Lake Awoonga is a particularly exciting stocked impoundment, having produced barramundi to 30kg+, and some giant mangrove jacks.

Awoonga offers perhaps the best chance of catching an impoundment jack in Queensland.

An 80cm jack was landed by one lucky angler, although these fish are incredibly elusive and targeted by very few.

A 36.5kg barramundi was taken in 2008. Many barra over 20kg are caught each year.

Awoonga has been stocked with several species of fish, but barramundi, redclaw crayfish and fork-tailed catfish predominate.

By 2006 alone, 2.9 million fish had been released, including 2.4 million barramundi, 470,000 sea mullet and 15,000 mangrove jacks .

By 2013 the numbers were as follows:

About 300,000 fingerlings are released annually by the Gladstone Area Water Board Fish Hatchery, mainly barra, mangrove jacks and mullet.

As with most dams, the redclaw population fluctuates.

Accommodation is at Lake Awoonga Caravan Park.

There is a recreation area at the lake with toilets, picnic tables, barbecues, kiosk, playground, lookout, walking tracks and a restaurant.

No boating restrictions apply at Awoonga, other than a no-go zone in front of dam wall.

How to fish Lake Awoonga

Awoonga is large body of water and can get rough, with the afternoon sea breeze having a marked effect.

The fish in Awoonga are often big, so 15kg to 25kg braided line and 40kg fluorocarbon leaders are the norm.

Lures must have quality split rings and 4X/6X hooks.

Like most Queensland stocked impoundments, the lake will produce occasional barramundi in cool weather, but warm to hot weather is always the better option.

The general rule is to fish deep when the sun is up, but shallow areas may produce when barramundi are seeking warmth in the sun.

Otherwise, concentrate efforts where fish or bait is seen on the sounder.

Cast to timber and weedbeds in mornings and afternoons.

bony bream bait balls in summer often keep barramundi out in the open lake.

Awoonga mangrove jacks are difficult to catch, having excellent eyesight and a wary nature.

The lake occasionally suffers from low water levels. It also overflows, with many barramundi escaping alive over the sloping dam wall into the Boyne River.

In 2010 an estimated 25,000 large barramundi went over the wall, with the fishing in the Boyne River coming alive, although it appears there were too many fish for the local ecosystem to support.

Many sick fish were reported in tidal waters after the mass escape.

Regular stocking and the fast growth rate of barramundi ensured good fishing returned to the dam not long after a spillway flood.

The Gladstone Area Water Board has a Track My Fish Lake Awoonga App that provides data on the number, size and health of fish caught. The board relies on use of the App by fishers, so prizes are offered. More info is here.

A Stocked Impoundment Permit is needed to fish Awoonga, which can be bought at the campsite office.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for freshwater fishing, including within stocked dams.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

QLD dam water levels
Qld stocked dam permits
QLD fishing regulations
Return to QLD fishing map

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

Peter Faust Dam, or Lake Proserpine, is one of Queensland’s best stocked barramundi impoundments.

It is a relatively new structure, with the dam built in 1990 on the Proserpine River, 30km north-west of Proserpine.

The lake covers 4350ha, with an average depth of 12m.

There are barramundi, saratoga, sleepy cod, sooty grunter, spangled perch, eels and redclaw crayfish.

Barramundi over 1m are common, as well as big sooty grunter.

Redclaw numbers fluctuate.

Like many such dams, the barra are somewhat “educated” by angling pressure and can be hard to catch. But not always.

Warm weather is always preferable when fishing this dam, although some fish are caught in cool weather.

Large floods assist barramundi in migrating over the dam wall.

A few fish survive this and move into the Proserpine River, which is also a good barramundi fishing spot.

How to fish Peter Faust Dam

The dam can be subject to strong south-easterly winds, so pick your weather.

Most fishermen target the big barramundi, but redclaw have a strong following, and some of the sooty grunter are brutes.

If the south-east wind blows, fish the submerged trees in the shallows on the western side. The big barra will often be lying against the trees in very shallow water, so move quietly.

