Fishing Lake Eildon: trophy Murray cod, yellowbelly and trout, and the plan to catch them

What and where it is

Lake Eildon sits on the Goulburn River in Victoria's high country, about two hours north-east of Melbourne. It is a large reservoir, around 27,000 hectares at full supply, with long arms, steep timbered shorelines and a lot of standing and submerged timber. That timber is what the Murray cod relate to, and the deep, cold water holds trout.

It is a drowned valley, so it does not look like one round lake. It runs out in long, branching arms (the Goulburn arm, the Delatite arm and several creek arms), with the dam wall and the township of Eildon at the north-west end and the smaller settlement of Bonnie Doon up the Delatite arm. At full supply it is a big sheet of water, but the level rises and falls a lot with the season and with irrigation draw-down, which exposes and floods timber and bank as it goes (figures and character from the VFA Lake Eildon pages and Goulburn-Murray Water, as of 5 June 2026).

The defining feature is the timber. When the valley was flooded the trees were left standing, so the lake is full of drowned timber, standing trunks in the arms and submerged snags along the old creek lines. Murray cod hold tight to that structure, which makes this structure fishing, the same as the river but spread across a much bigger water. The other half of the picture is depth: parts of the lake are deep and cold, which is what lets brown and rainbow trout live here alongside the natives.

It is an easy lake to reach from Melbourne, up the Maroondah and Goulburn Valley Highways, which is a big part of why it is busy. It is a holiday lake too, used by houseboats, water-skiers and campers as well as anglers, so it is bright and busy in summer. That shapes the fishing the way it does on any holiday water: the early and late windows, and the quieter arms, are where you want to be.

The fish, and where, when and how to catch each

Murray cod and golden perch (yellowbelly) are the natives, both stocked heavily, and Eildon grows trophy cod. Brown and rainbow trout are the salmonid you can target on the same lake. Each holds in a different place, moves through the year, and wants a different method. The cards below give you where, when and how for each one.

Others, for context. The lake also holds redfin (English perch, good eating and no bag limit because it is a declared noxious species, so you must not return it alive) and introduced carp (also noxious, do not release alive). Neither is what most visiting anglers travel here for, so the three cards above are the trip. The redfin and carp rules are in the licence section.

I have set each species out as a card. Read the one for the fish you want, then check the seasonal section for how it moves through the year, and follow the rig link to build the method.

How the fishing changes by season

Spring warms the water and switches on the yellowbelly (October and November) and the cod. Summer is prime for cod, especially the dusk and after-dark surface bite, while trout drop deep. Autumn keeps the cod going and the trout come back up. Winter is the trout window, with cod slower but still legal and catchable, because the closed season has been removed here.

Note that, unlike the rivers, cod has no closed band on this lake, so its row runs open all year, shaded for the strength of the bite. Here is the year in plain terms.

• Spring (September to November). The water warms and the natives wake up. Yellowbelly are at their best in October and November, around the timber and the points. Cod feed harder as the water warms toward summer. This is the window where most people come for a yellowbelly. On the rivers nearby the cod would be closed for spawning now, but at Eildon the closed season has been removed, so cod stay open.
• Summer (December to February). Prime cod. The fish feed up in the warm water and the dusk and after-dark surface bite is the fishing to plan around. Fish the timber hard at last light and into the dark. Yellowbelly are still on. Trout drop into the deep, cold water, so trout fishing means deep trolling now, and the lake is at its busiest with holiday traffic, so the quiet arms and the early and late hours matter.
• Autumn (March to May). Cod keep going as the water cools slowly, and the trout start coming back up toward the surface as it cools. A good all-round patch: a native by day and a trout at first and last light.
• Winter (June to August). The trout window. Cold, deep water brings trout near the surface and they feed well, so trolling and shore spin come into their own. Cod fishing is slower in the cold but stays legal and catchable, because there is no closed season here. Plan winter around the trout and treat a cod as a bonus.

What you can eat (and what you must release)

Murray cod within the 55 to 75 cm slot may be kept (two a day in lakes), and cod over the slot, the big breeders, must go back, so this is largely a measure-and-release fishery for the trophy fish. Yellowbelly over 30 cm and trout are fine to eat within the limits. Redfin and carp are noxious, so you must not return them to the water alive.

This is worth being exact about, because it is the character of the trip. Murray cod are good eating, but the rule is built to protect the big breeding fish, and most of the fish people travel here to catch sit above the slot and go back. So at Eildon a cod trip is mostly catch, photograph and release, with the odd fish in the slot for the table.

