Trout fishing is especially great in winter, while swimming is best saved for warmer months.
The lake contains trout, redfin and macquarie perch, and the size can surprise, with trout up to 3kg and some healthy reddies.
Taking its name from the Australian explorer, the lake was officially opened in 1971 and was built to harness the waters of the King River for downstream irrigation purposes.
Most of the western shore is landscaped, safe and accessible. Shore based anglers can take the kids for a day's fishing, have a choice of locations to fish from, and not be hassled by power boats or water skiers.
Anglers with a boat can access a huge variety of water for a small lake. The eastern shore is quite deep and offers good trolling. The top of the lake, where the King River runs in, is only 20 minutes from the boat ramp and offers lure casting, trolling, bait fishing and bait drifting. In between, you can explore a number of bays on the western shore.
As an irrigation storage, Lake William Hovell is often at the mercy of huge fluctuations in water level, with the lake sometimes drawing down to virtually the old river course in summer and filling to 100%+ in winter. As a result, trout fishing is best during winter months.
Please take note of some restrictions:
- Boats are limited to 8kph and 10 horsepower
- Camping within the confines of the reserves is prohibited
Target Species: Brown and rainbow trout, redfin. Macquarie perch are protected in this storage.
Best Methods: For trout, fish can be caught trolling, bait fishing, fly fishing or lure casting. For redfin, trolling, bait fishing, lure casting and jigging work well in the warmer months.
Lure Selection: Rapalas, baby merlins, mepps, celtas and tassies all work well here at times.