Rocky Lake in Lismore: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Rocky Lake sits within Lismore in New South Wales. What surrounds it is warm green lowland. It measures some 1.80 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. You are looking at roughly 12 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It is high ground by New South Wales standards. You are 13 km from Nimbin. Mullumbimby is 17 km away, with Bangalow at 18 km. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Rocky Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Nearby survey and observation records mention Australian longfinned eel. Reported species tell you what lives around here, nothing more. Work Rocky Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 13°C in July up to 23°C in January. Cold never shuts this water down; heat is the only limit. Season rules are a separate question. Summer, December to February, brings heat, so fish the early and late hours. The wet months move levels about, which shifts the fishing with them. The season on Rocky Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Recorded parking is 1.2 km off, far enough to travel light. Facilities include toilets around 1.2 km from here. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Tallow Creek at 27 km is the sensible second choice. The position on Rocky Lake is worth confirming on the day.