A cod over 75 cm is the fish of the trip and it goes back, so handle it for release: wet hands, support its weight, keep it in the water as much as you can, and do not hold a big cod up by the jaw. Redfin and carp are declared noxious in Victoria, which means it is an offence to return them to the water alive, so if you catch one you keep it or dispatch it, you do not release it. And whatever you keep, check the size and bag limits first, and clean your kit between waters so you do not carry anything from one lake to the next, which matters with the natives.

Licence and rules

Yes, you need a Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL). One licence covers fresh and salt, and there is no separate impoundment permit in Victoria. Buy it online in minutes from the VFA or Service Victoria. A 3-day licence is A$10 and a year is A$42.20 (A$39.70 online) for 2026. The defining rule is the 55 to 75 cm Murray cod slot, and the cod closed season has been removed on this lake.

The licence: one card, fresh and salt, no impoundment permit. Australia has no single national fishing licence, every state sets its own. In Victoria you need the Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL), and the one licence covers both freshwater and saltwater fishing. There is no separate impoundment or stocked-dam permit in Victoria. If you have read about a "SIPS" permit for stocked dams, that is a Queensland scheme and it does not apply here. The RFL is all you need for Lake Eildon (source: VFA). Carry it (paper or on your phone) while you fish. Children under 18 and a few other groups are exempt, check the VFA exemptions before you assume you need one.

2026 Victorian RFL prices (Victorian Fisheries Authority, from 1 July 2025, as of 5 June 2026):

How to get it

• Go to the Victorian Fisheries Authority (or Service Victoria) and buy the RFL online. The online prices above are a little cheaper than over the counter.
• Choose the length that fits your trip (the 3-day suits a weekend, the year if you will come back).
• Pay and download or print it. Carry it while you fish.
• Or buy it in person from a tackle shop or a licence agent near the lake.

Sizes and limits

(Victorian Fisheries Authority, as of 5 June 2026.)

• The Murray cod slot is the rule that shapes the day. You may keep cod between 55 and 75 cm. Anything under 55 cm or over 75 cm goes back. The big trophy fish sit above the slot, so they are release only.
• The cod closed season has been removed at Lake Eildon. On Victoria's rivers, Murray cod have a closed season of 1 September to 30 November to protect spawning. That closed season has been removed on Lake Eildon (and a number of other listed Victorian impoundments), so you can fish for cod here year-round. Confirm Eildon is still on the open-impoundment list in the current VFA guide before you go, because the list is reviewed (source: VFA "Murray cod closed season removed at Lake Eildon", as of 5 June 2026).
• Golden perch are 30 cm minimum, bag 5. The lake bag limit was reduced from 10 to 5, confirm the current number in the VFA guide.
• Trout are 5 combined a day. Confirm Eildon's current trout class and any size rule in the VFA trout and salmon regulations, as the rules differ between waters.
• Redfin and carp are noxious. It is an offence to return them to the water alive in Victoria.

Where to fish

Boat fishing dominates on a lake this size. The main ramps are at Coller Bay, the Alliance ramp at the dam wall, Jerusalem Creek, and up the Delatite arm at Bonnie Doon. There is bank access at the Eildon pondage below the dam and near the ramps. The fishing is the timber: the standing and submerged trees in the arms.

Eildon is too big to fish properly from the bank, so the boat is how you cover the timber and the arms. These are the main access points (from the VFA Lake Eildon pages and Goulburn-Murray Water, as of 5 June 2026):

• Coller Bay. A main boat ramp near the township of Eildon, a common launch for the western end and the Goulburn arm.
• The Alliance ramp at the dam wall. A sealed ramp by the dam, handy for the deeper water near the wall and the main basin.
• Jerusalem Creek. A ramp and holiday-park area up a creek arm, a good launch for the southern timber and where one of the boat-hire operators is based.
• Bonnie Doon. Up the Delatite arm, a launch for the eastern arm and its timber.
• The Eildon pondage. The smaller pond below the dam wall holds stocked trout and gives bank access for a shore session, which is the easiest trout fishing here without a boat.

What it means for method

• In the arms, on the timber (boat): the cod and yellowbelly water. Cast lures tight to standing and submerged trees, or fish bait on a running sinker by the structure. A cod spinnerbait rig or the inshore bait rig.
• The deep open water and the main basin (boat): the trout water in the warmer months. Troll deep with the trolling rig.
• The pondage and the banks near the ramps (bank): shore trout on spin or bait at first and last light, and the occasional bank yellowbelly.

A lake level note that matters: Eildon rises and falls a lot through the year with irrigation. A low lake exposes timber and changes where the ramps reach the water, and a full lake floods fresh timber and bank. Check the current level and the ramp conditions before you tow a boat up, and watch for shallow timber when you are on the water.

Bank vs boat, and the time of day

This is a boat lake. From a boat you fish the timber for cod and yellowbelly and troll the deep water for trout. From the bank you are limited to the pondage and the shore near the ramps, mostly for trout and the odd yellowbelly. Cod and trophy fishing want a boat. First and last light, and after dark for cod in summer, beat the middle of the day.

