The Huon is Tasmania’s fifth longest river, at 174km, flowing from Lake Pedder and emptying into the D’Entrecasteaux Channel south of Hobart.

The Huon produced Tasmania’s biggest single trout, caught quite close to the town of Huonville.

Despite the river’s impressive size, ready access to the lower reach, and good stocks of bream, the tidal waters see very little fishing pressure.

Upstream, much of the river is difficult to fish, with the pools and rapids running through thick forest and private property.

The Huon often flows high and fast, the water running past banks lined with logs, which makes access difficult.

The river has mainly brown trout, and the bigger trout tend to hide under submerged timber during daylight hours.

Aside from occasional hatchery escapes of rainbow trout and brook trout – and Atlantic salmon from pens outside the river mouth – the river is stocked by natural recruitment of browns.

There are hatcheries on the tributaries Little Denison River and Russell River.

For the most part the upper river is a brown trout and Atlantic salmon fishery.

Occasional wild rainbows are caught that have presumably migrated from the Weld River tributary, a self-recruiting rainbow fishery.

The tidally influenced freshwater section below Huonville’s town bridge is wide and slow moving, and the most easily accessible area.

The tidal section produces mainly black bream, along with juvenile Australian salmon, sand flathead, barracouta, cod, mullet and congoli (sandies).

Tailor have also shown up at times.

From Huonville downstream to Franklin there are deep sections mixed with broad areas of shallow gravel bottom, with some snags and drying flats that present a navigation hazard at low water.

The largest mudflats are around the Egg Islands, which begin near Franklin, extending downstream.

The tidal reach up to Ranelagh has large resident and sea-run brown trout, as well Atlantic salmon.

Bream are found well above the Huonville bridge in summer during low rainfall periods.

There is good access to the river’s banks at Huonville, Franklin and Port Huon and in places between these townships, with the road following the river most of the way.

There is also good road access along the bank near Cradoc.

A notable easy spot is the small creek that flows into the river next to Franklin Marine, where there are walking platforms. On a good day this spot will produce bream and occasional trout.

Earthworms are as good as any bait for Huon bream and congoli, and a fillet of a congoli (sandy) will catch the bigger bream.

Live congoli baits are used at night to target large wily trout.

The lower Huon can be fished for its sea-run and resident whitebait feeders, caught from late winter into spring. Some of these are large fish.

The whitebait run comprises a mass migration of juvenile galaxia, Tasmanian smelt and Tasmanian whitebait, along with migrations of juvenile eels and lamprey.

The baitfish migration is usually strongest from early September until the end of November, and the bait moves mostly when the river is not flowing hard from rain.

Whitebait schools congregate in eddies as the fish move upstream and the trout often hit them at pockets along the bank and in slack water behind logs.

Try fishing above and around the Egg Islands on the last incoming tide around sunrise or sunset.

Fish can be targeted with livebait, lure or fly from shore or boat, but a boat makes it easier to find feeding fish.

Bubbles on the surface give away where a trout has recently slashed at bait.

Showers of bait also indicate feeding trout.

The area immediately around Huonville bridge is a prime spot for sea runners but its popularity is not what it used to be, with fishermen historically lined up on the bridge at night in years past.

The freshwater section between Huonville and Judbury runs through a mix of private pasture, orchards and timbered land with sections of reasonably deep water intersected by riffles and rapids.

There are some signposted public access points.

The Huon River usually runs too high to wade, only flowing low enough for wading for short periods during summer.

When it does drop enough to expose the gravel and stone riverbed, access along the riverbank becomes much easier.

The tannin stain of the water also reduces in summer when the river is running low.

The Huon’s abundance of submerged timber means big fish can easily stay hidden during the day, and are usually only caught by using livebait at night.

Soft plastic lures sunk among logs in daylight will get big fish but expect to work hard for fish, and to be snagged often.

The upper section of the Huon between Judbury and Tahune runs through dense forest and is mostly inaccessible.

A 4WD vehicle or offroad motorcycle can be used on some riverside tracks, otherwise the river crossings provide the only easy access, unless you fish from a kayak or inflatable.

Fishos who have someone to drop them off and pick them up downstream can launch a yak or inflatable from Southwood crossing and drift down the river. Substantial paddling is required in the slow sections, especially if wind is blowing up the river.

This trip is not technically too difficult or dangerous if the river is low and not running hard, with the main rapids being in the section below Southwood, and again further downstream towards Judbury.

It it is safer to do such trips in pairs.

Above the Picton River tributary the Huon runs through thick forest, with the only access being the Huon walking track which goes into the Southwest National Park above Manuka Creek.

The Huon contains freshwater blackfish, which were translocated from the state’s northern waters. These were reportedly once common but don’t seem to be abundant now.

Redfin are abundant in Lake Gordon and probably exist in the associated Lake Pedder, however redfin have not been formally recorded in the Huon.

Unlike the Derwent estuary, the Huon estuary is considered largely free of pollution that might make fish unsafe to eat.

There is legacy pollution in sawmill-related timber waste sediment around Hospital Bay at Port Huon, and it may be best to avoid eating bream from this area, but as far as this writer is aware there have been no official warnings about eating Huon fish.

There are boat ramps at Huonville, Franklin, Port Huon and near Cradoc.

Tidal movement averages up to a metre or so.

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)
Bag and size limits
Huon River regulations
Private Tasmanian trout fisheries
Return to the Tasmanian Fishing Map

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.