Lake Bolac

Lake Bolac is located on the Glenelg Highway/Ararat-Mortlake Road, 50 kilometres south of Ararat and within easy driving distance to the Grampians National Park and The Great Ocean Road. An important service centre for surrounding farms, the historic township is also an attraction in its own right. The freshwater lake is 27 kilometres around the foreshore and covers 1,460 hectares.

When full, Lake Bolac is around 2 metres deep and is popular for boating, fishing and sailing, with good facilities and multiple concrete boat ramps with pontoons. Interestingly, it is thought the lake was created when lava flows from volcanoes altered the flow and dammed the former bed of Fiery Creek, creating a depression which filled to form the lake.

Bolac is famous for its fast-growing rainbow trout which created a boom fishery when first stocked. Stockings are ongoing and the rainbows continue to do well here and attract fishers from afar. Popular and effective methods at Bolac include trolling and bait fishing.

Due to the shallow depth, downriggers aren’t a requirement and flat lining is more than effective. Small crankbaits and winged lures perform well and often the good fishing is right in the middle parts of the lake, especially if there’s chop on the water. Bait fishing from the shore with Powerbait and worms on running sinker rigs also picks up some big trout. A good shore-based location is the area in front of the caravan park and near the rowing sheds with baits of glassies or white bait.

Click here for information on Frontage road ramp.