Plain version: if you only have the bank, fish the pondage for stocked trout and the shore near the ramps at first and last light, with a chance at a yellowbelly. For cod, for the trophy fish, and for trolling the trout in summer, you need a boat. Morning and evening beat midday on a bright, busy holiday lake, and for cod in summer the best of it is at dusk and after dark on the surface.

This table is the core decision the trip turns on. It lives on the cheat sheet too. Pick your fish, pick where you are and when, and it gives you the rig.

The boat: guided, hire, or your own

Three ways onto the water. Book a guided trip (the simplest for a first visit, they supply the tackle and know the timber), hire a boat at the lake, or launch your own at Coller Bay, the dam-wall ramp, Jerusalem Creek or Bonnie Doon. Rates are mostly on request, so the links below are the ones to book through. You still need your own Victorian licence either way.

A boat is what opens up the cod, the yellowbelly on the timber and the deep-water trout, so it is worth one of these even for a short trip. Eildon is a big lake with houseboat and ski traffic and a changing level, so check the wind and the level, watch for shallow timber, and carry the safety gear Victorian boating rules require.

Guided (recommended for a first visit)

A guide takes you to the timber and supplies the tackle, which is the fast way to a first cod on a lake this size. Book directly:

• Northern Waters Boat Hire (guided tours and boat hire), based at Jerusalem Creek, Eildon. Guided trips for cod and trout, and self-drive hire. northernwatersboathire.com.
• MatesBoat (guided fishing and self-drive hire on Lake Eildon). matesboat.com.au/boat-hire-lake-eildon.
• Back of Beyond Fly Fishing (multi-day guided trophy Murray cod packages, with houseboat accommodation). backofbeyondflyfishing.com/guided-murray-cod-fishing.

Hire a boat

For your own session, hire a self-drive boat:

• Northern Waters Boat Hire, Jerusalem Creek – fishing boats fitted with sounders. northernwatersboathire.com.
• MatesBoat, Lake Eildon – self-drive hire and a guided option. matesboat.com.au/boat-hire-lake-eildon.
• Houseboats are a popular way to fish Eildon over a few days, with several houseboat-hire operators on the lake; book one and you can fish the arms from the tender. Confirm the operator and what is included when you book.

Launch your own

Sealed ramps at Coller Bay, the Alliance ramp at the dam wall, Jerusalem Creek and Bonnie Doon up the Delatite arm. Check the current lake level and ramp conditions before you tow up, because a low lake can leave a ramp short of the water. Follow Victorian boating rules (lifejackets, the safety gear, the speed limits near the bank and other craft).

Where to stay

To base yourself near the fishing, the townships of Eildon and Bonnie Doon have holiday parks, cabins and pubs, and Jerusalem Creek has a holiday park right on the water by the ramp. A houseboat lets you stay on the lake and fish the arms over a few days. There are campsites and caravan parks around the foreshore.

Stay near the water

• Jerusalem Creek Holiday Park (Eildon) – cabins and camping by the ramp and the southern timber, where Northern Waters Boat Hire is based, so you can stay, launch and fish in one place.
• Eildon township – the main service town by the dam, with a caravan park, cabins, a pub and shops, close to Coller Bay and the dam-wall ramp.
• Bonnie Doon – up the Delatite arm, with accommodation and a launch for the eastern arm.
• Houseboats – hire a houseboat and you live on the lake for a few days and fish the arms straight off it, which suits a cod trip.

Buy your licence and tackle in person at shops in Eildon and the nearby towns, or buy the RFL online before you leave (the online price is a little cheaper).

The methods, and the rigs to build them

Three rigs cover the lake. The cod spinnerbait rig is the heavy-lure setup for Murray cod and big yellowbelly cast at timber. The inshore bait rig (a running sinker or light paternoster) is the bait way to a yellowbelly. The trolling rig gets a lure down to the deep-water trout. Each links to its own build page, where the knots live.

Map of fish, where and when, to a rig. The build instructions and the knots are on the rig pages, so I link rather than repeat them.

• Murray cod, and big yellowbelly on lures, cast at timber → cod spinnerbait rig. Big spinnerbaits, swimbaits, lipless crankbaits and surface lures on heavy braid (around 50 to 60 lb) and a heavy mono or fluorocarbon leader (around 40 to 60 lb), joined with an FG knot, on a strong baitcaster. The heavy gear stops a cod turning back into the wood. Scale it down for yellowbelly.
• Yellowbelly on bait, near the timber → inshore bait rig. A running-sinker (ledger) rig lets a fish run with a bardi grub, yabby, shrimp or worm before it feels the weight; a light paternoster stands the bait off the bottom. The steady way to a yellowbelly when the lure bite is quiet.
• Trout, trolling the deep water → trolling rig. Tow winged lures, spoons and small minnows at the depth the trout are holding. A downrigger or a leadcore line gets you down deep in summer; a flatline or a shallow troll works the cool months.

