KEY TO MAPS 1 & 2
1. The Junction
2. Rices Bridge
3. The Narrows/Barmah Choke
4. Barmah Lakes
5. The Willows (under the bridge), Barmah
6. The Gulf, Barmah National Park
7. Kennedy’s Weir
8. James Bridge
9. Bourke’s Weir
10. Chinaman’s Weir
11. Nathalia’s Town Weir
12. Broken Creek near Nathalia Golf Course
13. Walsh’s Bridge
14. Stockyard Bridge
15. Numurkah Town Lake
16. Katandra Weir Invergordon
(Junction of Broken Creek and Nine Mile Creek)
17. Ulupna Island
18. Weiss Beach, Koonoomoo
19. Horseshoe Bend, Cobram Regional Park
20. Kennedy Park/Thompsons Beach
21. Thong Tree, near Backhouse Beach
22. Dip Bridge
23. Hester Rd Site 3
24. Hester Rd Site 4
25. Hester Rd Site 5
26. Duffy Bend (Bourkes Bend Track)
27. Cobrawonga (Dead River Track)
28. Forges Bend
29. Bruces Bend
30. Tungamah Weir Pool
31. The Grove, Yarrawonga
32. Yarrawonga Regional Park
33. Lake Mulwala, Fenwick Place via Buchanans Road
34. Lake Mulwala, Hogans Road
35. Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga Yacht Club
36. Lake Mulwala, Woods Road
37. Lake Mulwala, Apex Park
38. Lake Mulwala, J. W. Purtle Reserve
39. Lake Mulwala Regional Boat Ramp
40. Lake Mulwala, Kyffin Reserve
41. Lake Mulwala, Spring Drive 1
42. Lake Mulwala, Spring Drive 2
43. Lake Mulwala, Majors Lane
44. Bundalong Pasley St
45. Bundalong Pyke St
46. Little Naughtons
47. Camerons Bend
48. Ovens River, Riverside Caravan Park
49. McLaughlins Bend
50. Frost’s Crossing (multiple sites)
51. Williams Bridge
52. Parolas Track Multi Sites

The maps show areas that can readily be fished along the Murray River from Barmah up to Mulwala.

Lake Mulwala is without doubt the jewel of this area for fishermen, with murray cod the most sought species in what is basically a shallow basin full of snags, with the former river channel winding through much of it.

The Murray fishes best in warm weather, and trolling the channel edges and trolling and casting lures around submerged timber is the most popular fishing method.

A lure desnagging tool is a must.

Bait fishing with shrimp or earthworms is also effective.

While Mulwala is the mecca for fishos, there are many pleasant places to fish along the river in this region, with cod, yellowbelly and redfin usually about.

Vehicle access is excellent except from Tocumwal to Barmah.

There are many boat ramps of varying quality.

Bankside fishing is relaxing and can produce fish, but the best results are by boat or canoe, with trolling lures over snags and drop-offs a proven method to cover ground and find fish.

The best fishing is when the river has stabilised after a recent heavy flow.

The main species caught are murray cod, yellowbelly, redfin and carp, along with yabbies and murray spiny crayfish.

Silver perch, trout cod, macquarie perch, blackfish and freshwater catfish are caught but may not be taken.

New South Wales regulations apply on the Murray River, and you must have a NSW fishing licence, even when fishing from a Victorian bank.

A Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence is only valid on Lake Hume. Victoria manages angling in Lake Hume while New South Wales manages Lake Mulwala.

The aquatic community in the Murray downstream of Lake Hume is an endangered fishery and all native fish and aquatic invertebrates have endangered status.

However, fishing is allowed for silver perch (within Lake Mulwala only), murray cod, yellowbelly, yabbies, murray spiny crayfish, two species of freshwater shrimps and freshwater prawns.

Existing fishing regulations apply to these species. It is illegal to possess other native species.

Check NSW Fisheries regulations for the latest info before fishing.

Fishing Murray River headwaters

The Murray River begins as springs 40km south of Mt Kosciusko high in mountains, then flows 300km to Lake Hume, mostly through farmland and open country.

Flow downstream of Albury is regulated by water from Lake Hume.

Downstream of Hume the river flows through Kiewa Basin hill country then onward through flat country to South Australia.

There are many weirs along the river, with many dams on catchment streams.

Fishing is greatly affected by flow and changes in water level.

Fishing upstream of Lake Hume

The upper reaches flow through forest then through open country and farmland downstream of Towong.

There is camping and good fishing in this section.

The river is only 50m or so wide with pools of 2m to 5m deep.

This section has brown and rainbow trout.

Murray cod can be caught upstream as far as Towong but are more common upstream to Walwa.

Fishing for cod is best in spring and early summer.

Redfin are common up to Walwa and provide good sport and food despite their feral status.

Tench are another feral fish caught in this area and other parts of the Murray, they are usually taken in backwater areas where there is little current. They are feral but are a strong fighter.

The Murray River upstream from Tintaldra is mainly a trout fishery.

Fishing downstream of Lake Hume to Yarrawonga

No fishing is allowed for a distance of 130m from the Hume dam wall.

This section of river has cold water and few snags, with good fishing at times for big brown trout.

Other fish caught are murray cod, trout cod, yellowbelly, silver perch and carp.

The river further downstream flows about 50m wide, with banks to 5m high and red gums growing along both banks.

A section of river from Howlong to Lake Mulwala has been improved for fish – it has been resnagged, fish passages have been improved, banks and bankside vegetation have been improved, with more shade to lower water temperatures, feral fish have been controlled, and more.

Fishing from Yarrawonga downstream to Barmah

The river from Yarrawonga Weir down to Newell highway bridge at Tocumwal is closed to fishing from September 1 to November 30.

The section of river downstream from Cobram has murray cod, redfin, spiny crayfish, yellowbelly, silver perch, trout cod and catfish.

A popular spot is the Black Hole just downstream from Yarrawonga, where many yellowbelly are caught.

A fish lift has been installed on the weir to help fish move upstream.

This section is great for camping and boating, with sandy beaches. There are several boat ramps.

There are also many snags, and the water is quite deep, to 4m.

Towards Torrumbarry the water averages 3m deep, with deeper pools to 8m.

The river reaches 100m or so wide and the banks are around 5m high.

There are many snags in the river downstream from Yarrawonga.

There are also sandy beaches in places. Red gums line the banks.

Timber snags were placed in 30km of the river from Yarrawonga to Barmah to provide better habitat for fish such as murray cod.

An increase in the number of rare trout cod has been noted in this section.

Fishing from Barmah to Echuca – Goulburn Basin

Carp and redfin are common here.

There are also murray cod, silver perch, yellowbelly and spiny crayfish.

This is a busy part of the river but there are many fishable gutters, pools and snags.

Fishing is good where the Goulburn and Campaspe Rivers enter the Murray River.

For information about the South Australian section of the Murray River please see this page.

Murray River water levels
NSW stocked waters
Sydney dam levels
NSW dam levels
NSW fishing regulations

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.