Australian Bass stocking program
Australian bass are a native fish that inhabit the coastal flowing streams of Gippsland, east of Wilsons Promontory.
They are also found in New South Wales and southern Queensland rivers that flow to the sea. Both of those states have been very successful in creating new recreational fisheries by stocking bass into lakes and impoundments.
In Victoria, wild riverine populations of bass have declined, mostly because fish barriers have inhibited spawning migrations and the upstream return of juveniles. Fish barriers are being removed where possible, and fish ladders installed in other situations, however there remains an opportunity to boost remnant wild bass populations by stocking hatchery reared fish.
Stocking bass into Gippsland waters is relatively new. Some production and stocking occurred in 2002/03, but of a limited magnitude. After several years of attempting to secure reliable hatchery production in Victoria between 2004-08, more success came by working with existing private bass hatcheries in NSW.
Fingerlings are purchased each summer and released into waters agreed to by fisheries managers, anglers and water managers.
Gippsland stocking history
The table below indicates the number of fingerling bass released. On average these fish weigh about 1 gram each and measure 2-3cm.
| Location | 2002 2003 | 2009 2010 | 2011 2012 | 2013 2014 | 2015 2016 | 2017 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon River | - | 0 15,000 | 3,000 3,000 | 3,000 5,000 | 5,000 5,000 | 9,000 | 48,000 |
| Blue Rock Lake | 25,200 10,000 | 30,000 15,000 | 15,000 15,000 | 25,000 25,000 | 25,000 25,000 | 30,000 | 240,200 |
| Freestone Creek | 0 1,000 | 2,000 3,000 | 3,000 | 9,000 | |||
| Glenmaggie Lake | 29,250 15,000 | 22,000 22,270 | 10,000 10,000 | 10,000 10,000 | 10,000 10,000 | 35,000 | 183,520 |
| Guthridge Lake (Sale) | 0 1,000 | 1,000 1,000 | 7,500 | 10,500 | |||
| Hospital Creek | 3,000 0 | 3,000 | |||||
| Lake Hyland | 3,000 | 3,000 | |||||
| Macalister River (below Glenmaggie) | - 2,350 | 0 4,000 | 2,000 2,000 | 2,000 4,000 | 4,000 4,000 | 13,500 | 37,850 |
| Macalister River (from Lake Glenmaggie to Licola) | 0 5,000 | 5,000 5,000 | 30,000 | 45,000 | |||
| Mitchell River | - - | 0 15,000 | 5,000 5,000 | 5,000 10,000 | 10,000 7,000 | 110,000 | 172,000 |
| Narracan Lake | - - | 20,000 | 10,000 10,000 | 10,000 10,000 | 10,000 10,000 | 5,000 | 85,000 |
| Nicholson River | - - | - | 0 35,000 | 10,000 10,000 | 8,000 0 | 0 | 63,000 |
| Rainbow Creek | 0 2,000 | 2,000 2,000 | 3,000 | 9,000 | |||
| Snowy River | 110,000 | 110,000 | |||||
| Tambo River | - - | - | - | 10,000 10,000 | 8,000 20,000 | 27,500 | 75,500 |
| Thomson River, (ds Cowarr Weir) | 0 2,000 | 5,000 5,000 | 15,000 | 27,000 | |||
| Thomson River, Cowarr Weir | - | 0 11,000 | 2,000 2,000 | 2,000 5,000 | 2,000 2,000 | 4,000 | 30,000 |
| Timbarra River | 10,000 10,000 | 20,000 | 40,000 | ||||
| Traralgon Creek (Downies Lane to La Trobe River) | 0 3,000 | 2,000 2,000 | 2,000 | 9,000 | |||
| Tyers River | 0 5,000 | 5,000 5,000 | 5,000 | 20,000 | |||
| Valencia Creek | 0 4,000 | 3,000 3,000 | 2,000 | 12,000 | |||
| Wonnangatta River | 0 8,000 | 0 3,000 | 40,000 | 51,000 | |||
| Total | 54,450 27,350 | 52,000 102,270 | 47,000 82,000 | 82,000 120,000 | 120,000 122,000 | 474,500 | 1,283,570 |