Golden Tag competition
Recreational fishers have the opportunity to explore regional Victoria and land a tagged fish worth up to $10,000 as part of the Golden Tag competition which aims to boost tourism across the state.
The competition has hit several key milestones, with over $444,000 awarded to 162 winners since the competition kicked off.
Golden Tag has been extended to run through to midnight on 30 June 2024.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority started the Golden Tag competition in February 2020, successfully encouraging visitation to Gippsland and the state’s north-east as communities recovered from bushfires. It was later expanded state-wide to support regional businesses following Victoria's lockdown restrictions.
Click here to view the full list of tagged waters and species.
There's still ten $10,000 tagged fish that remain uncaught across Victoria. Gippsland remains a great option for fishers looking to get in on the action, with $10,000 bream, flathead and Australian bass yet to be caught.
Lake Eildon is home to a $10,000 Murray cod and golden perch, out west Rocklands Reservoir holds a cod carrying the major prize and in the state’s north $10,000 cod were tagged in Gunbower and Mullaroo creeks.
In addition to the $10,000 tagged fish, around 500 tagged fish remain uncaught across Victoria with $2,000 tags.
Trout have been tagged in southwest Victoria’s famous crater lakes of Purrumbete and Bullen Merri, along with Bellfield Reservoir in the Grampians. Australian bass were tagged in Gippsland’s Snowy River as well as Glenmaggie and Blue Rock lakes.
In northern Victoria, the fishing mecca of Lake Eildon hosts a particularly valuable catch of cod and yellowbelly. Murray cod and golden perch were tagged in the Sunraysia’s Lindsay River and Kings Billabong.
Fishers can follow the Burnanga trail along the Goulburn and Ovens rivers to the Murray and chase tagged Murray cod during cod open season. Burnanga means cod in the language of the Yorta Yorta people.
Try your luck for a tagged fish in central Victorian reservoirs including Upper Coliban, Lauriston, Tullaroop and Barkers Creek. The far west coast around Portland scored tagged southern bluefin tuna and Rocklands Reservoir’s thriving native fish population was bolstered with tagged fish.
Click here to read up on the rules of the promotion and frequently asked questions.
Click here to read the terms and conditions of the promotion.
Golden Tag region | Waters | Species |
---|---|---|
East Gippsland | Snowy River (Marlo), Mallacoota, Bemm River, Gippsland Lakes, Tamboon Inlet, Lake Tyers, | Flathead, bream, estuary perch, luderick, King George whiting, silver trevally, tailor |
North-East Victoria | Ovens River, Kiewa River, Eildon Pondage, Running Creek, Mount Beauty Pondage, Rocky Valley Dam, Dartmouth Dam and Pondage, Lake Catani, Lake Buffalo | Brown and rainbow trout, Murray cod* (Lake Buffalo, Kiewa River, Lake Hume) |
The Burnanga trail - Central Victoria to the Murray | Ovens River, Goulburn River, Lake Nagambie | Murray cod*, golden perch (golden perch only in Nagambie) |
Lake Eildon | Lake Eildon | Murray cod, golden perch |
Australian bass trail | Lake Glenmaggie, Blue Rock Dam, Snowy River | Australian bass |
Sunset country - Mildura & Mallee | Lindsay River, Kings Billabong, Mullaroo River, Gunbower Creek | Murray cod*, golden perch |
South West trophy trout lakes | Lake Purrumbete, Lake Bullen Merri, Lake Bellfield | Brown and rainbow trout |
Central Victorian lakes | Upper Coliban Reservoir, Lauriston Reservoir, Barkers Creek Reservoir, Tullaroop Reservoir, Cairn Curran Reservoir, Lake Eppalock | Murray cod*, golden perch |
Rocklands | Rocklands Reservoir | Murray cod, golden perch |
Wimmera | Wimmera River, Lake Fyans | Golden perch, redfin, brown trout (brown trout and redfin in Lake Fyans only) |
South West Coast | Offshore near Portland | Southern bluefin tuna, yellowtail kingfish |
* - Murray cod are subject to a closed season. The closed season runs from 1 September to 30 November inclusive. The closed season does not apply to Lake Eildon, waters south of the Great Diving Range except the Yarra River and waters in the Wimmera and Millicent basin except the Wimmera River