Upper Yarra Reservoir in Yarra Ranges: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Upper Yarra Reservoir is one of the Yarra Ranges waters in Victoria. Elevation runs to 357 metres. At 6.82 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. There is roughly 27 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Among the waters listed for Yarra Ranges, none is wider. Warburton is the closest place, 21 km off. Further out sit Millgrove (24 km) and Wesburn (26 km). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Upper Yarra Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include shortfin eel, brown trout, roach, river blackfish and southern pygmy perch. Records show what people reported, not what is stocked. Upper Yarra Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical February readings run about 18°C; by July the average is down near 6°C. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Winter here is cool and quiet, and often the most comfortable time out. The shoulder seasons either side of summer are the ones to aim for. Upper Yarra Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Maroondah Reservoir is 31 km off. The position on Upper Yarra Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.