The Victorian Fishing Data contained on this page has been compiled from multiple governments and industry sources. Full credit is given to each source. Core ownership of the original data remains solely with those bodies.
In addition, Getfished has augmented and added additional information to the original source Victorian fishing data in order to make the results easier and more pertinent to the fishing community.
The datasets in the format on this page, as used throughout the Getfished website in tables and charts, is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia.
This means reuse is permissible under the terms of the license and where full attribution is given to both the original data sources and Getfished where applicable.
Note that this does not apply to the Getfished website as a whole or the content on the Getfished website.
It is limited to the data in the tables contained on this page only.
Table of Contents
- Favourite Fishing Spots
- Victorian Freshwater Fishing Data Spot Preferences
- Victorian Saltwater Fishing Data Spot Preferences
- Favourite Recreational Fishing Species
- Victorian Freshwater Fishing Data Species Preferences
- Victorian Saltwater Fishing Data Species Preferences
- Favourite Recreational Fishing Species Suggested Baits
- Victorian Freshwater Fish Suggested Bait
- Victorian Saltwater Fish Suggested Bait
The distance calculations have been added by Getfished based on the number of km from the city of Melbourne. Likewise, the latitude and longitude coordinates have been added. They are calculated to the closest point from the city of Melbourne to the closest regional area.
Times were calculated using Google Maps at a time when traffic was much lighter than usual (during the COV-19 lockdown period of April 2020.) As such allow a little extra time during busier – or normal – time periods.
Note that certain locations will be subject to specific fishing restrictions. For example National Parks or Fishing Seasons per certain fish species. Always check with the current fishing regulations, provided by the VFA, before travelling to fish in an area.
Unless specifically specified in the fishing data and fishing locations include land-based, boat and kayak fishing.
Favourite Fishing Spots
The following Freshwater and Saltwater fishing datasets are from the September 2018 Victorian Fisheries Authority Recreational fishing in Victoria Report of survey findings from 10,314 Victorian Fishing License holders.
Victorian Freshwater Fishing Data Spot Preferences
| Location | Percentage | From Melbourne | Lat/Lng | Travel Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray River (NSW) | 27.2% | 223 km | -36.145955, 144.744801 | 2 h 39 min |
| Lake Eildon Goulburn River | 24.7% 17.6% | 235 km 115 km | -37.1200442, 145.8968867 -37.01607970000001, 145.1619887 | 3 h 32 min 1 h 25 min |
| Yarra River | 10.8% | 6.9 km | -37.829427016471364, 144.90105421843262 | 15 min |
| Lake Eppalock | 8.6% | 128 km | -36.873168, 144.5683799 | 1 h 51 min |
| Lake Mulwala (NSW) | 6.0% | 291 km | -36.00345160000001, 146.1099468 | 3 h 13 min |
| Blue Rock Lake | 6.0% | 131 km | -38.063226, 146.1895778 | 1 h 41 min |
| Ovens River | 6.0% | 251 km | -36.36827769999999, 146.3172149 | 2 h 39 min |
| Mitchell River | 5.8% | 282 km | -37.825864,147.634716 | 3 h 22 |
| Lake Purrumbete | 4.5% | 188 km | -38.2825055, 143.2342098 | 2 h 18 min |
Victorian Saltwater Fishing Data Spot Preferences
| Location | Percentage | From Melbourne | Lat/Lng | Travel Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Phillip Bay | 52.2% | 4.6 km | -38.1732, 144.8731 | 13 min |
| Western Port Bay | 28.1% | 81.4 km | -38.3563, 145.2480 | 13 min |
| Gippsland Lakes | 11.5% | 277 km | -38.0000, 47.6500 | 3 h 11 min |
| Phillip Island | 10.3% | 142 km | -38.4899, 145.2038 | 3 h 11 min |
| Lakes Entrance Coastal | 8.6% | 320 km | -37.8511, 147.9958 | 3 h 20 min |
| Barwon River Estuary | 8.2% | 109 km | -38.2740, 144.4862 | 1 h 21 min |
| Portland | 7.6% | 357 km | -38.3609, 141.6041 | 4 h 8 min |
| Apollo Bay | 7.5% | 197 km | -38.7552, 143.6676 | 2 h 38 min |
| Lake Tyers | 6.9% | 349 km | -37.8396, 148.1238 | 4 h 3 min |
| Warrnambool / Port Fairy | 6.4% | 257 km | -38.3687, 142.4982 | 3 h 2 min |
| Mallacoota Inlet | 5.8% | 544 km | -37.5333, 149.7833 | 6 h 59 min |
Favourite Recreational Fishing Species
The following Freshwater and Saltwater fish preference datasets are from the September 2018 Victorian Fisheries Authority Recreational fishing in Victoria Report of survey findings from 10,314 Victorian Fishing License holders.
