Anglers rejoice with more fish stocking on the way

Recreational anglers at South Australia’s reservoirs will soon be enjoying more bites, with around 200,000 mostly native fish to be stocked across five reservoirs over the next 12 months.

Depending on the reservoir, a combination of Golden Perch, Silver Perch, Murray Cod and the non-native Rainbow Trout are planned for stocking at Bundaleer, Happy Valley, Myponga, South Para and Warren.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Environment and Wastewater Expertise James Crocker said more than 650,000 fish have already been introduced into the state’s reservoirs since 2019, with the upcoming stocking to further enhance the fishing experience for visitors.

“Our reservoirs have been transformed into popular fishing destinations with thousands casting out a line every month, which is testament to the stocking program we’ve undertaken together with RecFish SA,” James said.

“Sustaining a healthy population of fish in our reservoirs is vital to providing our community with a terrific recreational experience, and this was recently epitomised by South Para Reservoir hosting a round of the Yak Hunters Australia event, where participants vied for the biggest catch of the day.

“Excitingly for anglers, it’s a busy year ahead for our stocking program with a number of reservoirs set to be topped up with a range of fish, including the treasured Murray Cod.

“Happy Valley, South Para and Warren will share around 25,000 Murray Cod, along with 150,000 Golden Perch and Silver Perch. Myponga, which is already stocked with all three native fish species, will also welcome around 20,000 Rainbow Trout.

“Funds raised from fishing permit sales are exclusively reinvested into the ongoing management of fishing at our reservoirs, including stocking reservoirs with more fish to keep them biting!

“There will also be opportunities for the community to get involved in fish stocking activities through our volunteering program, and I’d encourage anyone interested to sign up, to play an active part in caring for our reservoir reserves.”

Visit reservoirs.sa.gov.au for more information and to register your interest to become a volunteer.

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