Native Fish Releases 2016

Victorian Native Fish Stocking Program

Fisheries' native and salmonid (trout and salmon) fish stocking program is designed to enhance recreational fishing opportunities for anglers. Annual stocking plans are developed using information provided at five regional consultation meetings (known as Vic Fish Stock) with recreational fishing representatives,  resource managers such as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Catchment Management Authorities, Water Authorities and our own staff.

The development of the annual stocking program considers the performance of fisheries, the existing stocking approach, results of any stock assessments, fisher and creel surveys, prevailing environmental conditions, impacts of land and water management regimes and other issues that may affect a fishery.  Requests by stakeholders to vary current stocking programs are also considered.

The 2015/2016 native fish stocking component of the program released 2,524,641 native fish into Victorian waters, including 678,767 Murray cod, 1,439,557 golden perch, 36,780 trout cod, 133,017 Australian bass, a record 183,500 estuary perch, 9,462 Macquarie perch and 597 freshwater catfish.

As part of the State Government's Target One Million plan to get more people fishing, more often, two new species of native fish, mulloway and barramundi, were stocked for the first time in Victoria. Lake Tyers received 16,000 mulloway and Tamboon Inlet 5,000. Hazelwood Pondage received 1,961 barramundi as part of a stocking trial to determine the species' suitability in this unusually warm waterbody (cooling ponds from power station). Estuary perch stocking expanded too with 5,000 into the Bemm River and 25,000 into Lake Tyers.

The Snobs Creek fish hatchery produces the salmonids and approximately 500,000 native fish. The hatchery operates with funding from fishing licence fees and the State Government's Target One Million plan. The operation of Snobs Creek is overseen by an advisory board consisting of Fisheries staff and recreational anglers.

Stocking plans may be subject to 'last minute' variation due to natural factors i.e. flood, fire, low water level or quality, algal blooms or man-made impacts such as major works on water storages.

2015/2016 Native Fish Stockings – total numbers

 

Murray
cod

Golden
perch

Trout
cod

Aust-
ralian
bass

Estuary
perch

Macq-
-uarie
perch

Catfish

Barra-
mundi

Mulloway

Total

Fry up to 5gs

678,767

1,439,298

36,780

133,000

183,500

9,462

597

1,275

21,000

2,523,732

Fingerlings up to 50gs

   

 

 

 

 

550

 

550

Yearlings 30cm+

 

259

 

 17

 

 

 

136

 

359

Total

678,767

1,439,557

36,780

133,017

183,500

9,462

597

1,961

21,000

2,524,641

 

Month
2015/
2016

Fish size
(g)

Murray
cod

Golden
Perch

Trout
cod

Aust-
ralian
bass

Estuary
perch

Macq-
uarie
perch

Cat-
fish

Silver
perch

Barra

Albert Park Lake

(Albert Park)

Nov

Dec

Apr

0.5

0.5

0.5

 

5,000

  

5,000

15,000

    

Allans Flat Dredge Hole

(Allans Flat)

Feb

0.9

 

1,500

       

Amaroo Lake

(Part of Kialla Lakes Shepp-
arton)

Mar

1.0

 

500

       

Anderson Lake

(Chiltern)

Feb

3.0

 

1,000

       

Arboretum Dam

(Euroa)

Feb

3.0

 

500

       

Avon River

(Stratford to Valencia Creek)

Nov

0.5

   

5,000

     

Bartlett Lake

(Tatura)

Mar

1.0

 

500

       

Benalla Lake *

(Benalla)

Feb

Feb

1.0

0.8

5,000

5,000

        

Benalla Lake

(Benalla)

Feb

3.0

 

5,000

       

Big Meran Lake

(Meering)

Mar

1.3

 

15,000

       

Blue Rock Lake

(Willow Grove)

Aug
Nov

800
0.5

   

17
25,000

     

Boga Lake *

(Lake Boga)

Jan

Mar

1.4

0.7

2,500

2,500

       

Boga Lake

(Lake Boga)

Jan

Mar

1.4

0.7

2,500

2,500

       

Boosey Creek

(Katamatite)

Mar

Apr

0.8

1.5

5,000

9,000

       

Broken Creek

(Dip Bridge to Nathalia)

Feb

Mar

0.8

1.5

1,626

20,000

       

Broken Creek ~

(Dip Bridge to Nathalia)

Nov ~

60 ~

 

100 ~

       

Broken River *

(D/s Nillahcootie Lake to Gowangardie Weir)

Feb

Feb

Mar

Apr

0.9

1.0

1.0

1.4

28,400

1,600

21,000

24,000

       

Buffalo Lake

(Dandon-
gadale)

Feb

Apr

0.9

1.5

9,500

10,000

       

Cairn Curran Reservoir

(Maldon)

Mar

Mar

Mar

1.5

1.1

2.0

20,000

5,000

50,000

       
Campaspe River * Jan
Mar
1.0
1.3
40,000 70,000        

Campaspe River

(Kyneton)

Mar

1.5

 

