Fishing Meginleys Lake in Hay, New South Wales

• Overview

  Meginleys Lake is one of the Hay waters in New South Wales. It sits in warm green lowland. At about 93 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. It is a small entry by Hay standards. Hay lies 47 km from the water. After that come Balranald at 78 km and Swan Hill at 129 km. Others within reach: Reedy Lake lies 4.2 km on, Ita Lake (13 km), Muloga Lake lies 27 km on, Clear Lake (28 km) and Ryans Lake lies 31 km on. The regional boundary is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Meginleys Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read Meginleys Lake before you fish it and the day goes better. Fish tight to whatever breaks the bottom.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, February reads 25°C and July reads 9°C. Fish feed through every month here. Winter here is cool and quiet, and often the most comfortable time out. June through August is cool but far from dead. At Meginleys Lake the season follows that pattern closely. A rising level usually fishes better than a falling one.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapping flags this water as intermittent: it can be dry for part of the year, so check before travelling. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Reedy Lake, 4.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Meginleys Lake may have changed since it was mapped.