Georges Lake in Hepburn: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Hepburn, Georges Lake is a Victoria water. Elevation runs to 456 metres. It is high ground by Victoria standards. Creswick sits 1.7 km from the bank. Miners Rest lies 11 km off, Invermay Park another 12 km. Within a short drive: Lake Wendouree at 15 km, Moorabool Reservoir the better part of 18 km, Lake Learmonth at 18 km, Lake Daylesford the better part of 22 km and Lake Burrumbeet at 24 km. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Georges Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records collected within a few miles name perch, tench, brown trout and river blackfish. Local agencies hold the definitive list for this water. Georges Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give February about 18°C and July about 6°C. There is no frozen season to plan round. Spring, September into November, and autumn, March into May, are the strong stretches. March through May and September through November are the strong stretches. That shapes the year on Georges Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is recorded parking some 260 m off. A toilet block sits 250 m away. This sits inside St Georges Lake Flora Reserve, so read the reserve notices first. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lake Wendouree, 15 km out. Check the current arrangement for Georges Lake.