The past few weeks have put the fun back in fishing with several events across the Western Plains, however as of September 1, it's time to steer all fishing rods clear of Murray Cod and Murray Crayfish for the season. 

The annual three-month sabbatical from the two species are all a part of protecting both iconic native species. 

“Murray Cod cannot be taken in inland waters from September to November inclusive, which is their breeding season, except in Copeton and Blowering dams, which are year round fisheries,” said NSW DI Fisheries Deputy Director General Sean Sloan. 

“In Copeton and Blowering dams, DPI monitoring has confirmed that the majority of fish in those waters are stocked fish, meaning the breeding season closure would provide negligible benefit to Murray Cod,” Mr Sloan said. 

In the recent Bourke Fishing Challenge, Murray Cod were few and far between amongst the thousands of carp in the Darling River. 

“Murray Cod are a prized target for fishers in NSW’s inland fishery and are native to the Murray-Darling Basin,” Mr Sloan said. 

The alarm was raised in January this year when researchers reported that cod numbers were critically low - too low to recover naturally - in some stretches of the Darling-Baaka, in particular between Bourke and Louth.

The next three months are an opportunity for those numbers to grow once more. 

It is hoped that the record 1.28 million Murray Cod that were produced and stocked in the NSW Government’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre during the past year for re-stocking purposes will aid the recovery.

The fingerlings were released in June 2023 at more than 50 sites across the State, including Blowering, Burrendong and Copeton dams, as part of the NSW Government’s Native Fish Stocking Program.

While fishing is allowed for the Murray Cod for the other nine months of the year, the fishery is closed for the remainder of the year to provide protection for this vulnerable species. 

“NSW recreational freshwater fishing laws are designed to protect, conserve and improve our fisheries resources for future generations.”

Suspected illegal fishing should be reported to the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 or via the online form located on NSW DPI Fisheries website.