Lake Ondit Fishing Guide, Colac Otway, Victoria

• Overview

  Lake Ondit sits in Colac Otway, out in Victoria. Land around it is open plain. At some 1.06 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 9.4 km away sits Colac, the nearest settlement. Geelong sits 68 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Other water within reach: Lake Colac at 5.5 km, Lake Beeac within 5.9 km, Lake Coragulac at 7.1 km, Thomas Lake within 8.1 km and Butchers Lake at 8.4 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of state rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ondit

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. 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. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include common carp, shortfin eel, perch and goldfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Lake Ondit rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 19°C, the coldest about 9°C. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. Spring, September into November, and autumn, March into May, are the strong stretches. June through August is cool but far from dead. At Lake Ondit the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lake Colac at 5.5 km is the sensible second choice. For Lake Ondit, the notice at the access point is the final word.