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Yarra River

Above Upper Yarra Dam

Catchment area for Melbourne Water's Upper Yarra Reservoir. Closed to fishing.

Below Upper Yarra Dam to Warburton

Flows swiftly through forested country with rapids and pools, gravel bottom. Good road access particularly near Warburton. Brown trout to 650g. average 150g, abundant river blackfish average 50g. but increasing numbers to 400g and better, also some eels , roach and small redfin. Fishing for blackfish has improved in recent years, with some very good catches being taken late afternoon-early evening.

Warburton to Woori Yallock

Flows rapidly through grazing land, with an increasing number of large pools. The bottom is mostly sand but areas of gravel around Launching Place. Access is very good from highway running parallel to much of the stream. The most abundant fish are brown trout average 220g, maximum 1 kg, some rainbow trout to 400g, average 100g, redfin, river blackfish to 100g, and abundant roach average 85g, maximum 250g. Carp and short-finned eels are also present. Best fishing for trout is in the Wesburn area. Healesville-Launching Place was stocked annually -with brown trout until 1989. Stocking ceased when fish population surveys showed that small naturally-spawned trout constituted more than 99% of the trout population.

Woori Yallock to Healesville

Access is not good as the river is some distance from the road and flows through private property. River at the Maroondah Highway crossing near Healesville has produced good results. Contains brown trout to 440g, average 160, good numbers of river blackfish, occasional rainbow trout, redfin, roach, and eels.

Healesville to Warrandyte

Flows through flood plain then into a steep sided valley through lightly timbered country. Near Healesville, the bottom is mostly sand with some extensive stretches of mud downstream. Upper section carries a few brown trout average 220g, also some redfin, roach to 200g, eels, carp to 2.6 kg, and goldfish. Access is difficult in the upper section because of private property. In the Warrandyte area the river has a more rapid flow, some large pools, extensive riffle areas and a rock bottom. Contains roach, redfin, carp, brown trout to 400g, and Macquarie perch. Fishing is more productive downstream of Yarra Glen.

Warrandyte to Eltbam

Flows through lightly timbered gorge and semi-gorge and increasingly urbanised land with a number of riverside parks. Long sluggish sections with mud and rock-bottomed pools. Contains redfin, roach, carp, occasional brown trout and river blackfish. Small populations of Murray cod and Macquarie perch in the Eltham area.

Eltbam to Digbts Falls

Sluggish flow through residential area, rock and mud bottom. Carries a good population of redfin average 220g, maximum 1 kg, and roach to 300g. Also some brown trout, goldfish, eels, and occasional Macquarie perch. Carp more abundant and larger with fish to 5 kg in the Heidelberg area. Reasonable access at a number of locations. Stocked occasionally with brown trout.

Below Digbts Falls

Flows sluggishly through Melbourne and into Port Phillip Bay. Fish species present, distribution and abundance varies depending on the amount of fresh water flowing down the river to mix with tidal salt water inflows from Port Phillip Bay. Burnley-Richmond area is generally regarded as the dividing line between populations of largely freshwater and estuarine fish. Upper section carries some brown trout, abundant roach, carp, redfin, goldfish, some eels. Downstream of the lower section of the Melbourne central business district to the river mouth may contain the same species as upstream plus bream, sea mullet, flathead, small mulloway, Australian salmon, trevally, grayling and occasional Australian bass. This lower section of the Yarra River is undoubtedly underfished yet access, particularly to the central Melbourne section (Melbourne port facilities apart) and downstream of the juntion of the Maribyrnong River is very good and continuing to improve.

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We would like to thank: "A Guide to Inland Angling Waters of Victoria, 4th Edition 1991" (Dept of Conservation & Environment) and our users for their input.