Sugarloaf Reservoir, Victoria: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Yarra Ranges, Victoria, sits Sugarloaf Reservoir. The surface lies 175 metres up. The water covers around 4.19 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. You are looking at roughly 16 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. The closest town, Yarra Glen, is 6.2 km distant. The big place round here is Melbourne, 34 km distant. The regional boundary runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Sugarloaf Reservoir

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Biodiversity records within roughly six miles include Macquarie perch, shortfin eel and common carp. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Sugarloaf Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between July at about 9°C and February at about 20°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Temperatures stay workable through the cold season. Spring, September into November, and autumn, March into May, are the strong stretches. The shoulder seasons either side of summer are the ones to aim for. Anyone fishing Sugarloaf Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Recorded parking is 770 m off, far enough to travel light. There are picnic tables recorded roughly 890 m off. A toilet block sits 910 m away. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Ringwood Lake, 17 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Sugarloaf Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.