“Go Fishing in Victoria” - Lillydale Lake event timetable

Planning and preparation for the Family Fishing Event to be held at Lillydale Lake is almost complete. Participants who are interested in attending the event are reminded they are able to register via the Customer Service Centre on 136 186 to guarantee a spot in the workshops.

The timetable for the workshops and activities is listed below.

Workshop / Activity	Description	Running time	Frequency
Workshop 1 Code & Conduct	Guidance on handling your catch, regulations. Participants need to take part in this activity prior to workshop 2	20 minutes	Every 20 minutes (Start - 9.40am. Finish - 2.40pm)
Workshop 2 Fishing Activity	Recreational fishing for rainbow trout held in two containment nets	20 minutes	Every 20 minutes (Start – 10am. Finish – 4pm)
Workshop 3 Knots, baiting & rigging	Practical workshops which will provide the opportunity to learn new skills in knots and popular fishing rigs	20 minutes	10.00am 12.00pm 2.00pm	10.40am 12.40pm 2.40pm	11.20am 1.20pm
Flathead Fred	Professional children entertainer with a fishing theme	60 minutes	11.00am	12.30pm	2.00pm
Cooking demonstration	Professional chef showing cooking demonstrations	30 minutes	11.10am	12.30pm	2.00pm
Casting Clinic	Casting competitions	30 minutes	10.00am 12.15pm 2.30pm	10.45am 1.00pm	11.30am 1.45pm
Premier Fishing Clinic	Instructed fishing for “premier trout” outside the nets on the lakes shores	30 minutes	10.00am 12.15pm 2.30pm	10.45am 1.00pm	11.30am 1.45pm

Making a presence on trout opening weekend

Opening weekend for the trout season has always proved to be a popular event for trout fishers. This year was no different with hundreds of anglers gathering to try their luck at favoured trout fishing locations throughout Victoria.

One area that experienced increased traffic for the weekend was Lake Eildon, and this year Fisheries Officers were out in force to ensure that anglers were utilising the resource in a safe and lawful manner.

A roadblock was set up on the Taggerty-Thornton Road intersection to advise vehicle occupants of safety issues, bag limits and correct baits to use. Fisheries Officers were also present on the lake from early morning to early evening on both Saturday and Sunday, handing out copies of the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide and inspecting boats and other fishing gear.

The weekend operation was a huge success with the majority of fishers acting lawfully and correctly. Fisheries Officers handed out around twenty warnings, and several infringement notices were issued.

Fisheries Victoria encourages community members to report suspicious or illegal fishing activity to 13FISH (133 474), a telephone hotline which operates 24 hours a day and provides valuable information for enforcement staff to act upon in protecting our fisheries resources.

Native fish numbers on the rise

A survey carried out by the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research at the lower Broken Creek in the north-central region of the state has found native fish numbers have significantly increased during the past five years.

Both Murray cod and golden perch numbers have increased in various locations. Researchers believe this great news largely results from the construction of “fishways” in 2000.

Fishways allow native fish to swim through a passage, which would otherwise be blocked, to reach traditional breeding grounds. Land users are encouraged to contact their local Catchment Management Authority (CMA) to find out more about fishways and other land management practices that may help increase native fish numbers in Victorian waters.

Eel warning for Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers

Recent studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and Melbourne Water found that a small number of eels in the lower Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers were unfit for human consumption. Scientists found contaminants in both eels that were above the maximum residue limits of the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards (Food Standards Australia New Zealand 2005).

Although the eels appeared to be in good physical condition, health experts strongly advise anglers to limit consumption of eels from these waters to one serve of eel per month. Further investigation into both fish and eels of the lower Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers is currently being undertaken by the EPA and Melbourne Water.

Water level update

Waterway	% full
Batyo Catyo	0%
Bellfield	NA
Blue Rock	NA
Buffalo Lake	NA
Cairn Curran	6%
Dartmouth	58%
Eildon Lake	22%
Eppalock	5%
Fyans	16%
Glenmaggie	NA
Greens Lake	NA
Hepburn	NA
Hume	17%
Kangaroo	NA
Laanecoorie	22%
Lonsdale	0%
Lauriston	NA
Malmsbury	NA
Melton	21%
Mokoan	29%
Mulwala	96%
Newlyn	NA
Nillahcootie	NA
Pykes Creek	NA
Reedy /Middle	98%
Rocklands	2%
Rosslynne	7%
Taylors	41%
Third Lake	98%
Tullaroop	14%
Upper Coliban	NA
Waranga	NA
Wartook	NA
William Hovell	NA

All waterbodies marked N/A have no reading for this period.