Dark side

==This is an popular recreational lake located in the heart of Ballarat. It dried out in the drought but filled again in 2010 and is now a top fishery once again and is shared by fishers, sailing boats, sculls and other users. Even with all this activity the lake fishes well throughout the season. Do take care on the lake however because being a relatively shallow lake it can become quite rough on windy days.

How to get there

Lake Wendouree is located in the heart of Ballerat in the western district of Victoria.

For detailed maps search Lake Wendouree on Google Earth.

Open season

Lakes in Victoria are open all year and have a bag limit of 5 fish in possession .

Services & facilities available

There several boat ramp Lake Wendouree and given that the lake is located in the heart of Ballerat all normal City survives are relatively close..

Target species

Lake Wendouree is a shallow lake with an average depth of just 2 meters. It is regularly stocked with both browns and rainbows which ensures a good head of fish across a range of sizes right through to 2.5kg. Lake Wendouree also has a good head of redfin perch.

Food chain

The shore and the bottom of the lake are largely sand / mud composite and supports prolific weed coverage. Mudeyes and damsels dominate the nymph population and there are also mayfly and caddis nymphs as well as a lot of midge activity. Add to that resident populations of yabbies and gudgeons Lake Fyans has most of the food sources covered. Located in scrubby bush for the most part there is also a good stand of forest off the north east bank which is often the source of terrestrials concentrations that finish up on the water in north easterly winds.
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Techniques

Most of the lake is populated by weed of various concentrations and the best fishing is in the deeper pockets throughout the lake or along the margins of the lake paying particular attention to the edge of weed beds. Having said that it’s often important to move around to avoid small red fin which can become a nuisance. There is good emerger activity as mudeyes, damsels and nymphs hatch as well as terrestrial activity in summer. Trout in particular become more upward looking during the warmer months and comfortably take flies on and just below the surface. At other times it’s important to fish deeper where the fish are holding.

The moods can change quickly with the weather and unless there is obvious surface activity a popular starting choice for this fishery is an intermediate to type three sinking fly line and to work through the various retrieves from very slow to roly poly until you start getting hits. The most popular retrieve seems to be a jerky medium action with a few pauses but some days its hard to go past fast retrieves particularly if you have a bright fly in your team. In either case don’t forget to fish the hang as Lake Wendouree fish often follow the fly and only hit if given the chance on the hang. Having said all that if you have a technique that is a particular strength for you that is a great place to start.
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Default teams of flies for Lake Wendouree

General prospecting (slow through to rolly poly) – floating line with brown poly leader intermediate and type III

General prospecting (10+ kph winds and a bit of surface chop – pulling flies) – type V fast sink lines

Static or fishing with long leaders in clear water in calm conditions around weed banks when damsels and or midge prevalent

Other fly suggestions to sub into teams

If fish are rising obviously match the hatch.

Members of Fly Fish Australia that carry an exception from Victorian Fisheries can use 3 flies on Fyans.

Top dropper / bob flies

Mallard and Claret if there is any current or recent mayfly action.

Black flies with a little red included are often attractive to redfin fry feeders so also consider #10 or #12 wet coachman, or similar English wets.

Smaller woolly buggers

Middle dropper dropper flies

If the water is coloured up after rain or because of the wind and ‘surf’ are up more dramatic middle dropper flies like small pink or coral buggers, pink and coral blobs flies may well make the difference between your team of flies being spotted or overlooked.

Mudeyes and damsels dominate the nymph population in Fyans so a Murdoch is a good fly to have in the team particularly if any dragon flies or mudeye shucks are around.

Point flies

Brown or olive woolly buggers and Mrs Simpson flies are good representations of Gudgeon

Smaller MKII black / red woolly buggers and green / red woolly buggers are also good options in the evening around weed beds or when larger fish are smashing red fin fry.

Hot spots

Edges, deep pockets in weed beds, drop offs and any structure. Whilst most of the lake is surrounded by thinned out bush there is a good forested section at the north east corner of the lake which in north east winds often releases beetles and other terrestrials and just to the east of that the pump station bank is always worth a drift. There is also good holding water and a drain running into the south west corner of the lake which often produce bigger fish. The bar on the southern shore, which becomes an island or spit at lower levels, has good holding water on its outside and offers good drifts when westerly winds are blowing.