Fishing - Thousands of brown trout released into Tasmania waters

The Inland Fisheries Service staff have stocked thousands of Brown Trout into waters during May, which will continue up until the start of the 2026-27 season.

Penstock Lagoon (1200), Brushy Lagoon (530), Lake Leake (720), Four Springs Lake (2500), and Curries River Reservoir (2560) have all received brown trout of good size, weighing around 0.800 kg.

A lot more will be released over the coming weeks and month/s with most of the brown trout taken from spawning traps at Liawenee Canal and Sandbanks Creek on the Great Lake.

Trout fishing reports have been limited since the closing weekend.

Still, the open waters of Great Lake, Craigbourne Lake, Meadowbank Lake, the open boundary of the Derwent and Huon Rivers, Lake Pedder, Brushy Lagoon and Brady's Chain are worth targeting.

When trout fishing in Winter, try to fish during the warmest times of the day, as opposed to summer, when similar times are normally too hot.

There are a lot of tagged trout worth cash still swimming in open waters, and remember, the first caught from the Great Lake is worth a whopping $25,000.

Designated Rainbow Trout fishing waters close this Sunday, May 31st, along with extended season waters of Lake Mackintosh, Lake Rosebery and the lower sections of Brumby's Creek, Macquarie River, Meander River and the South Esk River.      
Encouraging news surfaced from the Inland Fisheries Service during the week regarding Tasmania's and Australia's most endangered fish, the Pedder galaxia.

IFS staff led research and management actions that saved the Pedder galaxias from extinction after its populations declined drastically when Lake Pedder was flooded in 1972.

This species of galaxia was native to the original Lake Pedder and is one of the most endangered freshwater fish in Australia.

Listed as ‘extinct in the wild’ under Australian Government legislation, a small refuge population of Pedder galaxia lives in South-West Tasmania in Lake Oberon and the Strathgordon water supply dam.

This population of Pedder galaxia was established by stocking small numbers into both waters back in the 1990s and early 2000s.
In late April 2026, IFS and Parks and Wildlife staff flew a helicopter into Lake Oberon to check on the galaxia population and also catch and move some from the lake to the Strathgordon dam.

The survey results show that the Pedder galaxias populations are healthy in Lake Oberon, and that moving 100 fish from there into the Strathgordon dam will maintain the population there and sustain genetic structures similar to those of the larger population in Lake Oberon.
Saltwater anglers have been landing some good catches of Southern Bluefin Tuna recreationally and competitively.

SBT up to and over 100kg have been landed, with lots of school fish from 10 kg to 50 kg also caught.

Fish have been taking trolled skirted lures, hardbodies, and surface lures in natural baitfish colours like blue, brown, silver, and green, getting strikes.

Staying mobile has been the key to finding the bait and schools of feeding tuna. Some good-sized Snapper are still available, too, with a friend landing some solid fish last week off the South Coast.

The catch also included Striped Trumpeter, Jackass Morwong, Blue Spotted Goatfish and Redfish.

Anglers targeting Flounder at night are also doing ok fishing during the first few hours of an incoming tide.

Tip Of The Week- Fishing reports will resume at the start of July 2026.
Send in your fishing reports, pics and tips to valleyfishes@gmail.com
Tight Lines until July.