Victorian Freshwater Fishing Data Species Preferences
| Species | Popular Places | Catch Preference |
|---|---|---|
 Murray Cod | Murray River (NSW), Lake Eildon, Lake Mulwala (NSW), Goulburn River, | 40.7% |
 Rainbow Trout | Lake Eildon, Blue Rock Lake, Yarra River, Lake Purrumbete, | 39.8% |
 Brown Trout | Lake Eildon, Lake Eppalock, Yarra River, Lake Purrumbete, Blue Rock Lake | 39.5% |
 Redfin | Murray River (NSW), Lake Mulwala (NSW), Lake Eppalock, Blue Rock Lake, Ovens River, Mitchell River, Lake Eildon, Yarra River, Lake Purrumbete, Goulburn River | 38.3% |
 Golden Perch (Yellow Belly) | Murray River (NSW), Lake Mulwala (NSW), Lake Eppalock, Lake Eildon, Goulburn River, Yarra River, Ovens River, | 19.8% |
 Yabby | Murray River (NSW), Lake Eildon, Goulburn River, Yarra River, Lake Eppalock, Lake Mulwala (NSW), Blue Rock Lake, Ovens River, Mitchell River, Lake Purrumbete | 8.6% |
 European Carp | Yarra River, Lake Eppalock, Lake Mulwala (NSW), Murray River (NSW), Ovens River, Lake Eildon, Goulburn River, Blue Rock Lake | 9.1% |
 Other | – | 7.0% |
 Australian Bass | Blue Rock Lake | 6.6% |
 Silver Perch | Murray River (NSW), Lake Mulwala (NSW), Lake Eildon, Goulburn River, Yarra River, Ovens River | 4.7% |
 Estuary Perch | Yarra River | 4.3% |
 Murray Spiny Freshwater Crayfish | Murray River (NSW), Ovens River, Goulburn River | 3.1% |
 Eel | Murray River (NSW), Yarra River, Mitchell River, | 2.6% |
 Trout Cod | Murray River (NSW), Ovens River, GoulburnRiver, Lake Mulwala (NSW) | 2.4% |
 River Blackfish | – | 1.9% |
 Macquarie Perch | – | 0.8% |
 None / Haven’t Caught | – | .07% |
All / Anything / No Favourite | – | .3% |
Victorian Saltwater Fishing Data Species Preferences
| Species | Likely Places | Preference |
|---|---|---|
 Snapper | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Apollo Bay, Mallacoota Inlet, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Lake Tyers, Portland, Barwon River Estuary, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Phillip Island | 44.8% |
 King George Whiting | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Phillip Island, Barwon River Estuary, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Apollo Bay, Lake Tyers, Portland, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Mallacoota Inlet | 39.3% |
 Flathead (other than Dusky) | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Gippsland Lakes, Phillip Island, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Barwon River Estuary, Portland, Apollo Bay, Lake Tyers, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Mallacoota Inlet | 37.5% |
 Squid | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Phillip Island, Gippsland Lakes, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Portland, Apollo Bay, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Mallacoota Inlet | 24.0% |
 Gummy Shark | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Phillip Island, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Portland, Apollo Bay, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Mallacoota Inlet | 21.9% |
 Dusky flathead | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Gippsland Lakes, Phillip Island, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Lake Tyers, Mallacoota Inlet | 20.4% |
 Black Bream | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Gippsland Lakes, Phillip Island, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Barwon River Estuary, Portland, Apollo Bay, Lake Tyers, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Mallacoota Inlet | 16.7% |
 Australian Salmon | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Apollo Bay, Portland, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Phillip Island, Gippsland Lakes, Barwon River Estuary, Lake Tyers, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Mallacoota Inlet | -8.5% |
Other | – | 4.6% |
 Yellowtail kingfish | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, Lakes Entrance Coastal, Phillip Island, Barwon River Estuary, Portland, Apollo Bay, Warrnambool / Port Fairy, Mallacoota Inlet | 4.3% |
 Estuary perch | Gippsland Lakes, Lake Tyers | 3.5% |
 Abalone | – | 2.9% |
 Southern Bluefin tuna | Portland, Warrnambool / Port Fairy | 2.8% |
 Garfish | Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay | 2.7% |
 Rock lobster | – | 2.3% |
 Prawn | – | 1.5% |
 Sand crab | – | 1.4% |
 Pipi | – | 1.3% |
 Shark (other than gummy/school) | – | 1.3% |
 Wrasse (Parrot Fish) | – | 0.9% |
 Marlin | – | 0.4% |
 Swordfish | – | 0.1% |
All / anything | – | 0.5% |
 None / Didn’t catch anything | – | 0.5% |
Favourite Recreational Fishing Species Suggested Baits
The following Freshwater and Saltwater fishing datasets are from the September 2018 Victorian Fisheries Authority Recreational fishing in Victoria Report of survey findings from 10,314 Victorian Fishing License holders. The bait suggestions have been appended by Getfished based on personal experience and the experiences of others in the fishing community.
