There are only a few days remaining of Spring 2025, and it certainly has been a very windy one! Despite this there has been some excellent trout fishing when the weather has allowed, and decent rains have topped up most lakes and rivers after a dry winter.

Good reports have come from many waters around the state. As always fishing is hit or miss, and just because a water fished well one day doesn’t mean it will the next. That’s why it’s called fishing and not catching!

Bronte Lagoon has fished exceptionally well, with the fish in extremely good condition. The weather has had a big impact, with lure fishing far better on overcast days when there is a bit of breeze. Similarly, the Bradys chain of lakes has also performed well for lure anglers. Fly anglers have also reported reasonable beetle falls over the last week, particularly on the eastern shore of Lake Binney.

Yingina / Great Lake has fished well for trolling anglers. Good numbers have been caught all around the lake, and there have also been reports of fish up in the wind lanes and midges in the morning which are keeping the fly anglers busy.

Out at the 19 Lagoons, the significant Spring rainfalls have ensured good levels in all waters. Lure anglers have done very well in overcast conditions with Lakes Ada and Augusta firing. Other lesser fished waters in the area have also surprised with great fish rewarding those willing to get off the beaten track a bit. Fly anglers have been delighted with this year’s frog feeders, reporting good numbers in close to the lake shores and tailing fish during low light conditions. As summer kicks off the sight fishing opportunities that these waters are renowned for will only get better.

Penstock Lagoon has also been popular, with anglers using wet flies through the spring being rewarded. Over the past week there have been some mayfly hatches which will excite fly anglers. A reminder to anglers that the water temperature at Penstock can become quite warm over the summer months slowing the fishing down. Penstock is at its best through December and can be a challenging fishery on bright sunny days.  

As usual there have been some big fish caught from Lake Crescent. Fishing the rocky shores and edges of the marshes with galaxias imitation lures and flies will reward persistent anglers. Reports are that Lake Sorell has been challenging after fishing very well late last season. The lake is still very much in a recovery phase after the eradication of Carp, however is always worth a try. 

Four Springs Lake rewarded anglers through the Spring. Early on lure anglers did well trolling and drift spinning. Fly anglers have reported some good dun hatches over the past month. Reports are that these fish have been fussy with a nymph under a dry fly being a successful technique.

Camden Lake is still producing chunky fish and is a great option for all methods of fishing. Hard body lures, soft plastics and wet flies have all been successful. A kayak is very handy on this water when water levels are high.

Great fishing has been enjoyed at Talbots Lagoon so far this season. Lure anglers using soft plastics and hard bodies have been successful, as have fly anglers using wet flies in the marshy areas. The dry fly action is just starting to heat up with the first dun hatches of the year over the past couple of weeks. Traditionally these hatches are at their peak through December and January so there is plenty to look forward to.

Over west, Lake Burbury fished well over the weekend for the annual fishing competition with 155 entrants catching over 350 fish, with drift spinning and trolling accounting for most of the catches. Prior to the rainfall restricting access to Lake Mackintosh, there were also plenty of fish being taken from this water. Keep an eye on the Hydro Tasmania website, as the access road will re-open when the lake drops to below -0.3m and it will be well worth a visit.

Over east, Lake Leake and Tooms Lake have performed well. Anglers trolling have caught reasonable numbers of fish. Traditionally the fishing slows down a bit through the summer months at these waters owing to their lower elevations and higher water temperatures.

The pick of the rivers have been the Meander, St Pats and Tyenna. Bait anglers have enjoyed the flooded margins fishing from rainfall this spring, whilst lure and fly anglers have had success during the times of lower flows.

There have also been some exceptional sea run trout taken from the lower reaches of the Huon, Derwent, Tamar and west coast rivers. The whitebait feeders are generally around through December so there is still plenty of time to participate in this exciting fishery.

There have been two tagged trout caught as part of our 2025-26 tagged trout promotion. There are still plenty of tagged fish out there to catch, including the major prize of $25,000 for the first tagged fish caught from Yingina/Great Lake.  

Freshwater Angling Licences are available at Service Tasmania shops, selected Tackle stores and on the IFS website. There is still plenty of time to enjoy the trout fishery this season, and fishing licences would make an excellent Christmas present!