Best Fishing Spots in Victoria

1828 waters · 68 cities · 32+ fish species

Victoria packs the widest climate range of any mainland Australian state into a small area. Most mapped water is warm-temperate, but a temperate band runs through the high country where elevations reach 1,595 metres, giving the state genuinely cold water and a trout season that behaves more like Tasmania's than like Queensland's. The coast adds lakes and lagoons that open and close to the sea with sand bars, shifting between estuarine and fresher conditions across a season. Nothing freezes at lower elevations, so the year runs long, with spring from September to November and autumn from March to May the strongest stretches. Summer, December to February, pushes fish deep and narrows the day to dawn and dusk. Fishbox lists 350 separate waters across 56 counties of Victoria. Type by type, natural lakes outnumber reservoirs. Lake Corangamite tops the list for size at around 213 sq km. Between 9°C and 20°C is the working range here. Occurrence records are dominated by perch, common carp, goldfish and shortfin eel.

Popular Species in Victoria

Fishing Regulations in Victoria

Season
Always open
Bag limit
40
Vessel limit
-
Trophy limits
-
Max size
-
Min size
No
Measurement
-
Prohibited methods
-

*Reflects statewide regulations, per official state wildlife agency

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Australian Capital Territory

Northern Territory

South Australia

Queensland

New South Wales

Tasmania

Western Australia

Have questions?

Yes. A Recreational Fishing Licence is needed here, one document for fresh and salt alike, sold by period; younger and older anglers and concession holders are exempt. It must be carried while fishing. Closed periods and gear limits apply on top of that in places, most often on trout water up in the ranges.

Seasons are inverted, with summer running December to February. The strongest fishing falls either side of summer: September to November, then March to May. Trout waters in the high country run defined closed seasons over the spawning period, so check those dates before planning a trip inland.

It gives the state two fisheries. The highest water we map sits at 1,595 metres, cold country that holds trout and a real winter; down on the coast the same state fishes as mild lowland water. A few hours of driving separates them, and their seasons barely line up.

A good number sit behind sand bars that shift with rain and swell, closing and reopening the link to the sea. When open they exchange with the ocean and hold estuarine species; when closed, salinity and conditions shift. That makes them variable year to year in a way inland waters are not.

Yes, along the whole southern coast and through Port Phillip and Western Port. One licence serves both fresh and salt, so there is no second document to buy; what does change is the size and bag limit for each species, and marine parks close defined zones to fishing altogether.

Port Phillip sits on the doorstep for saltwater, and the coastal lakes east and west of the city are within an easy drive. Inland, the reservoirs and rivers north of Melbourne offer freshwater fishing, with the high country trout waters two to three hours further on.