Fishing Lake St Clair in Central Highlands (Tas.), Tasmania

• Overview

  Central Highlands (Tas.) in Tasmania is where Lake St Clair sits. This is rolling hill ground. This is big water, about 28.00 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The outline measures near 39 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. On our Central Highlands (Tas.) list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Queenstown is 50 km out. Deloraine is 72 km and Sheffield 75 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lake St Clair

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include brown trout and rainbow trout. Reported species tell you what lives around here, nothing more. At Lake St Clair light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• 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. Summer, December to February, brings heat, so fish early and late. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lake St Clair.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Shadow Lake at 5.2 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Lake St Clair for certain.