Fact Sheet for Bronte Lagoon

Introduction:

The Bronte system consists of four main lakes, Bronte Lagoon, Bradys Lake, Lake Binney and Tungatinah Lagoon. These four lakes where created between 1952-56 as water storages to run the near-by Tungatinah power station on the Nive River. The system is dominated by naturally spawned brown trout although reasonable numbers of rainbow trout exist in both Bronte Lagoon and Bradys Lake. In recent time Atlantic salmon and brook trout have been stocked into the system.

Fishing Information:

The Bronte system offers the angler a range of fishing experiences. Bronte Lagoon is the feature water in this area but it should not be fished to the exclusion of other waters in this system. Bronte Lagoon is a shallow water fringed with significant areas of tussocks and grassland. The lagoon offers good early season fly fishing to tailing trout especially along the southern shore from Fly Corner to Woodwards Bay. During the summer, the lagoon offers good dry fly fishing with hatches of mayfly dun, although black spinners and gum beetles falls that occur along the Western shore provide very exciting fishing. Trolling and spin fishing is very popular and unlike Arthurs and Great lakes, deep diving lures are not required. All waters in the system provide good opportunities to polaroid fish, with beetle falls during summer a particular highlight. The Western shore of Bradys Lake is well suited to this method. Baitfishing is an effective method at Lake Binney and Tungatinah Lagoon although all angling methods produce fish.

Fisheries Management Information:

Bronte Lagoon itself has a large self-sustaining population of brown trout and a smaller population of rainbow trout that is supplemented by stocking. Brook trout have also been stocked at Bronte Lagoon since 2002 but this water has always had the occasional brook trout captured from it that has made its way from Clarence Lagoon. Bradys, Binney and Tungatinah have populations of brown and, in much lower numbers, rainbow trout but the level of natural recruitment is significantly lower than that at Bronte Lagoon due to the presence of redfin perch at these waters. As a result the stocking of adult brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout both in varying sizes and ex-brood stock Atlantic salmon sustain these fisheries. There is no monitoring of spawning runs at any of the waters in this system due to logistical difficulties. The fishery is monitored primarily through the Angler Postal Survey and creel survey data collected by IFS compliance staff. From the early nineties the lakes of the Bronte system (particularly Bradys, Binney and Tungatinah) showed a declining catch rate of all species and consequently angler visitation decreased at these waters. Since 2003 a stocking program recommenced at these waters to re-establish stocks and as a result catches have improved and angler visitation has increased to the levels it was in the late 1980’s.

Region:

Central

Other Fish:

Redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis) and tench (Tinca tinca) have populations in Bradys Lake, Lake Binney and Tungatinah Lagoon. Tench have a population in Bronte Lagoon but redfin perch are not present there.

Facilities:

Bronte Lagoon itself has one official boat ramp near the dam wall and a launching area suited for small boats where the main canal feeds the lake. There are no formal camping areas but informal camping is permitted near the dam, the bay where the canal enters (Bronte Bay), Woodwards Bay and near Hut Bay.

How To Get There:

Travel west on the Lyell Highway through Ouse and past Taralleah, past the Tungatinah PowerStation on the Nive River. After climbing the hill after the Nive River you will come to Tungatinah Lagoon followed by Lake Binney then Bradys Lake on the right hand side of the road and Bronte Lagoon on the left hand side of the road. These waters can also be accessed from Great Lake by travelling down the Marlborough Highway to Bronte Park then turn left onto the Lyell Highway.

Regulations and Species

Stocking Information

[View Stocking list as of 13-10-2008 (15 Entries)]