least 48 years and a size of about 1.8 metres and 113 kg, with first maturity at 4 to 6 years and 40 to 60 cm. That is why New South Wales and Victoria close the fishery from 1 September to 30 November, Queensland’s Murray-Darling waters from 1 August to 31 October, and South Australia allows no take at all in the River Murray. Victoria’s slot is 55 to 75 centimetres as the VFA publishes it, and each state hub links its own. DPIRD NSW names Copeton, Pindari, Burrinjuck and Blowering among the impoundments whose cod fisheries stocking supports.

Where they live through the year

The cod year starts on 1 December, when the closed season lifts in New South Wales and Victoria and the season opener fills the rivers and the lakes; through summer and autumn the fish are on the snags, the rock walls, the undercut banks and the timber of the lakes, feeding at dawn, dusk and at night on big lures, surface lures and bait. In winter they are slower and deeper but they still eat, and the big winter fish come on slowly worked lures in the warmest part of the day. From September to November the fishery is closed in the rivers and most lakes, except the storages the agencies list, Blowering and Copeton in New South Wales, Eildon, Eppalock, Cairn Curran and Nillahcootie in Victoria, which stay open all year and say so on their pages.

The mistakes that cost fish

Fishing the closed season, which runs 1 September to 30 November in New South Wales and Victoria and 1 August to 31 October in Queensland’s Murray-Darling waters; every cod water on this site shows its status today from the rule, and the storages exempt from it say they are. Fishing too far from the timber: a cod lies inside the snag, not beside it, and the cast that costs a lure is the cast that catches the fish. Fishing too fast in cold water. And keeping a fish outside the slot, which the states set to protect the breeders; the Victorian figures are on the VFA page linked here and the others on theirs.

Reading the report for cod

The level chart on the gauged lakes shows the rising water that floods new ground and the summer draw-down that pulls the fish to the timber; the water temperature estimate decides whether the cod feed hard or slowly; the pressure row matters, with a falling barometer before a storm the classic summer bite. The species card rates the month, the season line says whether it is open today, and the state hub has the dates for this year with the source.

Tackle setups

SituationSetupWhy it works
Snags and timber1.8 m baitcast rod rated 8 to 15 kg, 20 to 30 kg braid, 30 to 40 kg leader, 100 to 150 mm hardbody or 1 oz spinnerbaitThe fish is inside the timber and has to be lifted out
Surface at night1.9 m baitcast rod rated 8 to 12 kg, 20 kg braid, 30 kg leader, 100 to 130 mm surface walker or paddlerSummer nights on the rock walls and the edges of the lakes
Swimbaits on the lakes2 m baitcast rod rated 10 to 15 kg, 30 kg braid, 40 kg leader, 150 to 200 mm swimbaitThe big lake fish along the rock walls and the drop-offs
Bait where allowed2.1 m rod rated 6 to 10 kg, 10 kg mono, running sinker, bardi grub or yabbyThe classic river cod bait fished into the snag

Playbook by water temperature

The plan the daily report picks for murray cod 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)

Surface lures at night and at first light along the snags and rock walls; big spinnerbaits and swimbaits by day.

Warm water (18 to 27 °C)

Prime. Cast big spinnerbaits, hardbodies and swimbaits tight to timber and rock, and work the same snag several times.

Cool water (10 to 18 °C)

Slow it down: heavier spinnerbaits, slow-rolled swimbaits and bait on the bottom next to the deep snags.

Cold water (under 10 °C)

Winter cod: the deepest snags and rock walls, big baits, patience. Check the closed season before you go.

Month by month

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

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Murray cod
SlowPeak

Waters we cover for murray cod

143 Australia waters carry murray cod on their species card, each with a daily report.

New South Wales 64

Lake HumelakeBurrinjuck DamlakeLake MulwalalakeCopeton DamlakeMurrumbidgee RiverriverWyangala DamlakeDarling RiverriverLake BurrendonglakeCarcoar DamlakeChaffey DamlakeLake KeepitlakePindari DamlakeSplit Rock DamlakeWindamere DamlakeLake CargelligolakeLake MenindeelakeMurray 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

Victoria 37

Lake EildonlakeLake EppalocklakeCairn Curran ReservoirlakeLake NillahcootielakeLaanecoorie ReservoirlakeWaranga BasinlakeLake NagambielakeRocklands ReservoirlakeLake BellfieldlakeMalmsbury ReservoirlakeUpper Coliban 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 BenallariverWimmera 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

Queensland 21

Leslie DamlakeCoolmunda DamlakeGlenlyon DamlakeCondamine River at WarwickriverCondamine River at ChinchillariverBalonne River at St GeorgeriverBen Dor WeirlakeCecil Plains WeirlakeCooby DamlakeTalgai WeirlakeWhetstone WeirlakeMacintyre River at GoondiwindiriverBalonne 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

South Australia 18

Lake AlexandrinalakeWarren ReservoirlakeMyponga ReservoirlakeSouth Para ReservoirlakeMurray 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, MurthoriverHappy Valley ReservoirlakeBeetaloo ReservoirlakeAroona Damlake

Australian Capital Territory 3

Lake Burley GriffinlakeLake GinninderralakeLake Tuggeranonglake

Common questions

When is Murray cod season?

Open from 1 December to 31 August in New South Wales and Victoria, closed 1 September to 30 November, except in the storages the agencies exempt (Blowering and Copeton; Eildon, Eppalock, Cairn Curran, Nillahcootie and others). Queensland’s Murray-Darling waters close 1 August to 31 October, and South Australia allows catch and release only in the River Murray. Each state hub shows the rule and its source.

What is the size limit for Murray cod?

A slot limit in each state: Victoria’s is a minimum of 55 cm and a maximum of 75 cm as the VFA publishes it, with a bag of one in rivers and two in the listed lakes. New South Wales and Queensland publish their own; the agency page is linked from every cod water.

What is the best lure for Murray cod?

A big spinnerbait or a deep-diving hardbody of 100 to 150 mm worked slowly through the timber, a surface lure at night in summer, a swimbait on the rock walls; bait where allowed, a bardi grub, a yabby or a cheese bait.

Pages checked

The facts on this page were checked against these pages, from the agencies, park services and operators that manage the water on 27 September 2026; anything we could not verify was taken out.

How this page was made. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on 27 September 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.