Fishing the Murray River: the fish, the seasons, and the plan to catch them

What and where it is

The Murray runs roughly 2,500 km and forms much of the border between New South Wales and Victoria. It is a vast, slow, snag-filled lowland river: turbid water, fallen timber, undercut banks and deep holes. The defining feature is the snag, where cod and yellowbelly hold. You reach it along its length, through a string of river towns.

This is a different kind of water from a clear alpine lake. The Murray is wide, slow and the colour of milky tea for much of its length, with the current pushing past fallen river red gums, root balls, undercut banks and the deep holes on the outside of bends. Cod and golden perch hold tight to that structure, so on the Murray you are not searching open water, you are fishing the timber. Find the snag and you find the fish.

It is reachable all along its course, which is the practical point for a visiting angler. The river towns each give you a reach to fish and somewhere to base: Albury-Wodonga near the upstream end, then Tocumwal, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura as you head downstream, with countless reserves, town reaches and ramps in between. Most visitors pick one town, fish the reaches around it, and use a guide or a small boat to cover water.

Because the river is the state line, the licence depends on which side you fish (see licence and rules below). It is also a working, regulated river system, with flows shaped by upstream dams and irrigation, so levels and clarity vary; a rising or freshly coloured river often fishes well for cod and yellowbelly.

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

Murray cod is the target, the big fish people travel for, taken tight to timber on big lures. Golden perch (yellowbelly) is the everyday fish, on lures or bait, best as the water warms. Silver perch, redfin and introduced carp fill out the river. The cards below give you where, when and how for each.

In short. Murray cod is the trophy, golden perch the everyday fish, and the two share the same timber and the same lures. Plan around the cod close season: target yellowbelly in spring, then chase cod through summer. Treat the natives gently and the pests (carp, and redfin where required) correctly.

I have set each species out as a card. Read the one for the fish you want, then check the seasonal section for how the fishing moves through the year, and follow the rig link to build the method. (Sources: NSW DPI and the VFA Murray cod, golden perch and noxious-fish pages, as of 5 June 2026.)

How the fishing changes by season

Summer is the cod window: warm water, surface lures at dusk and a strong night bite, December to March. Spring is golden perch time, September to November, which conveniently fills the cod close season. Autumn keeps fishing as the water cools. Winter is slow for cod. Plan your trip around the close season first.

The strip above shows what is catchable and keepable on your dates, with the cod close season (1 September to 30 November) marked closed. Here is the year in plain terms.

• Spring (September, October, November). The Murray cod close season, so cod cannot be taken or targeted. This is golden perch time: yellowbelly switch on as the water warms, on lures and bait near the timber. The smart move is to plan a spring trip around yellowbelly, not cod.
• Summer (December to March). The cod window. Warm water, fish active, and the famous surface bite at dusk and after dark. Cast big lures tight to the snags through the day, and work surface lures across the top in the last of the light and into the night. Golden perch keep feeding too. This is the trip most people travel for.
• Autumn (April, May). The water cools and the cod fishing slows from its summer peak but keeps producing, especially on warmer days and on bait near deep holes. Yellowbelly tail off as it cools.
• Winter (June, July, August). Slow for cod, which go quiet in the cold water. Bait fished patiently in the deep holes can still pick up a fish, but it is the hardest time. Cod reopen on 1 December (the close season ends 30 November), so winter sits between seasons.

So the simple plan: spring for golden perch (and the cod close season anyway), summer for cod, and avoid expecting much in the depths of winter.

What you can eat (and what you must release)

Murray cod within the 55 to 75 cm slot may be kept, but the big breeders over 75 cm and the small fish under 55 cm go back, so trophy cod is a release fishery. Golden perch over 30 cm and redfin are fine to eat. Silver perch are protected, and carp (and redfin in some areas) must not be returned to the water alive.

This matters, so it is worth being exact.

Murray cod are edible and a cod inside the 55 to 75 cm slot is fine to keep within the bag limit, but the big fish that anglers most want to catch sit above the slot and must be released, which makes trophy cod fishing a catch-and-release sport in practice. Golden perch over 30 cm are good eating and the realistic fish for the table. Treat the natives well: this is a slow-growing fish in a recovering river, so wet your hands, support the fish horizontally, unhook it in the water or over a wet mat where you can, and put the big ones back. Carp must not go back in the water alive in either state; redfin must not be returned live in some areas, so check the local rule. (Sources: NSW DPI freshwater bag and size limits; VFA Murray cod and golden perch pages; NSW DPI and VFA noxious-fish rules, as of 5 June 2026.)

