After months of careful planning - and a little help from the weather - the Liawenee brown trout spawning run is officially underway, and the fish have wasted no time responding.

Banking Water for a Big Moment

Over the past few months, the Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) and Hydro Tasmania have been working side‑by‑side to prepare Lake Augusta for the 2026 brown trout spawning run.

Despite sustained dry conditions, every available inflow to Lake Augusta between February and April this year was carefully “banked”, with access to the Pillans and Julians systems also maintained in keeping with the Memorandum of Understanding with Hydro Tasmania.   This approach paid off when a strong water release into the Liawenee canal early May coincided perfectly with a low‑pressure rainfall system sweeping across the Central Highlands.

The result? Ideal conditions to stimulate fish movement!

Trout on the Move

The response from the fish was immediate.

Last weekend, thousands of brown trout surged upstream from Yingina / Great Lake, pouring into the Liawenee fish trap. Many more fish began spawning throughout reaches downstream of the trap, transforming the canal into a hive of seasonal activity.

Supporting Fisheries Across Tasmania

The work at Liawenee doesn’t stop at observation.

Fish collected during the spawning run will be used to stock assisted fisheries across Tasmania -waters that have no or very little natural trout recruitment and simply wouldn’t exist as viable fisheries without ongoing stocking.

At the same time, IFS staff are collecting and fertilising brown trout eggs, which will be incubated at the New Norfolk and Salmon Ponds hatcheries.  The first 200,000 eggs were successfully collected this week with more collections planned in the coming weeks. Once hatched, these fry will be strategically stocked later in the year to strengthen fisheries statewide.

(More on those stockings later…)

Collaboration Under Challenging (dry!) Conditions

IFS extends its sincere thanks to Hydro Tasmania for their close collaboration and flexibility in managing flows through the Liawenee Canal under challenging seasonal conditions. This partnership continues to be critical to sustaining Tasmania’s inland fisheries.

Looking Ahead

The IFS fish stocking program reflects a long‑term commitment to enhancing Tasmania's recreational fisheries, ensuring our waters perform at their best and creating an exciting experience for all anglers.

As stockings continue over the coming weeks, the best way to stay informed is to:

• Visit: www.ifs.tas.gov.au/fisheries/stocking/
• Or check the latest updates via the free InFish app.  Download here:  Infish Mobile App 2.0 - Inland Fisheries Service