Rocklands water release for Lake Toolondo

04 November 2022

Lake Toolondo in the Wimmera will receive a water allocation from Rocklands Reservoir.

Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) Freshwater Fisheries Manager Anthony Forster said recent rainfall has resulted in nearby Rocklands Reservoir exceeding 56 per cent capacity, a threshold to trigger a large-scale water allocation for Toolondo.

“The VFA has developed a trout stocking plan for the lake that will kick in after Grampians Wimmera Mallee (GWM) Water transfers water from Rocklands and water temperatures are cool enough to support trout,” he said.

“This is expected to create a high-quality trout fishery at Toolondo for several years, enough time for stocked brown trout to grow with the right environmental conditions.”

Water levels in Lake Toolondo are reliant on water transfers from Rocklands, which have not occurred in recent years.

To assist in providing a productive environment for stocking, the VFA is reducing carp numbers in Lake Toolondo in conjunction with recreational fishers, GWM Water, the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority and commercial carp fisher Keith Bell.

Last year more than 70 tonnes of carp were removed from Toolondo.

A further 22 tonnes of carp have been removed from the lake in recent weeks with carp harvesting to continue through to December.