IFS News July 7th 2011

The majority of adult transfers of wild brown trout captured over the winter spawning period and stocked into priority waters around the State, are now complete and will be ready to catch when the season opens on Saturday 6 August.

Adult Wild Brown Trout Transferred in Preparation for the Season Opening on 6 August

To date, a total of 4,606 adult wild brown trout have been stocked into those waters identified as a priority for these wild adult fish stock according to the State Fishery Management Plan. The stockings are ultimately dependent on the number of fish available in the migratory spawning runs in the Central Highlands. Waters in the Western Lakes were completed early in the spawning period but to date, the run has been relatively slow. Consequently, the target number of fish to be stocked into Bradys Lake is still to be reached, and lower priority waters, such as Brushy Lagoon, Craigbourne Dam, Curries Reservoir, Lake Kara and the Mersey River will be stocked only if the required numbers of adult fish become available.

Waters stocked to date and the number of trout in each this year are: Bradys Lake (960), Lake Botsford (350), Carters Lake (300), Lake Paget (50), Second Lagoon (50), Camerons Lagoon (50), Rocky Lagoon (100), Bruisers Lagoon (100), Lake Lynch (50), Lake Duncan (50), Lake Dulverton (300), Four Springs Lake (1,000), Tooms Lake (1,000) and Pawleena Dam (300).

The adult brown trout have been sourced primarily from Great Lake during the annual spawning run in Liawenee Canal with a smaller number, 160 coming from Mountain Creek, Sorell and 800 from Hydro Creek at Arthurs Lake. A further 106 were salvaged and transferred from Laughing Jack Lagoon during its annual drawdown.

The brown trout spawning run at Liawenee has been slower this year probably due to the environmental conditions, little rainfall early, low water temperatures late and the canal being some distance from the main Lake, causing fish to spawn below the trap area. Hydro Creek at Arthurs Lake has had a small run of spawning fish and this site will continue to be monitored. If more fish become available, they will be trapped, collected and transferred, to supplement remaining waters included on the adult stocking list.