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Grampians check-up

30 Apr, 2025 531
Grampians check-up

The recent return to cool and damp (if not wet) conditions in late April, has been a reminder that lake season isn’t far off. Not that the transition is usually a tidy one, and I hope to get at least a couple more stream sessions in before autumn is over. Still, I’ve begun to add the western Vic lakes to my mental ‘should do’ checklist. I had a quick look at the Crater Lakes pre-Easter, and Monday I attempted the same with Fyans, Wartook and Bellfield.

The theory with these check-up trips, is they’re more about research in preparation for more serious expeditions later, than proper fishing. In practice though, if one water looks particularly inviting, and/ or there’s a bit happening trout-wise, then the research hours can end up skewed.

So it was Monday. Wartook had some solid smelters, Bellfield looked magnificent, and by the time I got to Fyans (possibly the most fishy-looking of the lot) I had a mere 15 minutes of fishing before my self-imposed roo-run deadline – which means getting to Ararat in daylight.


Hooked up at Wartook.

To a little more detail, and Wartook is now below 30%, with the end of the boat ramp barely submerged (it would be a challenge to launch anything larger than a tinny). Despite that, it’s  still a very large and clear body of water. I saw lots of minnows from match-stick to finger size, a number of trout trying to eat them, and caught two on a Magoo.  Water temperature was 16.5C.   

Wartook smelter.

Abundant minnows were still a thing when I arrived at Bellfield after (reluctantly) leaving Wartook. At 67%, 17.5C  and crystal-clear, Bellfield looked a picture, despite some areas of bushfire- blackened perimeter. Other than a suspicious bow-wave in a corner, I didn’t see any smelters, but I did manage to pick up a 2 pound rainbow on the Magoo while searching a deep drop-off.


Bellfield drop-off.

As I touched on above, by the time I finished at Bellfield and left for Fyans, I was running well behind time to give it a decent go. This was a shame, because this third lake, with very clear water (again 17.5C) and holding at a stable 73%, looked, as we say, like it was about to go off. Willy wagtails flitting busily around the rocks on the shore, suggested insects (probably midge or caddis) were starting to appear. Sure enough, as the wind dropped and the ripple died away, a couple of rises appeared just beyond casting range.


Too good to leave!

But of course, I had to go or risk smashing up my car in the twilight on one of the most wildlife-crowded sections of road I know. At least I achieved the objective: all three lakes will be on my list over the coming months.


Minnows (galaxias) were everywhere. With all that food, the trout won’t get any smaller – another reason to come back.