In more open water, look for bait balls.

Big fish and timber means heavy tackle is required, with 15kg to 25kg braid the norm. Use 40kg fluorocarbon leader of around 90cm or more in length.

Use strong split rings and trebles hooks of 6x rating.

When fishing the timber try to keep a short casting or trolling line or you will lose fish after hookup.

Many of the lake’s points have weedbeds. Fish these hard, working lures from deep to shallow. Work the lures slowly.

Large hardbodied suspending minnow style lures and soft plastics are proven.

Soft plastics work best with a stinger treble in the tail, but it must be attached in a sturdy manner.

Dog walkers and frogs work better than poppers on the surface.

Night fishing works well, and the surface strikes will provide an adrenalin rush.

There is no camping at the dam, with the nearest accommodation 2km away.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for freshwater fishing, including within stocked dams.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

QLD dam water levels
Qld stocked dam permits
QLD fishing regulations
Return to QLD fishing map

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

Lake Somerset, 25km from Esk, is a 4200ha stocked impoundment on the Stanley River, a Brisbane River tributary.

The dam was built in 1959.

Wivenhoe Dam is a larger impoundment located immediately below Somerset Dam.

There are two other smaller stocked dams in this region, being Atkinson and Cressbrook.

Lake Somerset is one of the most popular freshwater fishing locations in Queensland.

It is home to a major competition each October.

While the impoundment is large in area it has an average depth of only 9m.

Bass, yellowbelly, silver perch, Mary River cod, saratoga and snub-nosed gar have been stocked.

Bass and yellowbelly are the main catch.

Other fish are eel-tailed and fork-tailed catfish, bony bream, spangled perch, banded grunter, lungfish, tilapia and redclaw crayfish.

Somerset is known for its large bass, which probably grow fat from the prolific bony bream baitfish in the dam.

Tips to catch them are described below.

Camping is at Lake Somerset Holiday Park (www.lakesomerset.com.au) and Somerset Park Council Campgrounds (07) 5426 0108 or (07) 5424 4000.

A camping permit is required at both areas, available from the kiosk or ranger station next to the wall lookout.

A permit is required for trailer boats, phone (07) 5427 8100 for details.

There is a six-lane ramp at Kirkleagh and a gravel ramp used during low water, and a ramp at The Spit near the dam wall.

Ramp access is daylight only unless you are at Lake Somerset Holiday Park – phone ahead on (07) 5497 1093 to get a gate pin number before it opens at 7am.

Lake Somerset flows into Lake Wivenhoe, 150km above the mouth of Brisbane River.

How to fish Lake Somerset

Many fishermen target the lake’s trophy bass.

In the peak spring bite, to catch multiple fish over 50cm is not unusual.

Spring and summer usually produces the best fishing, but fish can be caught all year close to structure.

In winter and spring, use sonar to find congregations of fish over open flats.

In autumn and winter the Kirkleigh area often holds schools of bass – try the flats off the north side of the campground before the timber, near the former Stanley River channel.

Just like with saltwater tuna fishing, feeding bass sometimes attract birds as bony bream are pushed to the surface.

There are not many large weedbeds in Somerset Dam, with the best bass fishing usually over flats where the schools are located.

Finding the schools does not guarantee success as they do not always bite.

Bite windows vary in length, sometimes being just a few minutes.

During a cold winter the fish will look for warm water, usually in the shallows.

The flats above Kirkleigh, Pelican Point and Queen Street are popular spots, with fish most often found in depths of 6m to 9m.

Fishos must get baits or lures down to the fish. Half-ounce to 5/8 ounce jig heads rigged on light leaders with soft plastics, blades or tailspinners are proven.

When the fish are schooling in reasonably shallow water, small deep-diving lures can be trolled successfully.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for freshwater fishing, including within stocked dams.

Book your fishing stay early at Booking.com

QLD dam water levels
Qld stocked dam permits
QLD fishing regulations
Return to QLD fishing map

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.