Trelly's Weekly Fishing Report - February 13, 2026
by Trellys 13 Feb 05:22 UTC
13 February 2026
Trout © Trellys
The continuing heat and dry is starting to take its toll with reports of dead fish starting to turn up from a few areas.
I was advised by a friend of mine that he had found a heap of dead carp in a small creek near Myrtleford. Thankfully they were only carp, but there are other species not far upstream.
I had a photo sent to me recently of hundreds of dead carp in the Winton Wetlands. These fish were in the remaining water of the main swamp where the last of the water collects near the old Lake Mokoan wall. Again, it was only carp and worth noting is that the Winton Wetlands is now an ephemeral wetland, meaning that it is supposed to dry up periodically.
Sadly, Helen Dalton MP in NSW reported finding 25 dead Murray cod in the Bullatale Creek in NSW. I believe Bullatale Creek is an anabranch of the Murray River on the northern side of the Barmah Forest. I have never been there myself.
Thankfully the water is slowly starting to cool as the nights get longer and the extreme heat doesn't pack as much punch. Hopefully some rain isn't too far away.
The fishing this week:
Waranga Basin
Waranga Basin continues to fish quite well with anglers catching redfin from the bank, and by boat. The larger fish are turning up more regularly to anglers in boats that can access deeper water, however a few nice Redfin have also been landed from the bank on lures.
Waranga Basin is currently at 43% capacity, so if fishing from the bank you will need to wade out to find deeper water.
Lake Mulwala
Lake Mulwala has been fishing OK this week. I have seen a few photos of Murray cod being caught, including one which was well over 100cm, caught using a live scope fish finder.
Goulburn River
The Goulburn River seems to be a bit hit and miss at the moment. I have not heard any reports of trout being caught, and downstream reports seem inconsistent.
Mick Marshall has been catching a few Murray cod and Yellowbelly on lures around the Shepparton area.
Matthew Baker has been catching some nice fish in the Trawool area, including a magnificent 52cm fat trout cod.
Lake Nillahcootie
I keep hearing amazing reports of Yellowbelly being caught in great numbers in Lake Nillahcootie. So I went over there last week to cash in on this Yellowbelly bonanza, and the first fish that I caught was.... A Redfin! The first Redfin that I have seen in Lake Nillahcootie for years.
I did manage to catch a few Yellowbelly as well, but nothing very big.
I was wet wading around the edges, casting small lures with light gear. Maybe a boat is the key to catching the bigger fish? Or maybe bait?
I better head back over there ASAP and try again!
Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon seems to be the most consistent fishery in Victoria at the moment. Every week it seems as though someone is catching a monster Murray cod or two in there.
This week's standout was Christopher Morrell who caught a 112cm Murray cod that had just tried eating a carp that he had caught.
Blackfish
I have been up in the hills fishing for freshwater Blackfish this week. These fish, often called Greasies, Slippery's or Slimeys are a small native fish that inhabit the upstream reaches of a number of North East Victorian rivers.
They often live in areas with trout where they co-exist quite well and can be caught during times of warm water and low flow, when the trout are off the bite.
Contrary to common belief, these fish are more prolific than most people realise and can provide a lot of fun for the adventurous angler.
They are edible and you are allowed to keep them. Size and bag limits apply, but to be honest most of the Blackfish found on the northern side of the Great Dividing Range are too small to warrant keeping.
Look for deep dark pools in tributaries of the upper Mitta Mitta River, Ovens River, King River, Broken River and Goulburn River. Find a nice deep pool with plenty of structure and dangle a bunch of worms in at sunset.
You can also fish for them with small lures, although they can be tricky to catch. It is like micro Murray cod fishing. Use tiny lures, target steep rocky ledges, deep pools and snaggy areas.
I have been catching mine on Strike Tiger Micro Minnow soft plastics and worms.
Avoid waterways that are heavily silted. Blackfish love rocks, creeks and deep snaggy holes. They hate sand and silt, and generally disappear out of streams that are too silted up.