Lakes where they’ve been released are close to residential areas or activity centres, with many featuring fishing platforms, walking tracks and nearby playground and barbecue facilities, giving families and fishing enthusiasts the opportunity to make a day of it.
Of the 35,000 trout, you can find:
- 750 in Shepparton at Victoria Park Lake.
- 300 in Arcadia at the native fish hatchery.
- 150 in Mooroopna at the recreation reserve lake.
- 150 in Tatura at Bartlett Lake.
- 300 in Euroa at Arboretum Dam.
- 200 in Violet Town at Shadforth Reserve island pond.
An ideal catch for beginners, rainbow trout weigh about 200g each, take a variety of widely available, low-cost baits and can also be caught with lures cast and retrieved from the shore.
“There’s no better way to spend time with the kids or grand-kids these holidays than rugging up, rigging up a couple of rods and heading down to a local lake to reel in one of these rainbow trout,” Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Travis Dowling said.
“It’s great fun, keeps kids off screens and gets them into the great outdoors.”
Rainbow trout are some of the 10 million fish the Victorian Fisheries Authority has stocked into the state’s waters across 2024 and ‘25, the third time in four years at least 10 million fish have been released as part of the Victorian Government’s fish stocking program.
“We know parents are always fishing for fun, healthy and free activities for the school holidays,” State Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos said.
“Our nation-leading fish stocking program will ensure Victoria's recreational waterways are brimming with plenty of fish, which will also reel in additional business for local shops and communities.”
More information about bag and size limits, permitted equipment and licensing can be found in the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide, available free from most bait and tackle shops, online at vfa.vic.gov.au/fishingguide or via the free ‘Vic Fishing’ app.
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