6,000

       

Charm Lake

(Lake Charm)

Mar

Mar

1.5

0.7

15,000

30,000

       

Cowwarr Weir

(Cowwarr)

Nov

0.5

   

2,000

     

Craigmuir Lake

(Mooroopna)

Mar

1.0

 

500

       

Crusoe Reservoir ~

(Bendigo)

Dec ~

850 ~

 

159 ~

 

      

Crusoe Reservoir

(Bendigo)

Mar

Mar

1.3

4.3

 

5,000

    

230

  

Cullull-
eraine Lake

(Cullull-
eraine)

Feb

0.9

10,000

        

Devilbend Reservoir

(Moorooduc)

Nov

Dec

0.5

0.5

    

15,000

20,000

    

Eildon Lake

(Eildon)

Jan

Jan

Jan

Jan

Mar

Mar

1.0

1.0

1.8

0.8

0.8

2.7

80,000

1,134

13,000

13,000

138,000

13,840

       

Eldorado Dredge Hole

(Eldorado)

Feb

3.0

 

1,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eppalock Lake

(Knowsley)

Dec

Jan

Jan

Mar

Apr

0.9

1.4

1.0

2.0

1.3

17,400

27,790

10,000

50,000

18,458

       

Expedition Pass

Reservoir (Faraday)

Jan

0.9

     

3,000

   

First Reedy Lake

(Kerang)

Mar

0.7

 

5,000

       

Foletti Caravan Park

Lake (Donald)

Jan

Jan #

0.8

1.2 #

 

2,000

1,200 #

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freestone Creek

(Briagolong)

Nov

0.5

  

 

2,000

 

 

 

 

 

Glenmaggie Lake

(Glenmaggie)

Nov

0.5

  

 

10,000

 

 

 

 

 

Goldfields Reservoir

(Maryborough)

Mar

1.5

 

4,000

       

Goulburn River

(Lake Nagambie to
Seymour)

Goulburn River

(Lake Nagambie
to Seymour)

Dec

Jan

Feb

Feb

1.2

1.0

0.9

0.8

32,276

17,724

80,000

120,000

       

Goulburn River *

(D/s Lake Nagambie
to McCoy's Bridge)

Jan

Jan

Feb

Feb

Apr

1.0

1.1

1.1

0.8

1.0

9,000

15,000

22,380

3.620

50,000

       

Greens Lake

(Corop)

Mar

Mar

Apr

1.5

0.8

1.5

2,437

2,500

12,000

       

Gunbower Creek *

(Turrumberry Weir Road to Koondrook)

Jan

1.1

20,000

        

Gunbower Creek *

(Upstream & Downstream
of Cohuna Area)

Mar

1.0

 

20,000

       

Guthridge Lake

(Sale)

Nov

May

0.5

3.2

   

1,000

4,000

     

Hamilton Lake  

(Hamilton)

Dec

0.5

    

18,000

    

Hazelwood Pondage

(Hazelwood)

Sep
Sep
Sep 
Apr
Apr
Apr

485
2.5
87.2
503
32.5
3.0

        

18
225
18
100
550
1,050

Hospital Creek

(Tostaree)

Nov

0.5

   

3,000

     

Hume Lake

(Tallangatta)

Dec

Dec

Dec

Jan

1.0

0.6

1.2

1.0

60,000

25,300

14,700

150,000

       

Kangaroo Lake *

(Lake Charm)

Jan

Mar

1.4

0.7

23,250

35,000

       

Kangaroo Lake

(Lake Charm)

Jan

Mar

1.4

0.7

23,250

35,000

       

Karkarook Lake

(Moorabbin)

Nov

0.5

    

5,000

    

Kerferd Lake

(Beechworth)

Dec

0.5

  

18,390

      

Kialla Lakes

(Shepparton)

Mar

1.0

 

1,500

       

Kiewa River

(Baranduda to Dederang)

Apr

1.5

3,000

        

King Lake

(Rutherglen)

Feb

3.0

 

1,000

       

Kow Swamp *

(Leitchville)

Mar

1.0

 

27,500

       

Laanecoorie Reservoir

(Laanecoorie)

Apr

1.0

 

10,000

       

Lascelles Lake

(Hopetoun)

Jan

Mar #

Mar

1.1

1.8 #

1.0

 

1,200 #

7,000

     

5,000

 

Little Boort Lake

(Boort)

Mar

1.3

 

5,000

       

Loddon River *

(Fernihurst Weir to
Laanecoorie)

Jan

Mar

1.3

1.0

50,000

80,000

       

Loddon River *

(Kerang)

Jan

Mar

1.3

1.0

2,000

6,000

       

Lowanna Lake

(Part of Kialla Lakes
Shepparton)

Mar

1.0

 

500

       

Macalister River

(D/s of
Lake Glenmaggie)

Nov

0.5

   

4,000

     

Macalister River

(U/s of Glenmaggie
Lake to Licola)

Nov

0.5

   

5,000

     

Marma Lake

(Murtoa)

