Lake Hordern Fishing near Apollo Bay, Victoria

• Overview

  You will find Lake Hordern in Colac Otway, Victoria. Salt water lies 2.6 km off. Roughly 20 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A plain outline means the drop-off does the work that bays would elsewhere. Our Colac Otway list holds plenty of bigger water. Apollo Bay is the closest place, 18 km off. It is 105 km to Geelong, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of state rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Hordern

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. This is tidal water: the state of the tide decides where fish sit, so plan the session around it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover shortfin eel, brown trout, black bream and Australian bass. Records come from public data, not from a stocking programme. Lake Hordern gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  February runs about 18°C on average, July about 10°C. Cold never closes this one. The shoulder seasons either side of summer are the ones to aim for. March through May and September through November are the strong stretches. Plan any trip to Lake Hordern around it. Long daylight spreads the feeding across more hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Aire River Wildlife Reserve (hunting) covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Lake Craven is 1.6 km off. Rules at Lake Hordern are worth checking on the day.