Located in Northern Tasmania and situated amongst some major river systems - the Launceston area holds some fantastic trout fly fishing opportunities.
Tasmania presents a great opportunity for trout fly fishing while being completely immersed in stunning, wild landscapes that are within a short distance of our cities - and Launceston is no exception.
If you're in the north of Tasmania or around Launceston, you may be wondering what's the best trout fishing near me?
With the Launceston area offering some stunning trout fishing locations, Trout Tales Tasmania has compiled a quick list of some of the best trout fly fishing locations near Launceston.
The list includes:
- Mersey River;
- Meander River;
- Brumbys Creek;
- South Esk River
- Macquarie River;
- Four Springs Lake; and
- Lake Leake
You can read the post below for our further run down of each location - or if you're interested in a guided fly fishing experience from Launceston, we are more than happy to assist with all aspects of transport, fly fishing equipment, meals and accommodation - view our packages and get in touch today!
Some of our favourite trout fly fishing locations near Launceston include:
1. Mersey River
Regarded by many fly fishers as Tasmania’s best river fly fishery, the Mersey offers fantastic dry fly and nymph fishing year round and holds both brown and rainbow trout. A combination of slow deep pools and shallow fast water sections gives anglers a range of options, however the faster runs are often the most reliable trout holding water.
2. Meander River
A smaller river flowing through a combination of picturesque state forest, farmland, and lake settings offering terrific trout fly fishing opportunities. The river can easily be broken up into the sections above and below the dam (Lake Huntsman). Sections above the dam are generally fast and clear, and areas below the dam predominately longer runs and pools with some shallower runs throughout. This habitat is more appealing from a fly fishing point of view.
3. Brumbys Creek
Brumbys Creek consists of three low profile weirs, constructed in the early 1960’s to buffer large flows of water being released from the Hydro power station located at Poatina. The weirs provide excellent fly fishing throughout the season, with Weir 1 providing the best options given access to weedy shorelines, which often see trout ‘tailing’ in the shallows through the early season and rising to mayfly and other insects through the warmer months.
4. South Esk River
A large and extensive river system, with many fly fishing locations throughout. Given its length, it is best to break the river up into upper, middle, and lower sections when describing fly fishing opportunities. The upper section presents mainly shallow pools and runs which is ideal for wade fly fishing upstream. The middle section flows through mostly open pasture and contains a mix of wadeable areas and long broad waters which can provide good dry fly fishing during the warmer months with grasshopper and mayfly falls. The lower sections provide a variety of options for all anglers throughout the season depending on flows and river conditions.
5. Macquarie River
Regarded as one of Tasmania’s finest river fisheries, the Macquarie is a highly rewarding trout fly fishing experience. Traditionally fly fishing with wet flies early in the season to imitate small baitfish is very effective, however the best fly fishing is from spring onwards as the famous red spinner hatches begin and provide spectacular sight fishing opportunities. Later in the season, grasshoppers and large terrestrial insects continue to provide great sport and prospecting runs and pools is likely to produce some great trout.
6. Four Springs Lake
Situated in a lowland area, Four Springs provides a great lake facility early in the season, when many highland lakes are still impacted by cold weather and water temperature. Fly fishing loch style is the most popular method and fly fishing with teams of wet flies early in the season is very effective. From around the end of September/early October, mayfly hatches are common and fly fishing with dry fly patterns such as duns, spinners and caddis provides excellent topwater angling.
7. Lake Leake
The low elevation and warm coastal temperatures of the east coast make Lake Leake a popular early and late season fly fishing destination. The best fly fishing is generally early in the season using wet flies fished around the flooded marshy areas. This can provide some exciting sight fishing as trout charge at the fly in shallow water.
Want to know more about trout fly fishing near Launceston?
Through a wealth of experience over 15 years of trout fishing in Tasmania, Trout Tales Tasmania founder Matt Stone has accumulated a deep knowledge of fly fishing across the state, but also a respect for how stunning Tasmania is to experience.
If you're visiting the north of Tasmania and wondering what trout fishing is near me, Trout Tales offer Launceston fishing charters for anglers of all experience levels - or if you want to experience the best fly fishing near Launceston through an all-inclusive, unique and highly personalised guided fly fishing adventure - check out Trout Tales Tasmanian fly fishing packages today.
Hi, I'm Matt Stone - for over fifteen years I’ve developed my passion for fly fishing, wild trout and for the amazing places experienced in Tasmania along the way.
