Freshwater Bass Fishing

Freshwater Bass Fishing has recently been successfully bred commercially and re-stocking of a number of land locked populations has taken place as well as extensive stocking of inland dams and reservoirs for recreational fishing. The stocking of bass for recreational purposes has been a great success. From the fisheries management point of view, bass's inability to breed in such land locked lakes gives fishery departments the ability to control the fish without concerns that they will establish wild populations . Enjoy Freshwater Bass Fishing at Lake Somerset.

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Updated 05/08/08

Freshwater Bass Fishing

Other Common Names

Freshwater perch, eastern freshwater perch, perch

LAKE Somerset (Somerset Dam) would have to be one of Australia's most popular Freshwater Bass Fishing & camping destinations. In a recent survey it was found that Somerset is in the top 5 fished locations in Qld.

Technical Informationset Dam holds some 380 000 megalitres of water plus a further 524 000 megalitres for flood mitigation from a catchment area of 1330 square kilometers. The surface area of water covers 4210 hectares and reaches 55 km upstream. The wall has 203 000 cubic meters of concrete is 53 meters high, 305 meters long and 41 meters thick at its base. Water is released into Lake Wivenhoe as required, which in turn is released into the Brisbane River. The hydroelectric power station is a relatively small plant of 4 kW and was refurbished in 1989.

Freshwater Bass Fishing Lake Somerset

When full, Somer
Lake Somereset is the most popular and probably the most heavily fished lake in Qld. However Lake Somerset is still probably the best producing and most consistent Freshwater Bass Fishing and Golden Perch fishing lake with reasonable access in Qld, possibly only a second place to Lake Wivenhoe as the big bass capital of Qld.

Lake Somerset has everything a good lake fishery needs. It has deep water, rocky points, large flats areas, standing timber in the top half of the lake.

Local fish stocking group, SWSFA, DPI Fisheries & the SEQWCorp have released over 3 million Australian Bass, Yellowbelly, Silver Perch, Mary River Cod, Saratoga & Snub Nosed Gar into Lake Somerset. There are also breeding populations of naturally occuring Tandans (Eel-tailed Catfish) & the introduced Spangled Perch, Banded Grunter, Qld Lungfish & Tilapia. (All Tilapia must be destroyed if caught. They are declared a Noxious Fish).

Techniques
The average family fisho can go to Somerset Dam for the first time and be a good chance of catching fish.
Trolling deep diving lures around the edges of the submerged Stanley River will produce Golden Perch and Bass most days, some exceptional fish are produced in this way.
Fishing soft plastics across the submerged flats in the front half of the dam is a popular way to catch bass, especially if they are holding close to the bottom or are in a finicky mood.
Alternatively, casting hard bodied lures and spinnerbaits around points and banks with stumps or rocks in the main basin can produce big Golden Perch and the odd bass. This same technique is well endorsed in the timbers in the top of the lake by gun anglers in springtime for BIG bass, golden perch and even the odd Mary River Cod and ever increasingly, saratoga (some of which are over a meter in length)
While up in the standing timber north of Kirkleagh, a well placed worm on a hook close to the bottom is a great way to catch Eel Tailed Catfsih, tilapia and silver perch. The same bait on a small hook under a float will produce Snub Nose Gar. At times of inflow, silver perch can and will run right up into some of the feeder creeks on Lake Somerset in an attempt to spawn. Great fishing can be had at these times. Feeder creeks & tributaries of Lake Somerset include:
Stanley River, Neurum Creek, Sandy Creek, Kilcoy Creek, Mary Smokes Creek ans Sheepstation Creek.

Expected maximum sizes:
Bass upto and over 55cm & over 3kg recorded
Golden Perch to 70cm & over 6kg recorded
Silver Perch to 60cm and over 6kg recorded
Mary River Cod to 100cm and around 20 kg
Saratoga to 100cm and approx 5kg
Eel Tailed Catfish to 100cm
Redclaw crayfish to 30cm
Tilapia to 45cm and 2kg
Spangled Perch to 30cm and upto 1kg

Boating
All forms of boating are allowed but a SEQWCorp permit is required for all trailerable vessels. There are 6 lanes of concrete launching ramp at Kirkleagh + a well maintained gravel ramp that is used at low water levels. There is a double laned ramp at The Spit (near the dam wall) + another single lane concrete ramp that becomes uncovered when water levels drop below approximately 75%.

Lake Somerset Accomodation and Camping
Camping is available at Kirkleagh and at Somerset Park 9below the Somerset Dam wall0. A SEQWCorp camping permit is required at both camping areas (fees apply). These are available at the kiosk at Kirkleagh or the Rangers Station next to the wall lookout, just below the wall. For further enquiries on boating & camping fees call the SEQWCorp on 07 5426 0188.
There are various accomodation services; motel, hotel, B&B & farmstays locally in Kilcoy and Esk. See the Accommodation page for details.

