Tasmania is the trout island: the Central Plateau lakes, the Derwent and its tributaries and the lowland rivers make up the inland fishery that the Inland Fisheries Service licenses by the rod, and the sea around it fishes for salmon, flathead and squid without a general licence at all. We have not yet published a Tasmanian water; the licence page is live and the waters follow from the official gazetteer.
Reports current for Friday 25 September
Every one of the 86 Tasmania waters we cover has a live read this morning. None reaches 4 out of 5 and 2 are slow. Water runs 8 °C to 18 °C. Pressure is rising on most of them, which costs a point in our model when the sky is clear. 81 have a better-than-even chance of rain.
Best right now: Arm River above the Mersey 3/5, Arthur River below the Rapid River 3/5, Arthurs Lake 3/5
Live verdicts from this morning's reports.
The Derwent estuary through the middle of a capital: bream and salmon off the city wharves, flathead on the sand, and the trout lakes an hour away.
Georges Bay and the Bay of Fires: the east coast town where the sheltered bay fishes for flathead, bream and squid and the ocean beaches for salmon.
The biggest of the Central Plateau lakes: wild brown trout and stocked rainbows in cold, windy water, with a level read from the Bureau every day.
The north-west port on Bass Strait: the breakwater and the wharves, the Emu and Cam river mouths, and a coast of beaches and reef toward Wynyard.
The largest of the Furneaux Group in Bass Strait: granite headlands, white beaches, the lagoons and a flathead, salmon and squid coast reached by air or the ferry.
The Central Plateau’s most fished lake: a hydro storage of wild brown trout, drowned timber and the Cowpaddock and Jonah bays, with a level read from the Bureau every day.
The ferry port on the Mersey: the breakwaters and the Bluff, the river’s wharves, the beaches east to Port Sorell and a Bass Strait coast of salmon, flathead and squid.
The Forth River lake in the north-west: brown and rainbow trout in a deep hydro lake with a rowing course, a camp and a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Central Highlands lagoon on the Lyell Highway: wild browns and rainbows in shallow, weedy water with a camp and a Bureau gauge.
The west coast’s big hydro lake under Frenchmans Cap: browns and rainbows in the rain country near Queenstown, with a camp and a Bureau gauge.
The Interlaken lake of trophy browns: shallow, weedy water managed for big fish beside Lake Sorell, with its own rules and a Bureau gauge.
The big Interlaken lake beside Crescent: wild browns in shallow, weedy water reopened after the carp program, with a Bureau gauge.
The deep highland lagoon off the Lyell Highway: browns and rainbows in clear, cold water with a camp and a Bureau gauge at the tunnel inlet.
The big, remote hydro lake on the Central Plateau: wild browns and rainbows along drowned forest shores, reached by gravel from the Lyell Highway, with a Bureau gauge.
The Derwent’s headwater lake at Derwent Bridge: browns and rainbows in a long hydro lake between the mountains, with camping and a Bureau gauge at Clark Dam.
The fly-only lagoon of the Central Plateau: wild browns tailing in the shallows, artificial fly only by rule, with a camp and a Bureau gauge.
The lowland Derwent lake above New Norfolk: browns, rainbows and the odd Atlantic salmon, open all year by IFS rule, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The vast south-west lake behind Strathgordon: wild browns and rainbows in a wilderness water, with camps, ramps and a Bureau gauge at the Serpentine Dam.
The plateau lagoon reserved for the fly: wild browns in shallow, weedy water near Miena, with a Bureau gauge at the canal outlet.
The Nive River lagoon on the plateau’s edge: browns and rainbows in a hydro water above Bronte, with camping and a Bureau gauge at the dam.
Australia’s deepest lake at the foot of the Overland Track: wild browns and rainbows in cold, clear water inside the national park, with a Bureau gauge at Pump House Point.
The plateau lake below Arthurs: wild browns in shallow, weedy water reached by gravel, with a camp, a ramp and a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The deepest hydro lake in the south-west, behind the Gordon Dam: browns and rainbows in a drowned-forest wilderness reached from Strathgordon, with a Bureau gauge at the intake.
The Derwent below Meadowbank: browns, rainbows and the odd salmon in the river between the dam and New Norfolk, with the Bureau’s gauge below the dam.
The South Esk at Perth: wild browns in the lowland river above Launceston, open in the Tasmanian season, with the Bureau’s gauge at the town.
The upper South Esk at Llewellyn: wild browns in the midlands river below Fingal, with the Bureau’s gauge at the bridge.
The Macquarie through the midlands near Ross: the classic Tasmanian mayfly river of wild browns, with the Bureau’s gauge at Trefusis.
The Meander at Deloraine: wild browns in the river through the town below the Great Western Tiers, with the Bureau’s gauge at the bridge.
The upper Mersey at Liena: wild browns and rainbows in the gorge below the highland lakes, with the Bureau’s gauge at Liena.
The Leven above Ulverstone: wild browns in the gorge and the runs of a north-west river, with the Bureau’s gauge at Bannons Bridge.
