Penstock Lagoon is a special highland fishery that has stable water levels which allow aquatic life to flourish.

Penstock was built in 1916 as a water storage for the since closed Waddamana power station.

Today the storage is managed as a fishery.

Water levels are usually highest in spring but do not change much through the year.

Penstock has varied habitat, from marshes to rocky shorelines.

Most of the waterway is shallow, around a metre deep, with some timber and rocks.

Fishing is by fly only.

There are no reliable spawning rivers feeding the lagoon so there is little natural recruitment of trout.

This fishery relies on regular stocking, and both brown and rainbow trout are released.

There is a bag limit of two fish and the open season is usually from around August to May.

Penstock is one of the most consistent mayfly waters in the highlands.

Large hatches occur, with duns appearing from November to March. Overcast days are best, and hatches usually peak from about 11am to early afternoon.

Spinners occur at Penstock, with fish feeding on them along the edges of marsh and sometimes well into the lagoon. Calm afternoons are best for spinners.

The small caenid mayfly hatches early, from before dawn to sun-up, from about November to February.

Penstock has plenty of terrestrial insects like gum beetles and jassids that interest trout at times, usually in summer.

The western shore’s marsh sees brown trout in the shallows early, with an evening session also possible.

Springs sees fish chasing frogs in the marsh, with tadpole and nymphs bringing the fish on to December.

Blind casting the rocky shores works when trout are chasing baitfish.

Drifting the lagoon with wet flies also works, but it is the prospect of enjoying the visual styles of fishing that many Penstock anglers enjoy.

The lagoon has a healthy native fish population, with climbing galaxias, spotted galaxias, Great Lake paragalaxias and Shannon paragalaxias present.

Eels are also in the lagoon.

There are two designated camping areas and a boat ramp on the western shore. The maximum period for camping is 14 days.

As the lagoon has an average depth of only a metre a designated 50m wide corridor for petrol-powered boats has been created.

This corridor runs from boating channel at the ramp end of the lagoon to Crisps Point on the east side, down the centre of the lagoon towards Lily Pond at the southern end.

Boats traversing the lagoon must be in the corridor, which is marked by white buoys in the lagoon.

Boating outside of the corridor should be by electric outboard or rowing.

A 5 knot speed limit applies throughout.

Penstock Lagoon’s numbers 1 and 2 canals above two white posts on opposite banks of those canals are closed to fishing.

Fishing from a boat within 100m of a shore angler is prohibited unless the boat is moored.

Freezing conditions can occur quickly, carrying suitable warm weather gear is a must.

Penstock is a unique fishery that is well worth a visit if you are fly fishing tragic.

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Queensland’s Mary River marks the barramundi’s southern limit on the East Coast, with regular catches in the river and occasional fish from the labyrinth of channels, flats and tidal creeks that make up the Great Sandy Strait into which the river flows.

The 290km river begins at Booroobin in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It flows through the towns of Kenilworth, Gympie, Tiaro and Maryborough before emptying into the sea at River Head on the Great Sandy Strait, between the mainland and Fraser Island, 17km south of Hervey Bay township.

The river has 19 tributaries, including Tinana Creek, Munna Creek, Obi Obi Creek, Yabba Creek, Wide Bay Creek, Six Mile Creek, Deep Creek, and Susan River.

There are two impoundments on the river, being Gympie weir and the Mungar barrage, with several dams on tributaries, being Borumba Dam on Yabba Creek, Baroon Pocket Dam on Obi Obi Creek, Six Mile Creek Dam on Six Mile Creek, Cedar Pocket Dam on Deep Creek, weirs Talegalla and Teddington and a barrage on Tinana Creek.

Tidal fishing access for boaters is generally done from Beaver Rocks ramp 11km from the mouth, or River Head at the mouth, which is 35km downstream from Maryborough township.

Barramundi prefer the turbid water of the tidal river rather than the clearer waters of the adjoining Great Sandy Strait, but don’t expect the numbers of barramundi you may find in rivers further north.

There is however a real chance of catching a trophy saltwater barramundi or threadfin salmon in the Mary River.

Though barramundi are present, the main saltwater catch is whiting (summer, tin can and diver species), flathead, southern and pikey bream, tailor, blue and threadfin salmon, mangrove jacks , northern and southern jewfish, perch (which look like a small jewfish), cod, mud and blue swimmer crabs, and prawns.

There are many drying banks in the upper river and fishermen who explore on a falling tide may become landlocked in creeks or stuck on a sandbank, so explore first on a rising tide.

The river between Beaver Rocks and River Head consists of flats and channels that provide plenty of fishing opportunity.

Beaver Rocks, near the ramp at Beaver Rocks Road, is a popular area about 11km upstream of River Head, near the rivers Crab Islands. The rocks are at approx 25 29.718S 152 51.063E. There is a boat ramp 2km downstream from Beaver Rocks.

Beaver Rocks has deep water that fishes well, along with nearby flats around the Crab Islands.

A strong current flows through the channels, especially on the runout tide. Fish the turn or rising tide for best results.

flathead are found at the mouths of small creeks and gutters, as well as over tidal flats, especially near channels.

Whiting and flathead move over the flats on incoming tides.

Jewfish, bream and cod are found in the deep holes, and tailor chase bait in the deeper areas of the estuary.