Licence and rules

Because the river is the NSW/VIC border, you need the licence for the state whose bank or water you fish, and you carry the right one for where you cast. The NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is 1-year A$35, 3-day A$7. The Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence is 1-year A$42.20 (A$39.70 online), 3-day A$10. Murray cod have a close season, a slot limit and a bag limit.

The two-state reality. The Murray is the border, so the rule is simple to state and easy to get wrong: you need the licence for the state whose water you are fishing, and you carry the correct one for where you cast. Many anglers fishing the river itself hold both, or buy the one for the bank and reach they will fish that day. The fee covers fresh and salt in each state.

Licence fees (NSW DPI / Service NSW and the VFA / Service Victoria, as of 5 June 2026; Australian fees reset 1 July each year):

How to get it

• For NSW, buy the Recreational Fishing Fee online via Service NSW or dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing, or from a fishing-fee agent (many tackle shops). Carry proof while you fish.
• For Victoria, buy the RFL online via the VFA or Service Victoria (cheaper online), or from a licence agent. Carry it while you fish.
• Fishing the river itself, decide which bank and water you will fish that day, and carry the matching licence. If you will move between the states, hold both.

Sizes, slot and bag limits

(NSW DPI freshwater limits and the VFA, as of 5 June 2026.)

The Murray cod close season

• Murray cod is closed from 1 September to 30 November inclusive, in both NSW and Victoria, to protect spawning. During the close season you may not take or target Murray cod in the river. This is the single date to plan around: a September-to-November trip is a golden perch trip, not a cod trip.
• The slot limit means trophy cod over 75 cm must always be released, even in the open season.

Other rules that matter

• Carp and redfin are declared noxious in places: do not return carp to the water alive in either state, and check the redfin rule for your stretch.
• Handle natives with care: wet hands, horizontal support, unhook in the water or over a wet mat, and release the big breeders.
• Clean your kit between waters so you do not move pests, weed or disease between systems.

Where to fish

The Murray is fished from the bank and from a small boat along its length, through the river towns and their reaches, reserves and ramps. The named hubs are Albury-Wodonga, Tocumwal, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura. Wherever you are, you fish the timber: the snags, undercut banks, root balls and deep holes on the bends.

The river drops a structure-fishing rule on you everywhere: find the timber and you find the fish. From the bank or a boat, you are casting at or sitting on snags, not searching open water. These are the hubs to base from (NSW DPI, the VFA and local river-town guides, as of 5 June 2026):

• Albury-Wodonga (upstream). The river near the NSW/VIC twin towns, with town reaches, reserves and ramps; a good upstream base with cod and yellowbelly in the timber.
• Tocumwal (NSW). A noted cod reach on the river, with sandy beaches, snags and good access; a popular base for a cod trip.
• Echuca (VIC/NSW). A historic river-port town with strong access, ramps and a long run of fishable river; one of the best-known Murray cod bases and where many guided trips run.
• Swan Hill (VIC/NSW). Downstream river town with reaches, reserves and ramps; cod and yellowbelly water.
• Mildura (VIC/NSW). The downstream hub, with the river, weir pools and good access; cod, yellowbelly and redfin.

What structure means for method

• A snag, root ball or undercut bank (tight to cover): the prime cod and yellowbelly lie. Cast a spinnerbait or lipless crank right against it and be ready for an instant take, or sit a bait on a running sinker beside it.
• A deep hole on the outside of a bend: holds fish, especially in the heat and the cold. Work a deep diver or swimbait through it, or bait the bottom.
• The surface, near snags, at dusk and after dark: the summer cod bite. Work a surface lure slowly across the top near the timber.

From the bank you fish the snags you can reach and the holes off the access points; a boat (often with an electric motor to creep along casting at timber) lets you cover far more snags, which is why it is the productive way (see bank vs boat).

Bank vs boat, and the time of day

From the bank you can take cod and yellowbelly off accessible snags and holes, best at dawn, dusk and after dark in summer. A boat, often electric-motored to ease along casting at timber, lets you cover far more snags and is the productive way to fish the Murray. Surface lures at dusk and into the night are the summer cod method either way.

