Regulations
Min size: 300 mm Bag limit: 12 Method: All methods (bait, lures and flies) Season: 3/8/2024 - 1/6/2025
Latest stocking
| Date | Number | Species | Age | Weight (g) | Type | Stocked from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/10/2024 | 2 | Brown Trout | Adult | 463 | Diploid | Hydro Creek, Arthurs Lake | |
| View stocking history... | |||||||
Background
Lake Mackintosh was created in 1980 by the damming of the Mackintosh River. Lake Mackintosh lies on the western edge of the Southwest Conservation Area surrounded by stunning scenery including rainforest and open sedgeland. Views of Mt. Farrell and Mt Romulus from Lake Mackintosh can be breathtaking. Like many Hydro Tasmania lakes, Lake Mackintosh contains superb brown and rainbow trout. You can launch your boat at the lake and spend the day fishing or enjoy a picnic on the shore.
Getting There
Lake Mackintosh is 3.5 km north-east of Tullah.
Recreational Fish Management
Lake Mackintosh is managed as a wild trout fishery. Brown trout populations are sustained through natural recruitment. Limited natural recruitment and periodic stocking of rainbow trout maintains populations of this species.
Angling Notes
Lake Mackintosh is primarily a boat fishing lake however opportunities for shore based angling exist particularly around Mackintosh Dam and Tullarbardine Dam. The lake is subject to regular water level fluctuations of up to 10 m. Casting from a drifting boat and trolling are the preferred methods for lure anglers. The best spots for boat fishing are the sheltered Brougham Inlet and the long narrow arm to the north where the Vale and Fury rivers enter the lake. Rainbow trout tend to congregate near the inlet at Tunnel End. For the fly angler the summer and autumn months are best when fish can be found rising in wind lanes or chasing mudeyes around the flooded timber.
Protect Waters
Recreational anglers have a responsibility to look after fisheries resources for the benefit of the environment and future generations. Do not bring live or dead fish, fish products, animals or aquatic plants into Tasmania. Do not bring any used fishing gear or any other freshwater recreational equipment that may be damp, wet or contain water into Tasmania. Check, Clean and dry your fishing equipment before entering Tasmania. Do not transfer any freshwater fish, frogs, tadpoles, invertebrates or plants between inland waters. Check your boat, trailer, waders and fishing gear for weed and other pests that should not be transferred before moving between waters. Do not use willow (which is a plant pest) as a rod support as it has the ability to propagate from a strike
Native Fish Management
Short finned eels are potentially present upstream of the dam wall. The climbing galaxias (Galaxias brevipinnis) may have established a landlocked population post dam construction. This scaleless fish is the largest of Tasmania's galaxiids reaching up to 270 mm in length but more commonly around 120 mm
Pest Fish Management
Anglers can help reduce the spread of pests in Tasmanian waterways by not transferring fish between waters. Offences may incur significant penalties.
Reminder
Anglers are encouraged to bring portable toilets or be sure to walk at least 100 metres from the water, dig a 15-centimetre hole and bury waste including the toilet paper.
Boating
Lake Mackintosh is exposed to extreme changes in weather and can become very rough. Hazardous conditions can occur at any time of the year with little warning. Submerged timber is a significant hazard to navigation on Lake Mackintosh. A good concrete boat ramp is located north of the Mackintosh Dam. A gravel launching area, sheltered from south and south westerly winds, is located approximately 250 metres north of the concrete ramp. Please observe the areas prohibited for navigation: Between the signs and Mackintosh Dam. Betwenn the signs and Sophia Outlet (Tunnel End).
Practice minimal impact boating by accelerating gently in shallow water to avoid the underwater wash from the propeller jet stirring up silt and mud. This sediment clouds the water, disturbs sensitive weed beds, smothers aquatic plants and degrades fish habitat
Remember
Check your wash - if it's white it's all right - if it's brown slow down. Fishing from a boat within 100 metres of an angler fishing from the shore is prohibited unless the boat is securely moored. Do not park on or obstruct boat ramps.
