Trellys Fishing Report
Trellys Fishing Report 12th December 2025
As we head towards Christmas I can assure you that the fishing is amazing right across Victoria at the moment. If you have Christmas holidays planned that involve fishing, be excited. Be VERY excited.
Unless we get a deluge of rain between now and Christmas, you can expect to find good fishing in most places.
Trout Streams
Rather than single out an individual waterway, I want to give you a general overview of the region's trout streams at the moment.
Many of the lowland streams that run through farmland at the foot of the mountains are now starting to warm up. Some are still OK but some are a bit too warm for the trout's liking.
When this happens, the trout will slow down their feeding and movement and will often lay low at the bottom of deep holes, usually under logs, rocks and undercut banks.
They will feed when they have to but generally they are quiet. The best time to fish these streams when they are like this is directly after rain. Straight after a thunderstorm when there is a flush of fresh water moving through the streams is a great time to fish for trout.
Often the trout will come out and feed well in the fresh water, but they might only be active for a day or two so timing is everything.
The larger waterways are all still flowing really well at the moment despite the lack of rain.
Upstream farmland in dense bushland is the best place to head where there are a lot of trees and shrubs shading the water and irrigation demands have not affected the water levels. At the moment, this section of most streams is still fishing really well.
Goulburn River
The Goulburn River has been fishing really well for both Murray cod and Yellowbelly lately with some very large Murray cod being caught in the Shepparton area.
Lake Nillahcootie
Lake Nillahcootie continues to tick over nicely with most anglers catching small Murray cod and Yellowbelly. Reports of larger fish are very few and far between though.
Ovens River
The ovens River has been fishing very well for Murray cod this week. Most people that have been fishing have caught cod.
Some of these cod have been over 80cm, with most being much smaller.
There have been a few Yellowbelly caught as well, mostly as a by-catch for those anglers targeting Murray cod.
Those of us that like bait fishing (like me) have been catching quite a few carp in amongst our Murray cod, Yellowbelly and Trout cod.
Campaspe River
The Campaspe River has been fishing well in the Elmore area with some nice Murray cod and Yellowbelly being caught on both lures and bait. I have not heard of anything overly big being caught there though.
Loddon River
I have not heard any reports at all from the Loddon River this week, but while I was at the Cod Classic last weekend I was told by someone who lives over there that the river near Serpentine was barely even flowing. He said he was concerned about the health of the river with such a small amount of water in it.
Irrigation Channels:
I have heard some good reports of fish being caught in irrigation channels this week. Chris Coyne caught some lovely Yellowbelly in a channel near the Waranga Basin recently.
I was talking to a young fella at the Cod Classic last week who told me that he has been catching Yellowbelly in a channel somewhere near Kyabram. Exactly where I do not know.
Someone else at the Cod Classic told me that he had been fishing the Waranga Western Channel and could not find a single fish, not even a carp.
Fishing in channels can be very hit and miss. We don’t have irrigation channels over here in the Wangaratta area, but when I do fish in channels I like to fish directly below a little weir if possible.
My favourite channel to fish is the Mulwala Channel in NSW, or the Berrigan Channel which runs off the Mulwala channel.
I have not heard any reports from either of these channels recently though.
