Yan Yean Reservoir in Whittlesea: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Victoria, Yan Yean Reservoir falls inside Whittlesea. The water sits 182 metres up. Surface area runs to roughly 5.01 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. At about 12 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Supplies mean a trip to Doreen, 5 km off. Then Whittlesea, 5.2 km, and Mernda, 6.1 km. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Yan Yean Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Biodiversity records within roughly six miles include shortfin eel, perch, roach 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 Yan Yean Reservoir decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 8°C in July to roughly 20°C in February. It fishes twelve months of the year. Spring, September into November, and autumn, March into May, are the strong stretches. October and November fish well as the water warms. On Yan Yean Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Parking is not close: 950 m from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. A toilet block sits 1 km away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Northern Stream is 20 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Yan Yean Reservoir for certain.