On big tides, try fishing for barramundi with lures or livebait at the mouths of the larger draining mud gutters.

Barramundi should be targeted in warm weather. Being large fish with a distinctive shape, barramundi can be located with diligent use of a good sonar unit.

Prawns are best from around January.

Further upstream, a rocky area to watch for is Leslie Rocks at approx 25 30.596S 152 45.928E. More foul ground exists upstream towards Dundathu at approx 25 28.814S 152 44.677E. Look for warning and channel markers.

Mary River freshwater fishing

Good freshwater fishing can be had on the Mary River freshwater right up to around Gympie.

Bass are stocked in the freshwater section of the Mary River, and sooty grunter and saratoga are also caught. Mary River cod are present.

Associated impoundments Lake Borumba and Baroon Pocket dams produce loads of bass. Borumba has bass, Mary River cod and saratoga.

Access points to the Mary River around Gympie include the kayak run from Kidd Bridge to Widgee Crossing. Normanby Bridge to Kidd Bridge or Fisherman’s Pocket is arguably best for fishing.

Also try the river near Six Mile Creek.

Freshwater barramundi can be caught at Lake Lenthall, on the headwaters of the Burrum River just to the north.

Note that the Mary River has saltwater crocodiles throughout.

Also note that Australia’s Northern Territory also has a Mary River, a famous barramundi fishing area.

Outside the Mary River mouth, the Great Sandy Strait includes a vast labyrinth of drying areas and channels with great fishing for whiting, flathead, bream and more.

The channel should be navigated on a rising tide with plenty of spare fuel. Channels are marked through the strait.

Reef fish are caught around most deep lumps and bumps, with the flats and associated channel edges providing mostly flathead, whiting and bream.

Nearby, the east side of Fraser Island is famous for its annual tailor run, with sharks and jewfish also taken.

Hervey Bay’s long Urangan Pier is a very popular landbased spot that produces big fish.

Occasional bonefish and permit occur in this area, with bonefish sometimes caught in deep water off Fraser island’s Rooney Point, but golden trevally and queenfish are the more likely catch for those chasing sportfish in the shallows.

Slatey bream (blackall), pink snapper, coral trout, cod and sweetlip are caught on local reefs.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for the north.

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Different open seasons apply to trout fishing waters around Tasmania.

Happily, some Tasmanian waters are open to year-round trout fishing, these waters generally have an abundance of trout, or are waters that likely will not be adversely impacted by all-year fishing.

Brown trout waters are usually open from the first Saturday of August to the Sunday nearest April 30.

Rainbow trout waters close later to reflect the species’ different spawning period, with the rainbow season usually from the Saturday nearest October 1 to the Sunday nearest May 31.

Tasmania also has dedicated brook trout waters, such as Clarence Lagoon and Lake Plimsoll. These are usually open during the brown trout season, but have a more restricted bag limit.

Waters open all year are:

*Brushy Lagoon.
*Craigbourne Dam.
*yingina/Great Lake (other than Canal Bay).
*Huon River downstream from the Huonville bridge.
*Lake Barrington.
*Lake Burbury.
*Lake King William.
*Huntsman Lake.
*Meadowbank Lake.
*Lake Pedder.
*Pioneer Lake.
*River Leven downstream from Whisky Creek.
*kanamaluka/River Tamar, downstream from the Lower Charles St Bridge on the North Esk River and West Tamar Road Bridge on the South Esk River.
*River Derwent downstream from the New Norfolk Bridge.

Some Tasmanian trout waters are closed at all times. These are:

*All waters flowing into Lake Crescent excluding that section of the canal connecting lakes Crescent and Sorell below Interlaken Road (C527).
*Dogs Head Creek, Silver Plains Creek and Mountain Creek flowing into Lake Sorell and for a radius of 50 m below where that water flows into Lake Sorell.
*Curries River Reservoir, within a 400 m radius of the dam intake structure.
*Lake Fenton and tributaries.
*Waters flowing into yingina/Great Lake, Lake Leake, Arthurs Lake and Dee Lagoon.
*Waters within a radius of 50m below where that water flows into yingina/Great Lake, Lake Leake, Arthurs Lake and Dee Lagoon.
*Penstock Lagoon Numbers 1 and 2 canals above two white posts on opposite banks of those canals.
*Brushy Rivulet, flowing into Brushy Lagoon.
*Waters flowing into Talbots Lagoon.
*McPartlans Canal between lakes Pedder and Gordon.
*Craigbourne Dam, from the dam wall and associated infrastructure.
*All ponds, raceways and fish culture ponds operated by the IFS, the exception being Plenty River adjacent to the Salmon Ponds which is reserved for anglers with a disability.
*Within 100m of a fish trap maintained by the IFS.

Tasmanian fishing regulations
Tasmanian marine reserves
Tasmanian saltwater fishing seasons
Trout fishing spot access programs
Fisheries assessment reports
Buy a freshwater fishing licence
Tasmanian lake levels (hydro)
Tasmanian river flows (govt)
Tasmanian lake webcams
Tasmanian river flows
Bag and size limits
Private Tasmanian trout fisheries
Return to the Tasmanian Fishing Map

Email updates or corrections to [email protected]