Burrinjuck Dam is just less than a two-hour drive from Canberra and four hours from Sydney, on the Murrumbidgee River.
Burrinjuck is best known as a murray cod fishery, with trophy fish taken, but it also has golden and silver perch, brown and rainbow trout, carp, redfin and yabbies.
The dam level goes up and down quite quickly.
Burrinjuck water is used for crops and pastures in the the 660,000ha of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area around Griffith and Leeton.
The dam also supplies domestic water, environmental flows and hydroelectricity power.
A rising level may see fish such as trout feeding along the edges.
Burrinjuck is known for its winter cod fishing.
Cod chase redfin, trout and carp in the shallows in the cold months and that’s when to target big cod with lures.
Try casting soft plastics to 200mm or hard lures.
Ideal spots at this time are shallow flats.
At other times rocky points and the edges of former river and creek channels are worth fishing.
Moor your boat and cast towards the bank, or troll the 4m to 8m range.
June, July and August are the best months for this technique, but many cod are caught at other times.
Murray cod peak fishing time is usually April to August.
Golden perch (yellowbelly) are stocked in the dam and there are some big fish.
They are caught all year, with the best fishing from September to December.
To catch golden perch, cast small soft plastics and hard lures around trees, newly flooded banks and rocky areas.
Many fishos use bait such as yabbies and grubs, and fishing from the bank at night can work well.
Troll lures to 150mm along rock banks and submerged timber.
if you are not chasing cod, it is best to err on the side of using the smallest lures, as golden perch, trout and redfin will take these, as will small cod.
The dam is also stocked with silver perch.
If you wish to target silvers use the smallest lures or flies on fine tackle.
Silvers take baits including worms, mudeyes, shrimp, yabbies and domestic baits such as bread, much the same as carp will do.
Burrinjuck is stocked with rainbow and brown trout.
Trout fish best in cool weather.
Use small lures or flies or baits such as worms or mudeyes on a tiny sinker or float rig.
Redfin are often about in numbers and have no bag limit.
They respond to small lures and the same baits as trout.
Redfin are legally pests but they are good to eat, and an attractive fish that fight well.
Hoop or lift nets and shrimp traps are permitted in the dam but not yabby traps.
Nets and traps used must be within NSW specifications.
One of the drawcards of the dam are the available accommodation and the plentiful local wildlife.
Here is a list of recommended tackle for freshwater fishing, including within stocked dams.
NSW dam levels
NSW stocking histories
Sydney dam levels
NSW fishing regulations
Blowering Dam NSW Govt website
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