Plain version: if you only have the bank, fish the snags and deep holes you can reach, cast lures at the timber, and in summer save the surface lures for dusk and after dark; bait near a snag is a steady producer for cod and yellowbelly. With a boat you can ease along the bank on an electric motor and cast at a dozen snags an hour, which is why the boat is the productive way to fish this river. Early and late beat the bright middle of a summer day, and the night bite is the one cod anglers travel for.

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

Guided trips and getting on the water

Two ways onto the water. Book a guided cod trip (the simplest for a first visit, they supply the heavy tackle and know the snags), or launch your own small boat at one of the many town ramps. Guided cod trips run from most river towns. Rates vary, so the links below are the ones to book through; the licence depends on which state's water you fish.

A boat is what lets you cover the timber on the Murray, so it is worth a guide or your own tinnie even for a short trip. A guided trip is the fastest way to a first cod: the guide brings the heavy baitcaster gear and the big lures, knows which snags are holding, and runs the dusk and night surface session. If you bring your own boat, the town ramps put you on the river, and an electric motor on the bow lets you ease along casting at the timber.

Guided cod trips

Guided Murray cod and golden perch trips operate from most river towns. Many specialise in casting lures at snags and running the dusk and after-dark surface bite. Confirm the operator still trades and the rate when you book, and check the licence for the state's water you will fish.

• Upper river, Albury-Wodonga to Tocumwal end. Lake Mulwala Sportfishing runs guided Murray cod and yellowbelly trips on Lake Mulwala, the Yarrawonga weir pool of the Murray, between the Albury-Wodonga and Tocumwal reaches. Half day or full day for up to three anglers, lure fishing the timber. Rates are listed on their site; book direct.
• Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura reaches. Book a current local operator for the reach you are fishing. These downstream towns all have guided cod operators working the river, but check that the one you choose still trades before you commit, and book direct for the rate.

Launch your own

The river towns have public ramps along the reaches (Echuca, Swan Hill, Mildura and the smaller towns all have ramps). A small boat with an electric motor for creeping along the bank is the Murray cod tool. Watch river levels and flow, which change with upstream releases, and keep clear of snags and submerged timber under power.

Where to stay

To base near the fishing, the river towns all have accommodation right on or near the water: caravan parks and riverside cabins at Echuca, Tocumwal, Swan Hill, Mildura and Albury-Wodonga, plus houseboats on some reaches. Pick the town for the reach you want to fish, and you can stay, launch and fish from one base.

Stay near the water

• Echuca. Caravan parks, riverside cabins and houseboats on the Murray, with strong ramp and guide access; a natural base for a cod trip.
• Tocumwal. Riverside caravan parks and cabins near the noted cod reaches and sandy beaches.
• Swan Hill and Mildura. Riverside accommodation, caravan parks and cabins along the downstream reaches and weir pools.
• Albury-Wodonga. Town and riverside accommodation at the upstream end, handy for the upper reaches.

Pick the town for the reach and the season (spring for yellowbelly, summer for cod), and you can base, launch and fish from one place. Confirm current availability and any river-access details when you book.

The methods, and the rigs to build them

Two methods cover the Murray. The lure method, big spinnerbaits, swimbaits, deep divers, lipless cranks and surface lures on heavy baitcaster gear, is the headline way for cod and yellowbelly. The bait method, a big bait on a running sinker or a paternoster, takes cod and is the steady producer for golden perch. Both run a heavy leader, because cod live in timber.

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

• Murray cod and big golden perch, on lures, cast tight to timber → cod spinnerbait rig. Big spinnerbaits, large swimbaits, deep divers, lipless crankbaits and surface lures on a heavy baitcaster, heavy braid and a heavy mono or fluorocarbon leader. Cast against the snag, stop the fish hard on the take, and save the surface lures for dusk and the night. This is the headline Murray cod method.
• Golden perch (and bait-caught cod), on bait near the timber → the running-sinker or paternoster bait rig. A bardi grub, yabby, shrimp or worm fished on a running sinker (which lets a fish move off with the bait before it feels the weight) or a paternoster that stands the bait off the bottom, with a heavy leader, set against a snag or in a deep hole. This is the steady producer for yellowbelly and a good way to a bait-caught cod. (This bait rig does not have its own build page yet; it is described here, and the page will be added.)

