Lake Samsonvale in Moreton Bay: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Samsonvale is a Moreton Bay water, in Queensland. Elevation runs to 41 metres. It covers about 17.53 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. With about 90 km of shoreline, local advice saves a lot of walking. Some 3.5 km away sits Cashmere, the nearest settlement. For a city, Brisbane is 26 km off. The regional boundary is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Samsonvale

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover Australian longfinned eel, flathead grey mullet, shortfin eel, mozambique tilapia and Australian bass. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Lake Samsonvale the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, January reads 24°C and July reads 14°C. The year runs unbroken and warm. The shoulder seasons either side of summer are the ones to aim for. Spring, September into November, fishes hardest, with autumn a close second. The season on Lake Samsonvale follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a dammed water rather than a natural one, which shows in the shape of the basin. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Lake Kurwongbah, 6 km away. Confirm access to Lake Samsonvale locally before you travel.