The knots that tie these rigs are the FG knot (the heavy braid-to-leader join that the cod rig lives on), the Palomar (the workhorse, lures and swivels), the non-slip loop (a free-swinging lure or jighead) and the snell (the bait hooks on the running-sinker rig). Each rig page links the knots it needs.

Build your kit (the kit builder and the shopping list)

Pick your fish and whether you are on the bank or in a boat, and the kit builder trims the shopping list and the rigs to what you need. A cod trip is one heavy baitcaster outfit and a box of big lures; a yellowbelly bait trip adds running sinkers and hooks; a trout trip is a light trolling outfit and some spoons. The full list is below, grouped, with no brands and no prices.

That is the whole list. A cod trip needs the heavy baitcaster, the heavy braid and leader, and a box of big lures. A yellowbelly bait trip adds running sinkers, hooks and some grubs. A trout trip is the light trolling outfit, some line to get down, and a handful of spoons and minnows. Buy generic sizes and types; you do not need a named brand to catch a cod.

A trip checklist

Before you go: check your dates against the seasons, buy the Victorian licence, decide bank or boat and book the boat or guide, pack the kit for your fish, and note the slot and the limits. Then print the cheat sheet and take it with you.

Do this in order:

1. Check your dates. Cod fish year-round here and best in the warmer months; yellowbelly peak October and November; trout are best May to September, or deep-trolled in summer. Match the fish to your dates with the "what's on" strip above.
2. Buy the Victorian RFL. Online from the VFA or Service Victoria (the 3-day suits a weekend, the year if you will come back; the online price is a little cheaper). One licence covers fresh and salt, and there is no separate impoundment permit. Carry it while you fish.
3. Decide bank or boat, and book it. Bank only: fish the pondage for trout and the shore near the ramps. Want cod, the trophy fish, or summer trout: book a guide or hire a boat (links above), and check the lake level and the wind.
4. Pack the kit for your fish. Cod: the heavy baitcaster, 50 – 60 lb braid, a heavy leader, big lures, a net and a measure. Yellowbelly bait: running sinkers, hooks, grubs. Trout: the light trolling outfit and spoons. The shopping list above (trimmed by the kit builder) is your packing list.
5. Note the slot and the limits. Murray cod slot 55 – 75 cm, 2 a day in lakes; yellowbelly 30 cm, 5 a day; trout 5 a day. Cod over the slot go back. Redfin and carp must not be released alive. Wet hands, support a big cod, release it carefully.
6. Print the cheat sheet and take it with you. Get the printable cheat sheet

Common mistakes

The big ones: thinking the river cod closed season applies here (it does not), trying to fish a lake this size from the bank, fishing too light for cod in timber, keeping a cod outside the slot, fishing the bright middle of a busy summer day, and releasing a redfin or a carp. None is hard to avoid once you know.

• Thinking the cod closed season applies. On Victoria's rivers, Murray cod close 1 September to 30 November. That closed season has been removed at Lake Eildon, so cod are open year-round here. Do not skip a spring trip thinking it is shut, and do confirm Eildon is still on the open list in the current VFA guide.
• Trying to fish it all from the bank. Eildon is a big lake and the cod and yellowbelly are out on the timber in the arms. From the bank you are limited to the pondage and the shore near the ramps. For the real fishing you want a boat.
• Fishing too light for cod. A cod hits and dives straight back into the timber. Light line gets cut off in the wood. Heavy braid and a heavy leader are the point of the rig, not overkill.
• Keeping a cod outside the slot. Only cod from 55 to 75 cm may be kept. The trophy fish sit above the slot and must go back. Carry a measure and check before you decide.
• Fishing the bright middle of a summer day. Eildon is a busy holiday lake in summer. The cod surface bite is at dusk and after dark, and the natives feed best early and late. Plan around the low-light windows and the quieter arms.
• Releasing a redfin or a carp. Both are noxious in Victoria and it is an offence to return them to the water alive. Keep them or dispatch them; do not put them back.
• Ignoring the lake level. Eildon rises and falls a lot with irrigation, which moves where the ramps reach the water and floods or exposes timber. Check the level and the ramp before you tow up, and watch for shallow timber on the water.

Frequently asked questions

The questions travelling anglers ask most about Lake Eildon: what is here, the Victorian licence and its price, the cod closed season and the slot, the best time, bank versus boat, the boat, what you can eat, and the kit.