freshwater-recreational-fishing-guide-2016-17

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Fish bag limits, size limits and closures
Fish bag limits, size limits and closed seasons
NSW Recreational Freshwater Fishing Guide
Why have bag and size limits?
Regulations apply to help ensure healthy and sustainable fisheries for future generations. Size
limits can allow fish to reach maturity and complete their breeding cycle, while bag limits help to
make sure everyone gets a fair share of the resource and that a species is not overfished. Abiding
by the regulations will help conserve and maintain our freshwater recreational fisheries. Legal
lengths apply to most freshwater fish. Lengths are specific to each species and reflect a size at
which fish can spawn at least once before being caught.
Explanation of terms
Legal length: The minimum length of a fish unless otherwise stated. A fish which does not reach
this minimum length must be immediately returned to the water with minimal possible harm (see
Responsible Fishing section on page 12 for more information). Some species have maximum
length restrictions to protect larger breeding males or females.
Bag limit: The maximum number of fish taken per person per day.
Possession limit: The maximum number of fish per person if you have been fishing for more than
one day. One day is equal to the 24 hour period from midnight to midnight. For freshwater fishing
it is equal to twice the daily bag limit unless otherwise stated. The possession limit also applies to
the transport and storage of fish but does not apply to the purchase of fish from a registered fish
receiver such as a fish shop.
Closures: Closures apply to certain species or waters at various times to protect fish during their
breeding period.
Australian Bass and Estuary Perch
Legal length: None.
Australian Bass
Bag limit: 2 in total (one or more species of
Estuary Perch
Bass or Perch, only 1 over 35cm in rivers).
Possession limit: 4 in total (one or more species of
Bass or Perch, only one over 35cm in rivers).
Habitat: Bass: Coastal rivers from Qld to Vic. Perch: Coastal
rivers from northern NSW to Tasmania.
Good baits: Crickets, earthworms, surface lures and spinner baits.
Closure: No taking of Australian Bass and Estuary Perch in rivers and estuaries (except rivers above
impoundments) from May to August inclusive other than by catch and release fishing. Any Bass or
Estuary Perch caught from these waters during this period must be immediately returned to the
water unharmed. Dams are not affected by the closure.
Eels: Southern Shortfin and Longfin
Southern Shortfin
Legal length: 30cm.
Bag limit: 10.
Possession limit: 10.
Longfin
Legal length: 58cm.
Bag limit: 10.
Possession limit: 10.
Habitat: Freshwater rivers, dams and lakes east
of the Great Dividing Range.
Good baits: Fish pieces and earthworms.
Southern
Shortfin
Eel
Longfin Eel