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Rainbow trout in Australia

The stocked lakes of the Snowy Mountains, the Victorian highlands and the Tasmanian central plateau. Closed seasons apply on the rivers: check the state rules. Open season from October to June in NSW and Victoria; Tasmania from August. Best month across the Australia waters we cover: April.

Rainbow trout field-guide illustration

Identification and biology

The rainbow trout of Australia, Oncorhynchus mykiss, is a stocked fish: brought from North America in the nineteenth century and released every year into the lakes of the Snowy Mountains, the Victorian highlands, the New England and Central Tablelands and the Tasmanian Central Plateau by the state hatcheries. It carries the pink band along the flank and the black spots on the tail that name it, grows fast in a rich lake, and breeds in the wild only where a cold, gravel stream runs into a lake, which in Australia is the exception rather than the rule. The state agencies publish what they stock and where, and the stocked lakes are the reason the species is on this site at all.

Where they live through the year

In the big Snowy lakes, Eucumbene and Jindabyne, the rainbows are along the edges and the drop-offs from spring to autumn, trolled, spun and fished on the fly, and in the deeper, cooler water through summer when the surface warms; the New South Wales and Victorian streams are open from the October long weekend or the first Saturday of September until the June long weekend and closed through winter, while the lakes and dams have no closed season. In Tasmania the designated rainbow trout waters open from the Saturday nearest 1 October to the Sunday nearest 31 May, later than the brown trout waters, and the plateau lakes fish through the southern summer. The stocked urban and tableland lakes give the winter fishing.

The mistakes that cost fish

Fishing the surface in a summer heat when the rainbows are in the thermocline; a lead-core line or a downrigger trolled along the drop-offs finds them, and the dawn edge bite is short. Fishing the rivers in the closed season, which is computed for this year on the state hubs and on every trout river page. Using bait where the water is artificial fly and lure only, which several New South Wales and Victorian streams are; the agency page linked from each water lists them. And expecting wild fish everywhere: the stocking lists say where the fish come from.

Reading the report for rainbow trout

The water temperature estimate places the lake in the band that decides whether the fish are on the edges or deep, and the calendar shows the southern autumn and spring as the edge seasons. The wind row decides which shore fishes on a big lake and whether a small boat should be out. Pressure matters less than for the coastal fish. The species card rates the month; the season line says whether the water is open or closed today, from the rule.

Tackle setups

SituationSetupWhy it works
Lake edges, spin2.1 m spin rod rated 1 to 3 kg, 3 kg braid, 2 to 3 kg fluorocarbon leader, 50 to 70 mm minnow or inline spinnerLight line in clear water; the edge bite at dawn and dusk
Trolling deep in summer1.8 m rod rated 2 to 4 kg, lead-core line or downrigger, 4 kg leader, small minnow or spoonThe fish are in the thermocline; the lure has to reach them
Fly2.7 m 5 or 6 weight, floating or intermediate line, 3 to 4 kg tippet, wet fly, nymph or dryThe plateau lakes and the Snowy edges on the fly
Bait where allowed2.1 m rod rated 1 to 3 kg, 3 kg mono, running sinker, worm or PowerBaitStocked dams and lakes where the rule allows bait

Playbook by water temperature

The plan the daily report picks for rainbow 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 only, and deep: troll lead-core or downriggers over the thermocline, or fish the cold inflows.

Warm water (18 to 27 °C)

Early and late around the edges with lures and flies; through the day, troll the drop-offs.

Cool water (10 to 18 °C)

Prime. Shore fishing along the edges with bait, spinners and flies, and the rivers if the season is open.

Cold water (under 10 °C)

Winter lakes: bait on the bottom in the deeper bays through the middle of the day, or polaroiding the shallows on the bright days in Tasmania.

Month by month

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

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Rainbow trout
SlowPeak

Waters we cover for rainbow trout

141 Australia waters carry rainbow 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 is trout season in New South Wales?

Streams open from the Saturday of the October long weekend to the Monday of the June long weekend and are closed between; lakes and dams have no closed season. The New South Wales hub shows this year’s dates, computed from the DPIRD rule.

Are rainbow trout native to Australia?

No. They were introduced from North America in the nineteenth century and are stocked each year by the state hatcheries; wild breeding is rare and confined to cold streams that feed the lakes.

What is the best lure for rainbow trout?

A small inline spinner or a 50 to 70 mm minnow trolled or cast along the edges in the cool months; a soft plastic on a light jighead; a wet fly or a nymph on the fly rod; PowerBait or a worm where bait is allowed.