Fishing at Camel Lake, Bourke, New South Wales

• Overview

  Camel Lake is one of the Bourke listings for New South Wales. Height above sea level is 98 metres. Roughly 31 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A plain outline means the drop-off does the work that bays would elsewhere. On size it sits at the modest end of our Bourke list. Start from Bourke, 171 km down the road. After that come Cobar at 220 km and Brewarrina at 260 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Camel Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read Camel Lake before you fish it and the day goes better. Bait sits where the wind pushes it, and so do the fish.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect January to average close to 29°C, with July the cold end at about 12°C. Nothing shuts down for cold, so the question is when in the day to go. Spring runs September to November and autumn March to May, and both fish well. Early spring brings the water on quickly here. Camel Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Local rules can differ across the regional boundary, so check where you stand. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Balgrillo Lake sits 28 km off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Camel Lake.