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Arthurs is a hydro lake that was created by the damming of the Upper Lake River in the early 1960's and the flooding of the areas that contained Blue Lake, Sand Lake and the Morass Marsh.

From a fly fishers aspect Arthurs Lake is one of those "must visit" fisheries and to many of us is always on the itinerary when we visit Tasmania.

Like many of the highland lakes the best conditions for fishing are generally those with overcast skies and a sustained breeze to break the surface of the water but not so strong that fishing is dangerous.

How to get there

The closest town to Arthurs lake is Miena on the banks of the Great Lake which is only 3 kilometres as the crow flies from Arthurs Lake at their closes points. Water from Arthurs Lake is pumped into Great lake as part of the process of hydro production of electricity. Partly because of its hydro heritage and also because of its popularity there is good access from three main roads and numerous, dirt roads and tracks that access much of the lake. There is also plenty of boat launching facilities giving convenient access to most of the lake. It is always worth remembering that Arthurs Lake is very exposed and the long reaches of open water allow the development of very rough conditions that can blow up from any direct with short or no notice. There are boat launching areas at Arthurs: Jonah Bay, Pumphouse Bay, Tea Tree Bay at Wilburville, Western side of Arthurs Dam and the western end of Morass Bay at Yangeena. Camping is permitted at Pump house Bay and Jonah Bay but permission is required from the Parks and Wildlife Service.
For detailed maps search Falls Creek on Google Earth.

Open season

Brown trout season 1st Saturday in August to the Sunday closest to the end of April.

Services & facilities available

There are no services at Arthurs lake itself but accommodation, fuel and other facilities are available at Minena which is just 4 kilometres away by road.

Target species

Originally stocked with both Rainbow and Brown trout the lake has evolved over time in to a Brown Trout only fishery. Ideally suited to browns they quickly became the dominant species and eventually the only species of trout inhabiting this quite large lake with its many feeder streams, particularly on the Northern and western shores, that have provided the lake with its significant head of fish from natural recruitment only. Natural propagation in fact is so prolific that the taking of some fish is in fact encourage rather than being frowned upon as is so often the case in other Tasmanian and mainland lakes. The head of fish is so large in fact that there is strong argument that the lake is overpopulated and as a consequent that many fish do not often reach their true size potential with fish in the range of one to three pounds being dominant. There are of course big fish also in Arthurs Lake and each year specimens of over the magic 10 lbs are reported and of course there is always a chance that you will hook a monster that will break the current record of 16 lbs.

Food chain

As well as a changing feast of terrestrial insects the trout have a diet which includes two threatened species of native galaxies, mud eyes and numerous other nymphs and pupa.

	What trout eat - Tasmania - trout activity What trout eat - Tasmania - food sources

Techniques

Arthurs Lake is a general fishery with bait, lure and fly fishing all being acceptable techniques.

1. As well as a changing feast of terrestrial insects the trout have a diet which includes two threatened species of native galaxies, mud eyes and numerous other nymphs and pupa and consequently many methods and different types of flies work at various times. The following list however does provide a pretty good starting point:
2. Single fly techniques particularly from the shore. Use any of the flies below, match the hatch with snail patterns such as black and peacock, midge, emergers, dries or nymphs including stick caddis imitations - try a range of lines and retrieves.
3. Washing line and pulling boobies. Black booby on point or top dropper with smaller buggers or nymphs in the team.
4. Mayfly nymphs, caddis or stick caddis imitations on the point and middle dropper - try slow retrieves - try floating, sink tip and sinking lines.
5. Wind lane fishing with either dry flies or wet flies. Match the hatch or consider a selection of English wee wet flies.
6. Loch fly fishing with a team of wet flies. Try a teams made up of the following flies - fast jerky retrieve or roly pollie normally works best but try various retrieves - type five lines normally work well but try other line options.

	Loch style fishing tips

Fly suggestions

Top Dropper (smaller than point flies)

Black sparkle bugger
Bibio bugger
Plain black woolly bugger
Mallard and Claret if mayflies around
Kate McLaren if hoppers around
Bibio
Black and peacock

Middle Droppers:

Dunkeld
Black and gold woolly worm
Sunset Tom Jones
Gold Cormorant
Black MK2 woolly bugger
Olive MK2 woolly bugger
Shrek
Fiona
NZ sparkle bugger
Blob with attitude

Point flies (size 8-12):

Bead head woolly bugger variants (longer tails on flies seem to work well in Arthurs probably because of the inclusion of native galaxies on the trouts menu):

Black woolly bugger with purple flash
Olive woolly buggers with green flash
Black MK2 woolly bugger
Olive MK2 woolly bugger
Root beer / black tailed woolly bugger
Shrek
Fiona
Magoo with orange bead
Magoo
Tassi bugger

Other Flies:

NZ Dynamite fly
Joe Riley
Black or olive yeti
Tom Jones

Hot spots

1. Tumble down bay - head toward the power lines and turn right behind the island. I understand it's the lily lined bay into the back of the island.
2. 7 lb bay - head toward the power lines and turn right behind the island, pass entrance to tumble down bay.
3. Diagonal to the left of Jonah bay ramp - the bay as you go round the corner has good ribbon week beads.
4. Blue Lake, Sand Lake and the Morass particularly when mayfly are emerging.

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