Murray cod in Australia: Seasons, Tactics and Best Waters (September 2026)

Identification and biology

The Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii, is Australia’s largest freshwater fish and the totem of the Murray-Darling: a broad, deep-bodied fish, olive-green mottled with darker marbling, a white belly, a huge mouth and a tail that can drive a fish of a metre and more through a snag pile. It lives for decades, matures late, and spawns in spring, laying its eggs in hollow logs and on hard surfaces in the rivers and the lakes, which is why New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland close the fishery from September into the summer and why the states set a slot limit that protects both the small fish and the big breeders; Victoria’s is 55 to 75 centimetres as the VFA publishes it, and each state hub links its own. Stocking has rebuilt the fishery in the big lakes, Hume, Mulwala, Eildon, Copeton, Burrinjuck and Wyangala among them.

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, Copeton in New South Wales, Eildon, Eppalock and Cairn Curran 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

Situation	Setup	Why it works
Snags and timber	1.8 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 spinnerbait	The fish is inside the timber and has to be lifted out
Surface at night	1.9 m baitcast rod rated 8 to 12 kg, 20 kg braid, 30 kg leader, 100 to 130 mm surface walker or paddler	Summer nights on the rock walls and the edges of the lakes
Swimbaits on the lakes	2 m baitcast rod rated 10 to 15 kg, 30 kg braid, 40 kg leader, 150 to 200 mm swimbait	The big lake fish along the rock walls and the drop-offs
Bait where allowed	2.1 m rod rated 6 to 10 kg, 10 kg mono, running sinker, bardi grub or yabby	The 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.

The legal season is a separate question

Activity says when the fish bite; the agency says when you may keep one. These are the closures that name murray cod, computed for 2026 from each rule as written and read on the date shown. A state with no row publishes no closure for this species, which is not the same as open all year.

State	Fishery	2026	Rule	Source
New South Wales	Murray cod	Closed 2026-09-01 to 2026-11-30	Closed 1 September to 30 November in all waters except Blowering and Copeton dams.	DPIRD NSW, summary of freshwater closures, read 2026-09-23
Victoria	Murray cod	Closed 2026-09-01 to 2026-11-30	Closed 1 September to 30 November inclusive, except in Lake Eildon, Eildon Pondage, Lake Eppalock, Cairn Curran, Lake Nillahcootie and the other waters the VFA lists.	Victorian Fisheries Authority, Murray cod, read 2026-09-23
Queensland	Murray cod, Murray-Darling waters	Closed 2026-08-01 to 2026-10-31	Closed 1 August to 31 October in Queensland’s Murray-Darling fresh waters, except Connolly, Cooby, Coolmunda, Glenlyon, Leslie and Storm King dams.	Queensland Department of Primary Industries, closed seasons in freshwaters, read 2026-09-23
South Australia	Murray cod, River Murray and lakes Albert and Alexandrina	Closed 2026-08-01 to 2026-12-31; release only the rest of the year, never kept	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; from 1 August to 31 December cod may not be targeted at all, trolling included.	PIRSA, Murray cod, read 2026-09-25

Month by month

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

Murray cod

SlowPeak

Waters we cover for murray cod

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

New South Wales 64

Lake Humelake Burrinjuck Damlake Lake Mulwalalake Copeton Damlake Murrumbidgee Riverriver Wyangala Damlake Darling Riverriver Lake Burrendonglake Carcoar Damlake Chaffey Damlake Lake Keepitlake Pindari Damlake Split Rock Damlake Windamere Damlake Lake Cargelligolake Lake Menindeelake Murray River at Alburyriver Murray River at Corowariver Murray River at Tocumwalriver Murray River at Wentworthriver Murrumbidgee River at Wagga Waggariver Murrumbidgee River at Narranderariver Murrumbidgee River at Gundagairiver Murrumbidgee River at Hayriver Lachlan River at Forbesriver Lachlan River at Cowrariver Macquarie River at Dubboriver Macquarie River at Wellingtonriver Namoi River at Narrabririver Namoi River at Gunnedahriver Gwydir River at Bundarrariver Severn River at Ashfordriver Abercrombie Riverriver Barwon River at Walgettriver Barwon River at Mungindiriver Lachlan River at Condobolinriver Lachlan River at Hillstonriver Murray River at Barhamriver Macquarie River at Warrenriver Mehi River at Moreeriver Murray River at Jingellicriver Edward River at Deniliquinriver Edward River at Moulameinriver Lachlan River at Booligalriver Darling River at Louthriver Darling River at Tilpariver Darling River at Menindeeriver Darling River at Pooncarieriver Barwon River at Brewarrinariver Barwon River at Collarenebririver Namoi River at Boggabririver Gwydir River at Pallamallawariver Castlereagh River at Coonambleriver Bogan River at Nynganriver Macintyre River at Inverellriver Macintyre River at Yetmanriver Dumaresq River at Bonshawriver Lachlan River at Nanamiriver Gwydir River at Gravesendriver Bogan River at Gongolgonriver Namoi River at Molleeriver Namoi River below Keepit Damriver Darling River at Burtundyriver Castlereagh River at Gungalmanriver

Victoria 38

Lake Eildonlake Lake Eppalocklake Cairn Curran Reservoirlake Lake Nillahcootielake Laanecoorie Reservoirlake Waranga Basinlake Lake Nagambielake Rocklands Reservoirlake Lake Bellfieldlake Malmsbury Reservoirlake Upper Coliban Reservoirlake Murray River at Echucariver Murray River at Swan Hillriver Murray River at Mildurariver Murray River at Robinvaleriver Goulburn River at Seymourriver Goulburn River at Sheppartonriver Ovens River at Wangarattariver Loddon River at Bridgewaterriver Loddon River at Newsteadriver Campaspe River at Rochesterriver Broken River at Benallariver Glenelg River at Castertonriver Wimmera River at Horshamriver Taylors Lakelake Greens Lakelake Melton Reservoirlake Barkers Creek Reservoirlake Campaspe River at Redesdaleriver Loddon River at Kerangriver Wimmera River at Dimboolariver Murray River at Cobramriver Goulburn River at Murchisonriver Broken River at Casey Weirriver Campaspe River at Barnadownriver Ovens River at Peechelbariver Broken River at Gowangardieriver Loddon River at Appin Southriver

Queensland 22

South Australia 12

Lake Alexandrinalake Murray River at Renmarkriver Murray River at Berririver Murray River at Morganriver Murray River at Mannumriver Murray River at Murray Bridgeriver Lake Albertlake Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1)river Murray River at Lock 2 near Waikerieriver Murray River at Lock 3, Overland Cornerriver Murray River at Lock 4, Bookpurnongriver Murray River at Lock 6, Murthoriver

Australian Capital Territory 3

Lake Burley Griffinlake Lake Ginninderralake Lake 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 (Copeton; Eildon, Eppalock, Cairn Curran and others). Queensland’s Murray-Darling waters close 1 August to 31 October. 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.