ANOTHER 333,000 Murray cod fingerlings have been stocked into Victoria’s Lake Eildon as part of the “Murray cod Million” project funded by the state’s recreational fishing licence fees.
This second batch of Murray cod has taken the tally to 666,000 extra fingerlings in addition to the 50,000 cod the lake normally receives each year.
Small Murray cod (between 12-18cm) are reportedly already being caught by anglers fishing from shore at Fraser National Park. These young Murray cod are a strong indication that some of the fingerlings from the first year’s big release in 2011 have survived and are growing well.
Smaller stockings over recent decades have already created a reliable Murray cod fishery in Lake Eildon. Fisheries Victoria released over 700,000 Murray cod between 1994 and 2010 and these fish are now providing exciting fishing opportunities for both expert cod anglers and beginners now.
Fish of 55 to 65cm are increasingly common with a few reports of trophy fish around one metre being landed.
Cod catches are coming from throughout the lake too, not just the Delatite Arm, which is the traditional home of native fish in Lake Eildon. Big River and Goughs Bay have also produced a number of legal sized cod this summer for anglers prospecting the shoreline.
The legal minimum size for Murray cod is 60cm and the maximum size is one metre. A bag limit of two applies along with an annual closed season during September, October and November.
