Lake Nillahcootie, Victoria: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Nillahcootie is a Mansfield water, in Victoria. The water sits 263 metres up. Roughly 5.32 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Some 15 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Compared with other Victoria water on our list, it sits high. Nearest place of any size is Mansfield, 21 km away. Melbourne is the closest city, 139 km away. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Nillahcootie

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. 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. Biodiversity records within roughly six miles include perch, common carp, goldfish, brown trout and Macquarie perch. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Lake Nillahcootie fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 6°C to 20°C. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Spring, September into November, and autumn, March into May, are the strong stretches. Summer, December to February, brings heat, so fish early and late. Plan any trip to Lake Nillahcootie around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It is an impounded water, so levels are managed and can shift through the year. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, McCallsay Reservoir at 21 km is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Lake Nillahcootie in what we hold.