Tinaroo Falls Dam, Queensland

Tinaroo put barramundi impoundment fishing on the map, with huge fish caught in the late 1990s, long before other impoundments came on stream.

Sooty grunter have reached 5kg+ and barramundi 30kg+.

The lake formed when a dam wall was built on the Barron River in 1958.

The waterbody extends about 15km up from the dam, with an average depth of 13m and an area of 3360ha.

Species caught include barramundi, mangrove jacks , mouth almighty, saratoga, archerfish, bony bream, eel-tailed catfish, sleepy cod, silver perch, gar, sooty grunter, tilapia and redclaw crayfish.

Stocking regimes in the lake were changed when big barra appeared to be eating the newly stocked small barra.

In 2010, about 3000 large barramundi fingerlings were stocked, to minimise predation.

A permit is required to fish Lake Tinaroo.

Tinaroo has van parks, camping, barbecues, a restaurant and is a good family fishing venue.

How to fish Tinaroo

To catch Tinaroo’s big barra you should fish early or late when baitfish are moving around.

The lake is in a relatively cool area and the best barramundi fishing is usually between the first and last moon quarter in warm weather, normally between November and March.

If you have a choice, choose warm to hot weather for your trip.

Sunrise and sunset is when baitfish are active. The barra turn on and off quickly. The bite window is short, sometimes only 30 minutes, so don’t be late.

Otherwise, look for structure such as shallow weed, inflowing creeks and timber to cast and troll.

Be prepared with tackle for big fish, which means 15kg to 25kg braid and 40kg fluorocarbon leaders.

Sooties can be caught all day, but morning and evening is best.

Use small lures for sooties. Fish near timber and expect to lose lures when these powerful fish dive for cover.

Redclaw vary in numbers.

Visit the following site to sign up for the local Tinaroo Barra Bash competition Here is a list of recommended tackle for freshwater fishing, including within stocked dams.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com


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