Summary

• In June and July 2024, the two-month recreational closed season to a small area of Lake Wendouree will be maintained to protect trout and stocking at Lake Wendouree.
• The decision follows a public consultation process where key recreational fishing stakeholders supported the continuation of the two-month protected area including VRFish, Ballarat and District Angling Association, the Australian Trout Foundation, City of Ballarat and key recreational fishers.
• The two-month closed season will be communicated through social media, fishing magazines, flyers, on-site signage including a map of the closed season area, including GPS coordinates .
• For further information, please feel free to call or email Taylor Hunt, Fisheries Manager on 0418 478 028 or taylor.hunt@vfa.vic.gov.au

Background

Lake Wendouree is one of our most productive trout fishing lakes in Victoria and is stocked annually with trout from the Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society (BFAS) Ballarat Fish Hatchery and Snobs Creek Hatchery.

In October 2022, the BFAS wrote to the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) seeking a temporary closure to 200m section of Lake Wendouree adjacent to the hatchery outfall pipe, to protect the spawning trout that congregate in the pipeline flow.

The BFAS had concerns over declining numbers of spawning brown trout which have been collected in this location by their volunteers for many years, impacting their ability to produce and supply trout to replenish Lake Wendouree and other Victorian waters, for recreational fishing purposes. Juvenile trout are released into Lake Wendouree and other Victorian waters from these efforts, a practise dating back to 1870.

The VFA met with BFAS in December 2022, inspected the 200m site and believed the introduction of a 2-month fishing exclusion area would have no negative impact for recreational fishers, but rather assist with security of fish production and stocking for recreational fishing benefit in Lake Wendouree.

In early 2023, the VFA sought broader recreational fisher input on a Fisheries Notice proposal to implement the recreational fishing closed season to a small area of Lake Wendouree by writing to key stakeholder groups and inviting their feedback. This included VRFish, Ballarat and District Angling Association, the Australian Trout Foundation, City of Ballarat and key recreational fishers.

The consultation was completed resulting in strong support for the proposal. Based on the feedback, the VFA issued the Fisheries Notice to implement a recreational fishing closed season to a small area of Lake Wendouree for two months commencing 1 June 2023.

In June and July 2024, the two-month recreational closed season to a small area of Lake Wendouree will be maintained via a Fisheries Notice, following support from key stakeholders

The VFA will continue to monitor the closed season in 2024 through BFAS numbers of spawning brown trout and angler feedback to Fisheries Officers, via email and social media. The VFA will review the trial with anglers annually.