Great Lake in Central Highlands (Tas.): How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Great Lake sits within Central Highlands (Tas.) in Tasmania. Everything around it is farm and woodlot. This is big water, about 148.26 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The water reaches back into a network of arms, each one worth a session of its own. By surface area it heads our Central Highlands (Tas.) listings. For supplies, Cressy is 37 km out. Hobart sits 121 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one set of state rules.

• Where to Fish on Great Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public wildlife records from this area list brown trout and Atlantic salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Great Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 12°C at the top of summer and 2°C at the bottom of winter. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. October and November fish well as the water warms. Plan any trip to Great Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a reservoir by origin, with the deepest water near the dam. The water borders Rainbow Point Conservation Area, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Shannon Lagoon at 12 km is the nearest alternative. Where Great Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.