Cardinia Reservoir in Cardinia: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cardinia Reservoir falls in Cardinia, part of Victoria. The setting is open plain. At roughly 10.62 sq km it ranks among the larger waters in the region. The closest town, Beaconsfield Upper, is 3.3 km distant. Emerald is 4.5 km away, with Selby at 5.8 km. Within easy reach: Lake Aura Vale after 3.8 km, Lake Treganowan 5.7 km away, Beaconsfield Reservoir after 7 km, Lysterfield Lake 9.9 km away and Silvan Reservoir after 14 km. Rules can differ a short way off, since the regional boundary is near.

• Where to Fish on Cardinia Reservoir

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists shortfin eel, brown trout, perch, goldfish and Australian longfinned eel. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Cardinia Reservoir fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 19°C for February and 9°C for July. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. Winter here is cool and quiet, and often the most comfortable time out. March through May and September through November are the strong stretches. The season on Cardinia Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It is marked as no fishing in mapping, which is worth confirming locally. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lake Aura Vale sits 3.8 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Cardinia Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.