Well, it’s nearly here. Season 2025-26 begins tomorrow morning, or for some of the keenest 12:01am tonight! We conclude our Opening Weekend Options series with the most fished lake in the state, Yingina / Great Lake.

It’s Winter in the highlands. It will be cold, but the weather forecast on Saturday is for a cloudy but fine day with light northerly winds. Sunday morning is also looking good, with a northerly breeze getting up around lunch time. Great conditions for trout fishing!

This year Yingina / Great Lake has the added attraction of being the location of the $25,000 fish. Out of the three tagged fish in the lake, the first one caught will win the major prize in our 2025-26 Tagged Trout Promotion.

Recent rainfall has seen the lake beginning to rise. This is ideal for bait fishing around the edges, as trout feed eagerly to put condition back on post spawning. Lure casting and trolling will also produce rewards, with lures featuring a bit of flashy gold recommended. It always pays to experiment if you are having a quiet day though, altering things such as lure style, colour, depth and speed. Often a slower speed makes all the difference, particularly at this time of year when water temperatures are cool.

The best locations on the lake are around the Charophyte weed beds. Check out the map on our Anglers Access brochure – we’ve marked them on there for you! Some of the most consistent areas are Swan Bay, Tods Corner, Beckett’s Bay and Elizabeth Bay.

For a look at the conditions at Yingina / Great Lake, check out the Anglers Alliance webcam. Up to date water level information can be found on the Hydro website. Both of these things are also accessible via the InFish App. It’s your one stop shop for all trout fishing information in Tasmania!

Good luck to those heading out over the weekend. Stay safe and enjoy your fishing. Thanks for buying a licence and taking part in our wonderful fishery for another year. Our Officers will be out and about over the weekend conducting licence checks and creel interviews. Be sure to say hello if you see us!