Record bonanza set to continue for Victoria
Have your say on the 2024/25 draft fish stocking plan
As part of the Victorian State Government's Go Fishing and Boating Victoria Plan, a further 10 million fish are planned to be released in 2024/25 into Victorian waters to improve recreational fishing opportunities and rebuild native fish populations.
Public submissions are invited on the 2024/25 Draft Fish Stocking Plan, which details the planned release of 10 million fish, across 12 species, into more than 220 Victorian waters between April 2024 and March 2025.
The 2024/25 Draft Fish Stocking Plan has been developed based on several decades of annual Vic Fish Stock consultation feedback, angler catches, fish population survey data and fisheries research.
The VFA invites feedback submissions from recreational fishers which help refine the 2024/25 Draft Fish Stocking Plan, to continue to provide exciting and productive recreational fisheries and maximise the rebuilding of threatened native fish populations.
Key highlights in the 2024/25 draft stocking include:
- Over 1 million native fish into Rocklands Reservoir
- Over 1 million fish into Lake Eildon, including 220,000 brown and rainbow trout
- 800,000 native fish into Lake Eppalock
- Over 80 Family Fishing Lakes to be stocked with catchable rainbow trout in June and September school holidays
- 16 metro lakes and the Goulburn River to be stocked with stonker rainbow trout
- Melton Reservoir to receive 140,000 native fish
- Lake Hume receiving 150,000 brown trout
- Gippsland Lakes to receive more than 100,000 estuary perch and dusky flathead
- Latrobe River to receive 40,000 Australian Bass
- Macalister River near Licola to receive 10,000 Australian bass
- Campaspe River to receive 215,000 native fish including 15,000 trout cod (first time stocking)
- Barwon River stocked with 70,000 estuary perch
- Lakes Kerferd and Sambell to be stocked with silver perch, golden perch and rainbow trout
- Lake Elingamite to receive 15,000 Australian Bass
- Expedition Pass Reservoir to receive golden perch and rainbow trout
- Goulburn River – Upstream of Kevington to be stocked with trout cod
- Kiewa River to receive 30,000 Macquarie perch and 20,000 trout cod
- Wurdiboluc Reservoir receiving 30,000 brown and rainbow trout
Total numbers proposed in the 2024/25 draft stocking include:
Species | Total Proposed 2024/25 |
Australian Bass | 403,000 |
Brown trout | 666,500 |
Chinook salmon | 90,000 |
Dusky flathead | 21,100 |
Estuary perch | 330,000 |
Golden perch | 4,567,500 |
Macquarie perch | 100,000 |
Murray cod | 2,983,000 |
Rainbow trout | 544,190 |
Silver perch | 521,500 |
Tiger trout | 10,000 |
Trout cod | 100,000 |
Grand Total | 10,336,790 |
View the 2024/25 Draft Fish Stocking Plan (PDF)
Public consultation
To have your say on the 2024/25 Draft Fish Stocking Plan, please email your submissions to Taylor Hunt, Fisheries Manager at taylor.hunt@vfa.vic.gov.au by Sunday 26th of May 2024.
All submissions will be considered by the VFA and tabled with regional recreational fishing representatives at the annual Vic Fish Stock meetings, planned to be held in May-June 2024. Following the Vic Fish Stock meetings, the 2024/25 Draft Fish Stocking Plan will be finalised and implemented by the VFA.
For further information about the Draft Fish Stocking Plan, please email Taylor Hunt, Fisheries Manager at taylor.hunt@vfa.vic.gov.au