Access
Access to the reacreational areas and boat ramps is during daylight hours only unless you are already camped at Kirkleagh. If you planning to arrive at Kirkleagh early in the morning you can telephone ahead to get a pin number for the boom gate to allow you access before the gate house is openned at 7.00am.

Freshwater Bass Size

To 4 Kg usually up to 1 Kg. Freshwater Bass have very variable growth rates depending upon available food.

Freshwater Bass Habitat

Often found far upstream in freshwater. Prefers cover such as instream debris, fallen timber or rocky outcrops. May be found in all types of freshwater from still pools to fast running streams.

Freshwater Bass Distribution

Coastal rivers and streams along the Eastern seaboard from Tin Can Bay in Queensland, south through New South Wales and into eastern Victoria. Not recorded west of Wilson's Promontory.

Most prolific in the waters of remote streams in the far south coast of New South Wales and eastern Gippsland in Victoria.

Recent research has confirmed that Australian bass share a common gene pool, and consequently fisheries departments are now allowing more widespread use of commercially bred fish for stocking of farm dams etc, especially in Victoria.

The History of Freshwater Bass Fishing

Numbers are much reduced throughout much of its range and bass have been severely effected by the regulation of many of the rivers in its range. In particular dams and weirs prevent breeding related up and downstream migration of bass resulting in land-locked populations unable to spawn and much smaller populations below the obstructions due to limited habitat.

In the 1990s, fisheries research vessels captured a number of Australian bass at sea, several kilometers off shore and this led to the theory, then backed up by initial genetic work, that bass may share a common gene pool, rather than being different in separate river catchments. However, more recent genetic studies indicate that there remains significant genetic diversity between populations of bass in geographically displaced areas. So while bass in neighbouring catchments may share a common or very similar genetic strain, fish from further away are more genetically diverse. For this reason NFA strongly recommends that all stockings of Australian bass be made using fish bred from brood stock sourced from the target system, wherever possible.

Often confused with estuary perch which has an overlapping range, bass may be differentiated from estuary perch by white edges to anal and pelvic fins, and a relatively smaller mouth. Except during breeding season, bass are found higher in the system than estuary perch, in the fresh water.

Freshwater Bass Reproduction

Bass start to migrate into estuaries to breed in mid to late Winter, starting first with the northern populations and finishing with the Victorian populations. Unusually cold or dry weather may cause a delay in this migrations and some years it appears that the more mature fish do not migrate at all.

Newly hatched Bass larvae are quite small, around 2.5 mm, and start to feed when about three days old. After around a month and a half, the fry begin to school up, although the schools appear to break up during feeding. Pigmentation develops at around three months of age when the fish are about 20 mm in length.

After a currently unknown amount of time in the estuary, the juvenile fish begin to migrate up into the fresh water. Juvenile Bass between 25 and 50 mm in length have been found in freshwater at the end of November.

The Bass to Barra trail defines and links the pick of tropical freshwater fishing spots, taking you to regularly restocked dams and some of the best impoundment fishing anywhere. Starting four hours north of Brisbane in the South Burnett, the trail winds north through the diverse landscapes of the Gladstone, Bundaberg, and Capricorn regions.

Sink a line along the Bass to Barra Trail and expect the waters to collectively yield Australian bass, sooty grunter, yellowbelly, saratoga, mangrove jack, and barramundi.

Each dam has its own highlights. First point of call is the Murgon Shire and the Bjelke Petersen Dam, known as one of the best bass impoundments in Queensland. Next stop Lake Boondooma where you can leave your boat moored in front of your pick of camping spots. Lake Lenthall, nestled in the Wongi State Forest 36 kilometres west south-west of Hervey Bay, has established a strong reputation for its Australian bass stocks. Lake Monduran formed in the flooded valley of the Kolan River and boasts excellent fishing and sunset views over the Freshwater Lake.

Lake Cania in the Monto Shire is surrounded by granite cliffs and full of saratoga, Bass and pearch. Share the peaceful bush surrounds at Lake Wuruma with birds and wildlife, and bountiful stocks of fish.

Find a strategically good spot on Lake Callide and you're likely to hook a barramundi, golden perch (yellowbelly), Spangled Perch, and Redclaw Crayfish. And then there's the very healthy barramundi at Lake Awoonga, with catches averaging 10 - 15 kilos. Along with the prized barra, you can also catch Mangrove Jack, Sea Mullet and Longtom. Three and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour, Lake Maraboon is great all year round for catching the famous Redclaw Crayfish.

Central Queensland and Bundaberg offer beautiful weather, welcoming towns, and gorgeous surrounds. Combine this with the regions' commitment to freshwater sports fishing with well stocked Dams and great facilities and you're in fishing heaven - you can't miss the Bass to Barra trail.

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