The leader is the one non-negotiable on the Murray. Cod live in timber and have raspy jaws, so the rig runs heavy braid to a heavy mono or fluorocarbon leader, joined with a strong knot. The knots that tie these are the FG knot (heavy braid to the heavy leader), the Palomar (lures straight to the leader, and the workhorse) and the improved clinch or non-slip loop (lures and hooks). Each rig page links to the knots it needs.

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

Pick your fish (cod or yellowbelly) and the kit builder trims the shopping list and the methods to exactly what you need. One heavy baitcaster outfit with heavy braid and a heavy leader is the backbone; lures or bait terminal tackle finish it. The full list is below, grouped, with no brands and no prices.

That is the whole list. One heavy baitcaster outfit, one spool of heavy braid, one spool of heavy leader, and a box of big lures, plus a few sinkers and hooks and your bait. Add the light spin outfit only if you also want to target golden perch and redfin on smaller gear. 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 cod close season, buy the licence for the state you will fish (NSW or Victoria), decide lures or bait and book a guide or sort your boat, pack the heavy kit, and note the slot and bag limits. Then print the cheat sheet and take it with you.

Do this in order:

1. Check your dates against the close season. Murray cod is closed 1 September to 30 November. A spring trip is a golden perch trip; summer (December to March) is the cod window (the "what's on" strip above).
2. Buy the right licence. The NSW Recreational Fishing Fee for NSW water (1-year A$35, 3-day A$7) or the Victorian RFL for Victorian water (1-year A$42.20, 3-day A$10). Carry the one for where you cast, or hold both. Buy via Service NSW / NSW DPI or the VFA / Service Victoria.
3. Decide lures or bait, and sort the boat. Lures at the snags are the headline cod method; bait on a running sinker is the steady yellowbelly producer. Book a guided cod trip (links above) or launch your own at a town ramp, and watch the river level.
4. Pack the heavy kit. Baitcaster rod and reel, heavy braid, heavy leader, a box of big lures (with surface lures for the night), sinkers and hooks and your bait, a cod cradle or knotless net, a wet mat, pliers, a head torch and a brag mat. The shopping list above (trimmed by the kit builder) is your packing list.
5. Note the limits. Murray cod slot 55 to 75 cm (release under and over), bag NSW 2 / VIC 1 in rivers; golden perch 30 cm, bag 5. Release silver perch. Do not return carp (or redfin where required) alive. Wet hands, handle natives carefully.
6. Print the cheat sheet and fold it into the box. Get the printable cheat sheet

Common mistakes

The big ones: turning up in the cod close season expecting to keep a cod, fishing too light for timber, expecting cod from open water instead of the snags, missing the night bite in summer, carrying the wrong state's licence, and trying to keep a trophy cod over the slot. None is hard to avoid once you know.

• Fishing the cod close season by accident. Murray cod is closed 1 September to 30 November in both states. Plan a spring trip around golden perch, and save cod for summer. Check the dates before you book, not after.
• Fishing too light. Cod live in timber and pull hard, so the heavy braid and heavy leader are not for the fight alone, they are for stopping a fish before it buries you in the snag. Light line loses cod in the wood.
• Searching open water. This is structure fishing. Cast at the snags, undercut banks, root balls and deep holes, not the open river. Find the timber and you find the fish.
• Missing the night bite. In summer the surface bite at dusk and after dark is the cod fishing people travel for. Do not pack up at sunset; that is when it starts.
• Carrying the wrong licence. The river is the state line, so carry the licence for the water you cast into (or hold both NSW and Victoria). The fee is small; the fine is not.
• Trying to keep a trophy cod. Cod over 75 cm sit outside the slot and must always go back, even in the open season. Big cod are a release fishery, so handle them gently in wet hands and return them.
• Mishandling natives, mishandling pests. Treat cod, golden perch and silver perch with care and return the ones you must. Do not return carp (or redfin where required) to the water alive.

Frequently asked questions

The questions travelling anglers ask most about the Murray: what is here, the two-state licence, prices, the best time, the cod close season, the size and bag limits, bank versus boat, what cod take, what you can eat, and the kit.