Tasmania has long been renowned for its world class trout fishing but is only just beginning to receive the recognition it deserves for its astounding saltwater fishery. With everything from giant sharks and tuna offshore to Australia's largest bream in the coastal rivers and estuaries, Tasmania has something for everyone. From wilderness lakes and mountains to rain-forests and spectacular coastlines, Tassie's stunning scenery will have you enchanted and wanting to explore this amazing island state further.

Information to assist anglers in planning a successful trip is readily available from the sources shown below...

Weather Reports:
Weather reports for Tasmania are available from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology here.

Tide Information:
Predicted tidal information for Tasmania is available from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology here.

Lake Levels:
Success in many of the lakes in Tasmania can be strongly influenced by the current water levels. Hydro Tasmania monitors and reports on the level of many of the more popular lakes here.

Angling Licences:
To fish at a Tasmanian inland water (which includes some river mouths and estuaries), you must hold a current Angling Licence and fish with a rod, reel and line during the angling season that applies to the water. Angling Licences may be purchased on-line from the Tasmanian Inland Fisheries Service here. You do not need a licence to fish at a Registered Private Fishery or if you are under 14 years of age. No licence is required to fish with a rod and line in saltwater environs (except as outlined above) in Tasmania.

Regulations:
Regulations covering inland fisheries are imposed by the Tasmanian Inland Fisheries Service and are detailed here.

Saltwater anglers should take note of relevant area restrictions and gear restrictions as set by the Tasmanian Dept of Primary Industries and Water.

Bag & Size Limits:
Bag and size lmits are imposed on all inland fisheries by the Tasmanian Inland Fisheries Service. A full list of these is available here.

Saltwater anglers should be aware of relevant size limits and bag limits as set by the Tasmanian Dept of Primary Industries and Water.

Angler's Access:
Tasmania’s fishery is essentially a ‘public’ fishery. That is to say that the fish are public property and are not the property of the landowner on which lake or river they live in exists. An angler only needs to comply with the requirements of the Tasmanian Inland Angling Code to take fish. The only exception is registered Private Fisheries where you may be charged a fee to fish but a licence is not required.

The land that surrounds public water, however, is subject to title and the rights of the landowner to control access to the river or lake is at their discretion. Anglers must ensure that they are on public land or that they have sought the permission of the landowner to access the river or lake they wish to fish.

In respect of the majority of lakes in Tasmania, they lie on Hydro or reserve land (Crown, National parks etc.). Generally speaking public access is permitted across Reserve or Hydro land to the lakes and around the lake shores. Hydro does control access to areas where they have infrastructure or there are safety issues with public access- these areas are generally signposted with appropriate warnings.

Rivers, however, generally traverse a number of different land tenures along their length, which may be a combination of reserves and private land. Land title generally extends to the edge of the river, and occasionally to the middle of the river. The only way to determine the land tenure is to search on the LIST Tasmanian Property Database. Another useful tool is the Tasmanian 1:25000 map series, available from Service Tasmania and outdoor shops, which show river reserves where they exist. Where river reserves exist anglers are permitted to access these areas provided they do not have to cross private property to reach them.

Trout Season:
The trout season in Tasmania generally runs from the first Saturday in August until the last Sunday in April on most inland waters. A detailed list of opening and closing dates for specific waters is available here.

Some inland waters are also closed to fishing at specific times as shown here.