Fish Stocking Record For Murray Cod

[Ken A]

The State Government’s fish stocking program set new records over summer, with the release of 543,000 Murray cod into freshwater dams across NSW.

The stockings will attract more anglers to important rural and regional centres.

The Murray cod is one of Australia’s largest freshwater fish and is highly prized by recreational anglers. They can grow up to 1.8 metres long and weight up to 50kg.

These latest stockings are part of the State Government’s on-going commitment to stock freshwater areas with trout, salmon and native species.

The Murray cod were bred at the NSW Department of Primary Industries Narrandera Fisheries Centre and released from December through to February.

This includes:

* 69,000 Murray cod into Pindari Dam near Inverell;

* 50,000 Murray cod into Burrinjuck Dam near Yass;

* 50,000 Murray cod into Burrendong Dam near Wellington;

* 42,000 Murray cod into Windamere Dam near Mudgee; and

* 42,000 Murray cod into Split Rock Dam near Manilla.

Anglers need to be aware of the bag limits for Murray cod – with a limit of two per person, per day from either rivers or dams. Only one of those can be longer than 100cm.

Keen anglers can look forward to keeping these fish when they reach the minimum legal length of 50cm in a couple of years.

Murray cod are found right through the Murray Darling Basin – ranging from west of the Divide through south-east Queensland, through NSW, into Victoria and South Australia.

The largest specimen ever caught was estimated to be 80 years old and weighed 113.5kg.

Murray cod numbers have declined over a number of decades. However, the Government’s fish stocking program is helping to stabilise the population.

The fish stocking program is partly funded by the recreational fishing licence and is another example of anglers’ money working for them. The State Government also allocated more than $1 million to the stocking program this year.â€

Full list of Murray cod stockings to-date (summer 04/05)

Ben Chifley Dam 20,000

Blowering Dam 40,000

Burrendong Dam 50,000

Burrinjuck Dam 50,000

Bushmans Dam 1,000

Carcoar Dam 10,000

Chaffey Dam 25,000

Copeton Dam 30,000

Dunn’s Swamp 6,000

Endeavour Lake 4,000

Finley Dam 4,000

Horseshoe Lagoon 1,000

Lake Centenary 5,000

Lake Hume 40,000

Lake Talbot 5,000

Lake Wyangan 10,000

Munnus Lake 5,000

Pindari Dam 69,000

Rylstone Weir 7,000

Split Rock Dam 42,000

Windamere Dam 42,000

Wyangala Dam 59,000

Yass Weir 10,000

[tyrone07]

thats ggod news specially the cod at pindari where up that way a fair bit so thats gunna be awesome

[vipernut]

great news ken.my parents live in the kandos/rylstone area.i knew windamere was stocked but not rylstone weir or dunns swamp.looks like i will be heading up there soon to see if i can locate some fish.have fished rylstone area with not much luck so far(shore based).did get a nice size eel tail catfish but....

[mitch]

I agre Andrew. It would be awesome to hook into a Sydney Cod. Wyangala and Wyndamere are not that far away and I am heading back out to Wyangla soon would love to hook one

Mitch