Lake Short in Mid Murray: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lake Short in the Mid Murray part of South Australia. The setting is open dry country. Roughly 22 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mid Murray list. Angaston sits 36 km from the bank. Nuriootpa lies 40 km off, Tanunda another 44 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lake Short

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Lake Short responds to conditions more than to tactics. The far bank looks better because you cannot see the snags.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 11°C to 24°C. Winter is simply the pleasant end of an unbroken season. Spring, September into November, and autumn, March into May, are the strong stretches. Early spring brings the water on quickly here. On Lake Short the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. Unnamed (No.HA973) Heritage Agreement covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lake Moodie sits 23 km off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Lake Short.