THE annual winter trout spawning closure started this week in NSW on June 12 and runs through until Saturday September 29.
“This closure enables brown, rainbow and brook trout to breed uninterrupted during their annual spawning run, while allowing trout fishers to fish over both the June and October long weekends,” said NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) Senior Fisheries Manager Inland, Cameron Westaway.
“It is an offence to fish in trout streams during the closed season and any persons found fishing can be issued with on-the-spot fines of $500.
“Fisheries officers will be patrolling the State’s waterways to ensure that fishers are adhering to these regulations.”
Westaway said that fishers can continue fishing for trout during the annual closure, without breaking the rules, at any of the trout dams across the state that have been stocked as part of the NSW DPI fish stocking program.
“Popular winter fishing spots include Lakes Jindabyne and Eucumbene, Oberon Dam near Bathurst, Tantangara and Talbingo Dams near Tumut, and Lake Wallace and Thompson’s Creek Dam near Lithgow,” he said.
During the 2011/12 season, around 2.9 million trout were stocked in NSW waterways, consisting of two million rainbow trout, 600,000 brown trout, 225,000 Atlantic salmon and 40,000 brook trout.
Detailed information on all fishing rules can be found on the NSW DPI website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries, or in the 2012 NSW Freshwater Fishing Guide available from NSW DPI offices and most bait and tackle stores.