Mar

Mar #

1.0

3.2 #

 

2,000

1,100 #

       

Melton Reservoir

(Melton)

Nov

Dec

0.5

0.5

    

20,000

10,000

    

Mitchell River

(Angusvale to Junction
with Wongun-
garra River)

Nov

0.5

   

10,000

     

Mitta Mitta River *

(Hume Lake to
Eskdale)

Feb

1.0

20,000

        

Moodemere Lake

(Rutherglen)

Mar

Apr

4.3

1Kg

      

330

37

  

Narracan Lake

(Moe)

Nov

0.5

   

10,000

     

Nicholson River

(U/s of Nicholson)

Nov

0.5

   

8,000

     

Nillah-

cootie Lake

(Barjarg)

Dec

Jan

Jan

Feb

1.2

1.2

0.8

0.8

25,300

4,700

30,000

20,000

       

Numurkah Lake

(Numurkah)

Feb

0.9

 

6,000

       

Ovens River

(Oxley Flats to Rocky Point)

Jan

Mar !

0.9

600 !

     

6,400

62 !

   

Rainbow Creek

(Cowwarr)

Nov

0.5

   

2,000

     

Sambell Lake

(Beechworth)

Dec

Feb

0.5

3.0

 

5,000

18,390

      

Serpentine Creek

(Durham Ox)

Mar

1.3

 

5,000

       

Seven Creeks

(Euroa)

Feb

3.0

 

2,000

       

Stanley Ditch Dam

(Stanley)

Feb

3.0

 

500

       

Sumsion Gardens Lake

(Wodonga)

Feb

0.9

 

1,500

       

Tambo River

(Bruthen)

Nov

May

0.5

3.2

   

8,000

9,000

     

Taylors Lake

(Horsham)

Feb

Mar

Apr

1.3

1.3

1.3

18,880

42,500

17,500

       

Tchum Lake

(Birchip)

Jan

0.8

 

5,000

       

Thomson River (Cowwarr)

Nov

0.5

   

5,000

     

Timbarra River

(Near Junction with Tambo River)

Nov

0.5

   

10,000

     

Traralgon Creek

(Downies Lane to Traralgon)

Nov

0.5

   

2,000

     

Tronoh Dredge Hole

(Harrietville)

Feb

0.9

 

500

       

Tungamah Weir Pool

(Tungamah)

Mar

0.8

 

2,000

       

Tyers River

(Wirilda Park)

Nov

0.5

   

5,000

     

Valencia Creek

(Valencia Creek)

Nov

0.5

   

3,000

     

Victoria Lake

(Maryborough)

Mar

1.5

 

4,000

       

Victoria Lake

(Shepparton)

Feb

Mar

0.9

1.5

1,000

5,000

       

Walkers Lake

(Avon Plains)

Jan

0.8

 

5,000

       

Watchem Lake

(Watchem)

Jan

0.8

 

5,000

       

Werribee River

(Werribee)

Nov

Dec

0.5

0.5

    

29,500

16,000

    

Wimmera River

(Jeparit to Horsham)

Wimmera River

(Jeparit to Horsham)

Jan

Mar

Apr

Apr

Apr

1.1

1.5

0.5

1.3

1.0

 

7,052

42,256

25,000

5,692

     

15,000

 

Wooroonook Lake

(Charlton)

Jan

0.8

 

5,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yarriambiack Creek

(Beulah, Brim and Warrack-
nabeal)

Mar

1.0

 

9,000

       

Total

  

678,767

1,439,557

36,780

133,017

153,500

9,462

597

20,000

1,961

Marine Native Fish Releases

 

Month 2015/ 2016

Fish size (g)

Estuary perch

Mulloway

Bemm River

(Bemm River)

Jan

0.5

5,000

 

Tamboon Inlet

(Tamboon)

Apr

2.0

 

5,000

Tyers Lake

(Lake Tyers Beach)

Nov

Jan

Apr

5.0

0.5

2.0

25,000

5,000

11,000

Total

  

30,000

21,000

Weight Kg

 

Murray
cod

Golden
perch

Trout
cod

Austr-
alian
bass

Estuary
perch

Macq-
uarie
perch

Silver
perch

Catfish

Barra-
mundi

Mulloway

Total
kg

Fry up to 5gs

782.9

1,487.0

11.6

69.1

39.0

45.7

22.0

2.4

3.2

57.0

2,519.9

Yearlings 150gs+

 

155.0

     

37.0

521.0

 

713.0

Total

782.9

1,642.0

11.6

69.1

39.0

45.7

22.0

39.4

524.2

57.0

3,232.9

Transport

Kilometres travelled

Total person days

67,153

163

Key

$

Fry

1-5g

+

Yearlings

150g+

*

Calcein Marked Fish

 

!

Micro Chipped Ex Brood Fish

 

~

Golden perch 30cm+

 

#

Drought Recovery Stocking

 

Acknowledgements

This summary was developed by John Douglas and Ewan McLean, Fisheries Victoria. May 2016.