North Central Region
The North Central region encompasses the Avoca, Loddon and Campaspe basins. Popular angling species include brown and rainbow trout, redfin, golden perch, silver perch, Murray cod, Murray spiny crayfish and blackfish.
Map showing North Central River Basins (click map for large version)
Campaspe Basin
Preliminary assessment
Species evidence
Golden perch, Murray cod, Murray spiny crayfish, Macquarie perch, silver perch, trout cod, brown trout, rainbow trout, redfin.
Known range of angling species
Lake Eppalock - redfin, brown trout, golden perch, Murray cod.
Campaspe River immediately below Lake Eppalock to Axedale - brown trout, golden perch.
Campaspe weir at Elmore - golden perch, Murray cod.
Coliban River - Macquarie perch, brown trout, redfin.
Lauriston and Malmsbury reservoirs - brown trout, redfin.
Coliban and Campaspe River above Eppalock - brown trout, redfin, Macquarie perch.
Upper Coliban Reservoir - Macquarie perch, redfin, brown trout.
Waterway management
The North Central River Health Strategy guides waterway management and is implemented by the North Central Catchment Management Authority. The North Central Catchment Management Authority conducts annual monitoring within selected sites along the Campaspe and Loddon rivers as part of the Victorian Environmental Flows Monitoring and Assessment Program. The information gathered includes a brief habitat description and condition assessment for each site and indicates which species were caught at each site using various sampling techniques.
River improvement works are also continuing at several locations along the Campaspe River. Works include control of erosion, eradication of weeds, revegetation and fencing off the river bank to stock.
Axe Creek is listed as a Representative River of the North West uplands.
The Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy is a plan to secure water supplies for homes, business, industry, agriculture and the environment for the next 50 years. The Strategy sets out a plan to meet the water needs of towns, industry, farms and the environment in the context of growing populations, the uncertainty of climate change, land use changes and drought.
Threatened fish species
Murray cod, Macquarie perch, silver perch and Murray spiny crayfish. A Governor in Council order allows anglers to take Macquarie perch from the Upper Coliban Reservoir in this Basin.
Socio-economic value
Lake Eppalock - redfin, brown trout, golden perch, Murray cod.
Campaspe River immediately below Lake Eppalock to Axedale - brown trout, golden perch.
Campaspe weir at Elmore - golden perch, Murray cod.
Lauriston Reservoir (and Malmsbury Reservoir when full) - brown trout, redfin.
Coliban and Campaspe River above Eppalock - brown trout, redfin, Macquarie perch.
Upper Coliban Reservoir - brown trout and Macquarie perch.
Lower Campaspe River below Campaspe Weir - Murray cod, golden perch, redfin.
Criteria assessment
Flow
Regulated with some natural flow
Habitat
This is a long, narrow Basin with one main river and several large reservoirs in the south which provide most of the fishing. The Basin includes both the Coliban and Campaspe river systems. The Campaspe River valley is grazed and cropped with scattered patches of woodland, particularly around Lake Eppalock.
Identifiable structures
McIvor Highway, Northern Highway, Calder Highway.
Upper Coliban reservoirs, Lake Eppalock and Campaspe Weir.
Classification
Mixed - the Campaspe River south of McIvor Highway and Northern Highway including Lauriston and Upper Coliban lakes.
Native - the Campaspe River north of McIvor Highway and Northern Highway and Lake Eppalock.
Loddon Basin South
Preliminary assessment
Species evidence
Golden perch, redfin, rainbow trout and brown trout, bony bream, Murray cod, Murray spiny crayfish, blackfish, freshwater catfish, silver perch.
Known range of angling species
Loddon River at Bridgewater Weir - Murray cod, golden perch, redfin.
Cairn Curran Reservoir - redfin, brown trout, golden perch, Murray cod.
Loddon River north from Pyrenees Highway including Cairn Curran – brown trout, golden perch, blackfish, freshwater catfish and Murray cod.
Dean, Cosgrove, Bullarto, Wombat, Newlyn, Barkers creeks (Harcourt), Talbot and Kennington reservoirs, Hepburn Lagoon and Jubilee Lake – brown and rainbow trout.
Upper Loddon tributaries - blackfish.
Newlyn, Barkers Creek and Kennington Reservoir - redfin
Loddon River system and tributaries above and including Cairn Curran Reservoir - blackfish, redfin and brown trout.
Tullaroop creek system above Tullaroop Reservoir – trout, redfin and blackfish.
Tullaroop Reservoir – brown trout, golden perch and redfin.
Jim Crow Creek - brown trout.