The Huon above Huonville at Judbury: wild browns and sea-runners in the river of the apple valley, with the Bureau’s gauge at Judbury.
The Tyenna near Maydena: a small, rich trout stream on the road to Mount Field, with the Bureau’s gauge at Newbury Road.
The east coast fishing village under the granite: the Gulch and the blowhole rocks, Waubs Bay and the Diamond Island reef, with flathead, salmon, squid and the crayfish fleet.
The Maria Island port on Spring Bay: the wharf and the bay’s flathead, squid and salmon, Prosser River and the Mercury Passage, with the island across the water.
The island south of Hobart: the D’Entrecasteaux Channel’s flathead and squid, Adventure Bay’s salmon, the Neck and the Cloudy Bay surf, with the reef of the southern cape.
Macquarie Harbour from the west coast port: the harbour’s trout and salmon, the Gordon and King rivers, Hells Gates and the Ocean Beach surf.
The Nut and its harbour on the north-west coast: Stanley’s wharf and breakwater, the Godfreys and Tatlows beaches, with flathead, salmon, squid and the crayfish fleet.
The north-east coast holiday town on Anderson Bay: the jetty, the Brid River and the beaches, with flathead, salmon, squid and the Bass Strait reef.
The bream river of the east coast: the Scamander River’s bream, the beach’s salmon and the rocks, between St Helens and Bicheno.
The canal between Frederick Henry Bay and Blackman Bay: Dunalley’s flathead, squid, salmon and bream, the Marion Bay beach and the Tasman Peninsula beyond.
The highest storage on the Central Plateau: wild browns in shallow, rocky water at the gateway to the Nineteen Lagoons, with a Bureau gauge at the intake.
A Derwent River hydro lake between Wayatinah and Repulse: brown trout in a long, narrow river storage with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The deep Forth River gorge lake of the Mersey-Forth scheme near Moina: brown trout below the rainforest, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Derwent hydro lagoon below Repulse: brown trout in the river storage above Meadowbank, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Wilmot River storage of the Mersey-Forth scheme: brown trout in a quiet north-west lake below the Cradle Mountain country, with a Bureau gauge.
A Central Highlands hydro lagoon the Inland Fishing Code names as a general-rules water: wild browns on the fly, lure and bait, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The high lake on the Fisher River above Mole Creek: wild browns under the Great Western Tiers, bait on one handheld rod only, with a Bureau gauge.
The big West Coast lake at Tullah: wild browns among the drowned forest, open to the end of May as an extended-season water, with a Bureau gauge.
The small high lake above Queenstown that has fed a power station since 1914: brown trout in West Coast rainforest, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
A West Coast storage of the Pieman scheme near Tullah: brown trout in rainforest country, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The lowest lake of the Mersey-Forth scheme, inland from Devonport: brown and rainbow trout close to town, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Mersey River storage below Lake Rowallan: brown trout in a narrow forest lake of the Mersey-Forth scheme, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The lowest lake of the Pieman scheme behind Reece Dam: brown trout in remote West Coast forest, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
A high, exposed West Coast storage of the Anthony scheme: wild browns with a two-fish bag, with a Bureau gauge at the intake.
A Derwent River hydro lake near Ouse: brown trout between Catagunya and Cluny, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Pieman scheme lake between Tullah and Rosebery: wild browns open to the end of May as an extended-season water, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The upper Mersey lake at the edge of the Walls of Jerusalem: big browns in drowned timber, open from October to May, with a Bureau gauge.
The plateau lagoon below Great Lake at Miena: wild browns, no motorised boats, a five-fish bag, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
Launceston’s lake on the South Esk above Cataract Gorge: brown trout minutes from the city, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Derwent scheme lagoon near Tarraleah that is open all year: wild browns and rainbows, a five-fish bag, with a Bureau gauge at the dam.
The Derwent lagoon at the hydro village of Wayatinah: brown trout under the general lake rules the Code names it for, with a Bureau gauge.
The North Esk east of Launceston: wild browns in the farmland and forest river above the city, with a Bureau gauge at Ballroom.
The Elizabeth River at Campbell Town in the Midlands: wild browns in a small river under the Red Bridge, with no current Bureau level series.
The lower Forth below the Wilmot junction: wild browns and sea-run trout between the hydro lakes and the Bass Strait coast, with a Bureau gauge.
The Clyde at Bothwell in the Central Highlands foothills: wild browns in the river that drains Lake Crescent, with a Bureau gauge at the town.
The Break O’Day River in the Fingal Valley: wild browns in a small river between St Marys and Fingal, with a Bureau gauge at Killymoon Bridge.
The George River above St Helens: trout in the fresh water and bream below, on Tasmania’s north-east coast, with a Bureau gauge at the town intake.
The Inglis River at Flowerdale near Wynyard: wild browns and sea-run trout in a north-west coast river, with no current Bureau level series.
The Duck River near Smithton in the far north-west: wild browns and blackfish in a lowland river, with a Bureau gauge at Scotchtown.
The Arthur River below the Rapid in the takayna / Tarkine: blackfish and browns in remote rainforest, with no current Bureau level series.
