Great Lake, on Tasmania’s Central Plateau, was one of Australia’s largest lakes even before the first dam was built in 1916.

A second larger dam was built in 1922, and again in 1967, and in 1982, the dam was raised.

Raising the water levels did not improve fishing however, as many of the original shallow weedbeds were destroyed.

This relatively shallow lake now covers almost 18,000 hectares when full.

It is managed for hydro-electricity generation.

The lake is fed by the Ouse River in the west and from Arthurs Lake in the east.

Augusta Dam stores the headwaters of the Ouse River, and the outflow is transported to Great Lake by Liawenee Canal.

Water from the lake flows down a tunnel beneath the Great Western Tiers, and into Tasmania’s second largest power station at Poatina.

Great Lake became a premium trout fishery shortly after it was first stocked in 1870, and soon produced trophy fish.

Today it produces mixed bags of brown and rainbow trout. The browns are naturally spawned and the rainbows are stocked.

The fish usually run to about 1.5kg, with rainbows making about 10 per cent of the catch.

Most fishing methods are permitted, except at Tods Corner and Canal Bay, which are for lures only.

At first glance the lake appears as a moonscape to newbies, especially when the water level is low, as the shoreline is mostly just a shallow gradient of rocky rubble.

Don’t be put off.

Landbased fishos can do very well. Bait fishing with mudeyes, crickets and worms is productive.

For bait fishing, find a shoreline that the wind is blowing onto.

In calm weather the water is very clear, and sight-fishing works well.

Blind-casting lures along a choppy, stirred up shoreline can also produce good fish.

In summer there are insect hatches and beetle falls, usually best from December to February, with associated good dry fly fishing.

Try fishing the lee of points, with Tods Corner being a prime area.

For boaters, trolling deep diving lures, or using downriggers or leadcore lines to get lures down, works well.

Get lures down deep enough to swim just above weedbeds.

Trolling is particularly good in the south-western area, including Swan Bay.

Windlane fishing is a prime sport for boaters.

Midge pupae hit the surface when the wind drops in the evenings and this continues into the night and morning.

There can be constant visible surface activity.

Land insects are mixed up with the midges and this means the fish often take large flies and not just tiny midge patterns.

Wind lanes are where the midge rafts and land insects gather, and the fish follow the most dense food sources. As well as wind lanes, try fishing foam lines.

Sometimes there are rafts of midges on the water and large groups of fish feeding.

Gum beetle falls happen during the warm days in summer and can bring on good fishing in hot weather.

Around wind lanes, the fish can often be sight-cast, just look for any sign of activity.

In windy weather fish are often visible in waves.

Northerly winds create waves that travel south, which makes it easy to see fish in the back of the waves when the sun is behind the angler.

When beetles and midges aren’t out in the lake, fish the shorelines.

Shorelines that have silt or weed bottoms, and with the wind blowing onto them, are ideal.

Four native fish species are present in the lake, including Great Lake paragalaxias and Shannon paragalaxias, both being threatened species.

The others, being spotted and clombing galaxias, are widespread in Tasmania.

The lake has five species of shrimp, and native Charophyte weedbeds.

The lake falls to low levels after periods of poor rainfall.

A low level boat ramp allows boating in these conditions.

Current lake water levels are available at https://www.hydro.com.au/water/lake-levels

The lake is considered a unique aquatic environment that requires special protection.

Anglers should bring portable toilets or walk 100m or more from the waterline, and dig at least a 15cm hole to bury toilet waste.

No fires are permitted on the foreshore of Great Lake.

Formal camping and caravanning is at Miena.

Other campsites are at nearby Jonah Bay and Pump House Bay at Arthurs Lake, and at Penstock and Little Pine Lagoons.

There are launch sites at Swan Bay, Cramps Bay, Brandum Bay, Tods Corner and Haddens Bay.

These ramps are serviceable between full and 17m below full.

A gravel low level launching area is at Boundary Bay on the western shore, south of Liawenee.

There is a silted bay at the north end of Renolds Neck which can fish well when waves are hitting the shore.

Canal Bay has some shallow weed and is a good spot to fish.

Great Lake experiences extreme weather and can become rough without warning.

At low water it is shallow and has many submerged navigation hazards.

Great Lake fishing spots summary

The northern part of the lake is open and gets rough in westerlies. Northerlies are best for fly fishing here, although trolling is the most popular method in the open water.

Smaller bays in the northern end such as Little Lake Bay, Cramps Bay and Canal Bay are ideal for wading. Flycasters can sight-fish stick caddis feeders – try using a generic dry fly and if that doesn’t work use a stick caddis imitation.

In rough weather try the rocky shores where the wind is blowing in and use sufficiently heavy lures that can be cast into the wind.

The southern send of the lake has a more varied shore and is also near the Great Lake Hotel. The south produces fewer fish than the north but they are often bigger, possibly because there is more weed in the southern section.

The west section from One Tree Point to the Beehives has good access if you have a 4WD. Try the Kangaroo Islands, Beehives, Tods Corner, Swan Bay and McClanaghans Island.

Tods Corner receives water from Arthurs Lake and this seems to supercharge the fishing, as there is more weed here than other bays. The boat ramp also makes it popular.

The two Kangaroo Islands in the middle of the lake have adjacent weedbeds, with good windlanes during strong northerlies. Look for foam lines that come off the islands. Bigger fish are caught here, including many rainbows.

The Beehives is a peninsula that sticks out towards McClanaghans Island. In a northerly there is usually a windlane that fishes well. Lure fishing from shore works. A 4WD track from the highway north of the hotel goes to the point. A drop-off extends down to 6m deep and produces plenty of rainbows.

Swan Bay near Miena has extensive weedbeds. Expect midge hatches in the morning and evening here during calm spells.

McClanaghans Island has rocky patches that fish well. Try the east side between the island and point, where shrimps congregate and produce some fat fish.

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
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