Cosgrove Reservoir – brown and rainbow trout, redfin
Talbot Reservoir – brown trout, redfin
Expedition Pass Reservoir – golden perch, Murray cod, redfin,
Waterway management
The North Central Catchment Management Authority manages waterways in the region through the North Central River Health Strategy.
The Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy is a plan to secure water supplies for homes, business, industry, agriculture and the environment for the next 50 years. The Strategy sets out a plan to meet the water needs of towns, industry, farms and the environment in the context of growing populations, the uncertainty of climate change, land use changes and drought.
Threatened fish species
Murray cod, silver perch and freshwater catfish. A Governor in Council order allows anglers to take Murray cod and Murray spiny crayfish in this Basin.
Socio-economic value
Cairn Curran Reservoir - redfin, brown trout, golden perch, Murray cod.
Laanecoorie Reservoir - golden perch, Murray cod. redfin.
Jim Crow Creek - brown trout.
Bridgewater Weir - Murray cod, golden perch.
Loddon River and tributaries - Golden perch, redfin, brown trout, bony bream, Murray cod, Murray spiny crayfish, blackfish, redfin.
Tullaroop, Newlyn and Talbot reservoirs – brown trout and redfin.
Dean, Wombat, Bullarto, Cosgrove and Harcourt reservoirs and Hepburn Lagoon - brown trout.
Expedition Pass Reservoir – golden perch, Murray cod, redfin,
Kennington Reservoir and Jubilee Lake are Premier Lakes which are regularly stocked with large rainbow trout to provide opportunities for those new to fishing to try their luck.
Jubilee Lake and Kennington Reservoir – rainbow trout, redfin.
Tullaroop Creek - blackfish.
Catchments above Tullaroop and Cairn Curran reservoirs - brown trout, blackfish.
Criteria assessment
Flow
Regulated downstream of Cairn Curran. Natural flow elsewhere.
Habitat
The South Loddon Basin is mostly gentle to moderate hilly terrain with some flat farmland in the Tullaroop and McCallum Creek catchments. The headwaters of the Loddon are located in the Wombat State Forest in the Great Dividing Range and the river descends into grazing land with numerous scattered areas of mixed species forest. Rock, rubble and gravel are common substrates in the waterways.
Identifiable structures
Pyrenees Highway, Tullaroop, Harcourt, Expedition Pass and Cairn Curran reservoirs, Laanecoorie and Loddon River system weirs.
Classification
Trout - Lakes and impoundments including Kennington, Tullaroop, Dean, Talbot, Cosgrove, Bullarto, Wombat, Newlyn reservoirs Hepburn Lagoon and Barkers Creek (Harcourt Reservoir) and Lake Jubilee.
Mixed - Cairn Curran Reservoir. Tullaroop Creek system south of Tullaroop Reservoir.
Native - Loddon River and tributaries north of and including Laanecoorie Reservoir and Expedition Pass Reservoir. Loddon River and tributaries between Laanecoorie and Cairn Curran. All other waters north of Calder Highway.
Loddon Basin North
Preliminary assessment
Species evidence
Golden perch, bony bream, Murray cod and Murray spiny crayfish, freshwater catfish, blackfish, brown trout, redfin and silver perch.
Known range of angling species
Serpentine creek and Lower Loddon River - blackfish have a low tolerance for salinity and now possibly occur only in Serpentine Creek and the Lower Loddon River.
Serpentine Weir – blackfish, golden perch, Murray cod.
Gunbower and Pyramid creeks, Loddon Weir and Kerang Weir pool – Murray cod, golden perch.
Kangaroo Lakes - redfin, bony bream, golden perch, European carp, Murray cod, silver perch.
Kerang Weir pool – golden perch, Murray cod.
Kow Swamp - redfin, silver perch, golden perch, bony bream, freshwater catfish, Murray cod,
Waranga Western Channel - brown trout, redfin, golden perch.
Little Murray River - catfish, golden perch, Murray cod, silver perch, redfin.
Waterway management
The North Central Catchment Management Authority manages waterways in the region through the North Central River Health Strategy. Work includes the Loddon Stressed River project, installation of a Kerang Weir fishway and delivery of environmental flows in the Loddon River and associated wetlands.
Flow in Gunbower Creek has been increased improve wetland habitat by more frequently flooding areas of the Gunbower Forest.
The North Central Catchment Management Authority conducts annual monitoring within selected sites along the Loddon Rivers as part of the Victorian Environmental Flows Monitoring and Assessment Program. The information gathered includes a brief habitat description and condition assessment for each site and characterises species present.
The Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy is a plan to secure water supplies for homes, business, industry, agriculture and the environment for the next 50 years. The Strategy sets out a plan to meet the water needs of towns, industry, farms and the environment in the context of growing populations, the uncertainty of climate change, land use changes and drought.
Ramsar - numerous lakes and swamps in the Basin.
Threatened fish species
Murray cod, trout cod, silver perch, freshwater catfish, Murray hardyhead, unspecked hardyhead, Murray River rainbowfish and Murray spiny crayfish.
A Governor in Council order allows anglers to take Murray cod and Murray spiny crayfish from any water and silver perch only from lakes or impoundments in this Basin.
Socio-economic value
Gunbower Creek - Murray cod, golden perch, redfin.
Serpentine Weir and Creek - golden perch, Murray cod and blackfish.
Kow Swamp - redfin, silver perch, golden perch, Murray cod,
Lake Charm - redfin, golden perch, Murray cod,
Kangaroo Lakes - redfin, bony bream, golden perch, European carp, Murray cod, silver perch.
Loddon weir - golden perch, Murray cod.
Pyramid creek - golden perch, Murray cod.
Little Murray River - golden perch, Murray cod, redfin.
Criteria assessment
Flow
Regulated.
Habitat
The North Loddon catchment has numerous wetlands connected to the Loddon River and swampy depressions and landforms developed by wind erosion. The area is used for grazing and cropping with isolated patches of red gum woodlands and a denser strip of forest along the Murray River. Due to a regulated water delivery system the natural flow regime has been altered with low flow during winter and spring and high flows during summer.
Identifiable structures
Loddon (Fernihurst) Serpentine, Kerang and Kow Swamp weirs and weirs regulators on Gunbower Creek.
Classification
Native - all waters.
Avoca Basin
Preliminary assessment
Species evidence
Golden perch, Murray cod, silver perch, Murray spiny crayfish, freshwater catfish, brown trout, redfin.
Known range of angling species
Teddington reservoirs (Top and Bottom lakes) - brown trout.
Teddington Reservoir Bottom Lake – redfin.
Avoca River - Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch recorded in 1976, blackfish, redfin and small numbers of freshwater catfish.
Old St Arnaud swimming pool – rainbow trout
Bealiba and Redbank reservoirs – redfin, golden perch.
Tchum Lake – golden perch.
Waterway management
The North Central Catchment Management Authority manages waterways in the region through the North Central River Health Strategy. Activities undertaken through the Strategy include habitat improvement in the upper reaches of the Avoca River, within the section nominated as a Representative River.
The Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy is currently in preparation and will respond to pressures facing water resources including climate change, drought, and land use change. The strategy aims to secure water for towns, industry, the environment and agriculture for the next 50 years.
The entire Avoca River is a Representative River. The upper Avoca River is listed in the Victorian River Health Strategy as a Representative River of the North West uplands. The lower Avoca River is listed in the Victorian River Health Strategy as a Representative River of the North West floodplains.
Ramsar wetlands - Lake Bael Bael and The Marshes.
Threatened fish species
Murray cod, Murray River rainbowfish, freshwater catfish, flathead galaxias, silver perch, unspecked hardyhead and Murray spiny crayfish. A Governor in Council order allows anglers to take Murray cod and Murray spiny crayfish from any water and silver perch from any impoundment in this Basin.
Socio-economic value
Teddington Reservoir Top and Bottom lakes - brown trout.
Avoca River - Murray cod, golden perch, redfin.
Charlton Weir - redfin, golden perch, Murray cod.
Lake Bael Bael.
Old St Arnaud swimming pool – rainbow trout
Bealiba and Redbank reservoirs – redfin, golden perch.
Tchum Lake – golden perch.
Criteria assessment
Flow
Unregulated - variable ranging from extended periods of low flow to floods. In dry years, flow stops for many months.
Habitat
The Avoca River rises in the Central Highlands near Amphitheatre and flows north into Lake Bael Bael. Below Charlton the river is subject to water levels and pools of various depths with the lower reaches subject to extensive artificially constructed banks that prevent a naturally functioning floodplain ecosystem
The river is subject to salinity with anaerobic (low oxygen concentration) water in the bottom of deeper pools during low flow periods.
The river has native riparian vegetation along its entire length and reasonably stable banks and the lower floodplain is subject to natural stands lignum that form valuable habitats.
Identifiable structures
Not applicable.
Classification
Trout - Old St Arnaud Swimming Pool and Teddington reservoirs.
Native - all other waters including Avoca River, Bealiba and Redbank reservoirs and Tchum Lake.