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Record fish stocking promises bumper Murray cod season in North East Victoria

By Contributed

Jan 27, 2025

There’s never been a better time to go fishing in north east Victoria. Photo by Simon Ruppert

Victorian fishers are in for a bumper season, with more chances to reel in a Murray cod, thanks to 10 years of record fish stocking by the Victorian Government.

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Since 2014, more than 66 million fish have been released across Victoria including golden perch, Australian bass, estuary perch, trout, salmon and dusky flathead – that is more stocking than all other Australian states and territories combined, with another 10 million fish to be stocked by mid-2025.

State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said waterways including Lake Nillahcootie, near Benalla, had been stocked with native fish in recent years.

“There are 10 million reasons Victorian families should get out and drop a line this year – with dozens of lakes and rivers stocked across the northern Vic region,” she said.

Since 2014, more than 22 million Murray cod have been stocked into Victorian waters at more than 60 locations across the state.

Several Victorian lakes are open year-round, so fishers can wet a line and reel in a Murray cod, including Lake Eppalock, Rocklands Reservoir and Lake Eildon.

Since 2014, Lake Eppalock alone has scored 2.3 million cod, with locals and visitors now catching increasing numbers of fish – which are likely upward of three to four years old.

Near the Grampians, Rocklands Reservoir has been stocked with millions of Murray cod since 2017, some of which are now being caught by freshwater anglers.

Several other waterways are flourishing thanks to record stocking and delivering benefits for nearby communities like Melton Reservoir, Cairn Curran, Taylors Lake near Horsham, Eildon and Lake Nillahcootie.

To find out more about some of the state’s top fishing locations, head to vfa.vic.gov.au/fishingdestinations/