Continuing our lead in to the 2026-27 brown trout season starting on 1 August 2026, here’s a look at some of the best options in eastern Tasmania for your first trip of the season. 

Tooms Lake is shaping up as an excellent option for the start of the new season. Water levels are good, and the lake fished exceptionally well towards the end of last season, producing quality brown and rainbow trout. Over winter, our stocking team added 1,149 brown trout and 800 rainbow trout to help ensure the season opens with a bang. All angling methods are worth considering. Lure anglers should focus on casting around the drowned timber along the shorelines, while trolling the main basin is also highly recommended. Bait anglers can expect success fishing from the bank with worms, grubs and Powerbait, while fly fishers should do well casting wet flies through the shallow margins.

With its relatively low elevation (571 m) and proximity to the east coast, Lake Leake offers milder conditions and is an ideal location to kick off the season. Don't let the current low water levels put you off - there is still plenty of scope to launch a dinghy from the main boat ramp. Brown and rainbow trout continue to thrive in the lake and finished last season in excellent condition. Boat anglers should find success trolling or drift spinning, while shore-based anglers can still effectively fish shallow-running lures despite the lower water levels. For fly fishers, the early season highlight will be working wet flies around weed beds and drowned timber. Over winter, we stocked 2,310 brown trout and 1,600 rainbow trout into the lake. As an added incentive, anglers fishing Lake Leake also have the chance to win $5,000 through the Tasmanian Tagged Trout Promotion.

Often flying under the radar, another great option in the east is Rostrevor Reservoir. Open to all angling methods, this water is just over one hour from Hobart. Owing to its lower elevation, this water fires early in the season and gets quiet later in the year as the water heats up. Whilst catch rates are generally not high, the fish in this water are impressive. Reminder to anglers that it is a requirement of access to this water to contact the landowner prior to visiting using the details on the signage.

Lake Crescent is currently at a low level and anglers intending to fish from a boat should reconsider their plans. However, shore-based fishing remains a very worthwhile option. The lake is renowned for its trophy trout, with fish weighing well over 10 lb caught every season. Large populations of galaxias provide a key food source, making galaxia imitations among the most effective lure and fly patterns. Early-season fly anglers favour large black wet flies, while lure fishers should consider bibbed hard-bodied lures or soft plastics. Key areas to target include the marsh edges and rocky shorelines. Another productive option is fishing from the bank of the inflowing canal downstream of the C527 road below Lake Sorell. Anglers should note that the canal remains closed to fishing upstream of the C527 bridge to its junction with Lake Sorell.

Speaking of Lake Sorell, this fishery is also well worth considering on opening weekend. During the closing weekend of the 2025–26 season, anglers reported seeing large numbers of well-conditioned brown trout jumping along the Hatchery Shore. Although these fish proved difficult to catch, their presence generated plenty of excitement among those on the water. Trolling hard-bodied lures and fly fishing the marshes with wet flies are expected to be the standout techniques early in the season. To make things even more interesting, there are $5,000 tagged trout swimming in the lake as part of the Tasmanian Tagged Trout Competition.