Victorian Freshwater Fish Suggested Bait
| Species | Bait |
|---|---|
Murray Cod | Hard Bodied Lure, Yabby, Scrub Worm, Bardi Grub, Cheese, Chicken, Freshwater Shrimp |
Rainbow Trout | Hard Bodied Lure, Freshwater Shrimp, Yabby, Crickets, Chicken, Scrub Worm |
Brown Trout | Hard Bodied Lure, Freshwater Shrimp, Yabby, Chicken, Scrub Worm |
Redfin | Hard Bodied Lure, Yabby, Chicken, Scrub Worm, Bardi Grub, Freshwater Shrimp |
Golden Perch (Yellow Belly) | Yabby, Freshwater Shrimp, Chicken, Bardi Grub, Scrub Worm, Hard Bodied Lure |
Yabby | Raw Meat, Dog Food |
European Carp | Corn, Chicken, Scrub Worm, Bardi Grub, Cheese, Freshwater Shrimp |
Australian Bass | Hard Bodied Lure |
Silver Perch | Scrub Worm, Bardi Grub, Yabby, Hard Bodied Lure |
Estuary Perch | Chicken, Hard Bodied Lure |
Murray Spiny Freshwater Crayfish | Raw Meat, Dog Food |
Eel | Chicken, Scrub Worm, Bardi Grub |
Trout Cod | Chicken, Scrub Worm, Bardi Grub, Hard Bodied Lure |
River Blackfish | Chicken, Scrub Worm |
Macquarie Perch | Chicken, Scrub Worm, Bardi Grub, Freshwater Shrimp, Yabby, Hard Bodied Lure |
Victorian Saltwater Fish Suggested Bait
| Species | Bait |
|---|---|
 Snapper | Pippis, Bluebait, Whitebait, Prawns, Pilchards, Mussels, Chicken |
King George Whiting | Pippis, Bluebait, Whitebait, Prawns, Pilchards, Mussels, Chicken |
Flathead (other than Dusky) | Soft Plastics, Prawns, Pilchards, Bluebait, Whitebait, Pippis, Mussels, Chicken, Beachworms, Squid |
Squid | Squid Jig |
Gummy Shark | Squid, Pilchards |
Dusky flathead | Soft Plastics, Prawns, Squid, Hard Bodied Lure, Bluebait, Whitebait, Beachworms, Chicken |
 Black Bream | Pippis, Pilchards, Bluebait, Whitebait, Beachworms, Mussels, Hard Bodied Lure, Chicken |
Australian Salmon | Soft Plastics, Pilchards, Bluebait, Whitebait, Squid, Chicken, Hard Bodied Lure |
 Yellowtail kingfish | Pilchards, Bluebait, Whitebait, Prawns, Soft Plastics, Chicken, Beachworms, Pippis |
Estuary perch | Pippis, Pilchards, Bluebait, Whitebait, Prawns, Soft Plastics, Hard Bodied Lure, Chicken |
 Southern Bluefin tuna | – |
 Garfish | Bread **, Chicken, Whitebait |
 Shark (other than gummy/school) | Pilchards, Mullet, Whole Fish, Fish Fillet |
 Wrasse (Parrot Fish) | – |
 Marlin | – |
Swordfish | – |