The Coal River at Richmond, under Australia’s oldest bridge: brown trout in the Coal valley below Craigbourne, with a Bureau gauge.
The Ringarooma at Moorina in the north-east: brown trout in the old tin-mining valley, with a Bureau gauge.
The Great Forester in the north-east: brown trout and sea-run fish in the river that meets the sea near Bridport, with a Bureau gauge.
Tasmania’s Swan River at The Grange near Swansea: brown trout in the east coast river above Moulting Lagoon, with a Bureau gauge.
The Montagu River at Stuarts Road in the far north-west: brown trout and whitebait water near Smithton, with a Bureau gauge.
The Ouse River at Ashton in the Central Highlands: wild browns below the plateau, with a Bureau gauge.
The Nive River at Gowan Brae below Pine Tier: brown trout in the highland river of the Derwent scheme, with a Bureau gauge.
The Shannon River at Hermitage below Great Lake: brown trout in the plateau river the fly anglers know, with a Bureau gauge.
The St Pauls River above the South Esk near Avoca: brown trout in the midlands, with a Bureau gauge above the junction.
The upper South Esk at the Upper Esk Road bridge: brown trout above Avoca, on the general season, with a Bureau gauge.
The Jordan River at Mauriceton in the southern midlands: brown trout in a small, dry-country river, with a Bureau gauge.
The Esperance River at Dover in the far south: brown trout in a forest river above the town, with a Bureau gauge at the intake.
The Lake River at Parknook below Woods Lake: brown trout in the midlands river toward the Macquarie, with a Bureau gauge.
The Arm River above the Mersey: brown trout in forest country below the Walls of Jerusalem, with a Bureau gauge.
The Cam River above Somerset near Burnie: brown trout in a north-west coast river, with a Bureau gauge at the intake.
The Ringarooma above Branxholm: brown trout in the upper north-east valley, with a Bureau gauge at the town intake.
Species activity across the covered waters, written for the southern year. Peak of the year: October.
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.
Seasonal surface curve for the dominant water type here, in degrees Celsius (estimated, not a reading).
Read from the agency page named on each row, on the date shown, and calculated for 2026 from the rule as written: a date written as a day of the week is computed, not copied. Species with no published closure are not listed, which is not the same as open.
| Fishery | 2026 | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown trout waters | Open 2026-08-01 to 2027-05-02 | Most waters open from the first Saturday of August to the Sunday nearest 30 April; designated rainbow trout waters run from the Saturday nearest 1 October to the Sunday nearest 31 May. | Inland Fisheries Service Tasmania, season dates and times, read 2026-09-23 |
| Extended-season waters | Open 2026-08-01 to 2027-05-30 | The South Esk from the Storys Creek Road bridge at Avoca to Beams Hollow, the lower Macquarie, Meander and Brumbys Creek and lakes Mackintosh and Rosebery open with most waters on the first Saturday of August and close with the rainbow waters on the Sunday nearest 31 May. | Inland Fisheries Service Tasmania, Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code 2026-27, read 2026-09-24 |
| Designated rainbow trout waters | Open 2026-10-03 to 2027-05-30 | Designated rainbow trout waters open on the Saturday nearest 1 October and close on the Sunday nearest 31 May. | Inland Fisheries Service Tasmania, Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code 2026-27, read 2026-09-24 |
Inland, Tasmania is trout: brown trout in the highland lakes and the rivers, rainbow trout in the stocked waters, with a season that opens in August and a licence sold for one rod or two. The Great Lake, Arthurs Lake, Lake St Clair and the western lakes are the names, and the lowland rivers around Launceston and the Derwent give the river fishing. In the sea, the east coast around St Helens and Swansea fishes for flathead, salmon, squid and bream in the estuaries, the Tamar is a bream and salmon estuary, and Hobart’s Derwent estuary fishes from the city.
The inland angling licence from the Inland Fisheries Service is needed by everyone from 14 up, free for juniors this season and priced by the rod for adults, seniors, pensioners and young adults. In the sea, NRE Tasmania licenses specific fisheries, rock lobster, abalone, scallops, nets and whitebait, and ordinary line fishing needs nothing. Both sets of rules, the Inland Fishing Code and the sea fishing rules, are published each season and linked from our Tasmania licence page.
Tasmanian waters enter this site in the next phase from the official gazetteer, starting with the east coast towns and the highland lakes that the search data shows people ask about. Each will carry the same daily report, the same modelled tide curve on the coast and, where the Inland Fisheries Service or Hydro Tasmania publish a level through Water Data Online, the level of the lake.
Inland, yes, from age 14: the Inland Fisheries Service angling licence, sold for one rod or two, free for juniors this season. In the sea, only for specific fisheries such as rock lobster, abalone, scallops and nets. See our Tasmania licence page.
The inland season opens in August and runs into autumn, with waters that stay open all year; the Inland Fishing Code the service publishes each season has the dates and the exceptions.
None yet: the licence page is live and the waters follow in the next phase from the official gazetteer.