Murray Cod

Welcome to the Murray Cod Fishing Guide, Victoria. Murray Cod is Australia’s largest freshwater fish found in the northern half of Victoria. These amazing fish can grow to 1.8 meters in length and over 50 kilos in weight. They are slow-growing fish that can live up to 50 years of age. They have a very distinctive green spotted pattern over their head and body, finished with an enormous opening mouth. Years back, Murray Cod numbers have decreased rapidly; however, thanks to recent stocking efforts of native fish by Victorian Fisheries, they are flourishing and becoming a premier fish species to target. You can catch them in various ways, including surface lures, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, trolling lures, and even staple baits. This fish is generally targeted in areas such as Murray River, Goulburn River, Ovens River, Lake Mulwala, Lake Eildon, Lake Eppalcok and Rockland Reservoir. 

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Murray Cod Facts & Catch Limits

• Has the scientific name Maccullochella peeli.
• Murray Cod catch limits are a minimum size of 55cm and a maximum size of 75cm.
• Ensure you check Murray Cod season open and close dates, which affect all waterways except Lake Eildon, which is open all year round.
• Our largest freshwater fish that can grow over 50 kilos
• Murray Cod have a daily bag limit. It can only take 1 for the river and 2 for lakes, urban lakes, and impoundments. (This is specified at the bottom of this article.)
• The largest Murray cod ever officially recorded was 183 cm or 113 Kg

Watch a detailed video of Al from FishingMad walking you through how to catch big Murray Cod

Best time to catch Murray Cod ( Seasons )

In Victoria, Murray Cod are more active in warmer months, ideally between Summer and Autumn. They are often best targeted at Dawn or dusk. Ensure you check regularly for season opening and closing dates from 1 September to 30 November inclusive. The closed season does not apply in the following waters: Lake Eildon, waters south of the Great Dividing Range, except the Yarra River, and waters of the Wimmera and Millicent basins, except the Wimmera River.

How to catch Murray Cod

Murray Cod is Australia’s largest freshwater fish that grows to impressive sizes. They are aggressive strikers and exceptional to target with surface lures. Murray Cod are ambush predators that love the cover of structure, so concentrate on any visible structure. This will include submerged logs, overhanging branches, rock bars, deep holes, and any visible structure. They will also seek shelter in deeper holes and rock ledges. Murray Cod are most active in low light conditions, such as sunrise and sundown. Good lure options for Murray Cod include hard body lures, surface lures, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, shads, lipless crankbaits, paddletails, and curtail soft plastics. If access is permitted, these should be worked slowly or tolled from your boat or kayak. Some amazing surface lures are on the market these days, including imitation mice, frogs, ducks, and snakes with realistic action that are fun to target cod with. Bait anglers can target Murray cod with live yabbies and worms.

Gear selection for Murray cod can be quite challenging as you will need to choose to go heavy and target the really big ones or go lighter and target the smaller size models. These days, popular gear choices include Millerods codfreak paired with a Shimano Curado DC baitcasting reel. Gear that is built to cast large swimbaits, soft plastics, and spinner baits but also rugged enough to handle a fish over a meter in size. These are also strong rods built for purposes like a Shimano T-Curve combined with a bait-caster reel spooled with a 20lb to 40lb braid and a 30lb to 50lb leader.

Best Baits to Catch Murray Cod

Watch as we chase Murray Cod with household groceries straight from the kitchen cupboard

• Scrub worms
• Yabbies
• Bardi Grubs
• Cheese

Our rig recommendations for bait fishing include a running sinker or paternoster rig, as shown in the images below. Please note that we have detailed step-by-step video guides in our member’s area on how to create these rigs.

Simple running sinker

Thread a small running sinker through the mainline, as shown in blue. Tie a small barrel swivel to the end allowing the sinker to run up the mainline freely. On the other end of the swivel add 50cm of fluorocarbon leader ( shown in grey ). Finished with a small long shank hook.

Paternoster Rig

Best Soft Plastics and lures to Catch Murray Cod

These predatory fish are not too fussy and will have a go at many lures. Good options include large surface lures cast hard up against the structure. However, they will also take large soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and bibbed hardbody lures. Cast in one area for a few minutes, and if you don’t get any bites, move on. Keep doing this until you start getting some bites. Mix up colours and lure styles if the bite goes quiet. Some days, bright colours work great; other days, natural colours. For jig head selection, having multiple weights and sizes with you is a good idea. This way, you can adjust based on the current strength and weather conditions. We generally would have a 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, and & 1/12 jig head in a 2/0 and 3/0 size. Take your time when rigging and ensure the plastic is on straight, improving the plastic action.

• Stump jumpers
• Spinwright Spin jig
• Bidgiwong 200
• Bassman spinnerbait Codman
• Megabass Vatalion 190mm jointed swimbait
• Codger 55mm cod hard body
• Jackall TN50 & TN60
• Rapala X-RAP PETO 14cm
• Balista Dyno 90 hardbody
• Megabass Magdraft 10″ Swimbait
• Bassman DT spinnerbait
• Ignite Cod Fury 220 soft plastic swimbait
• Jackall Gantia
• RMG Nightwalker
• Daiwa Duckfin Live Shad
• Jackall Pompadour
• Wilson slicks back hard body lure
• Old mate lake Nagambie cod classic lure
• Old mate cod lures
• Koolabung code walker
• RMG Poltergeist
• Savage Gear 3D snake
• Bassman Biggen spinnerbait
• Icon Carnage Spinnerbaits
• Koolabung codcracker
• Deps buzzjet

Best locations to catch Murray Cod

• Murray River
• Lake Mulwala
• Lake Eildon
• Lake Eppalock
• Rocklands Reservoir
• Benalla Lake
• Big Meran Lake
• Booroopki Swamp
• Boga Lake
• Buffalo Lake
• Cairn Curran Reservoir
• Charlegrark Lake
• Charm Lake
• Cooper Lake
• Cullulleraine Lake
• First Reedy Lake
• Greens Lake
• Harrietville Dredge Hole
• Hume Lake
• Kangaroo Lake
• Kiewa River
• Kow Swamp
• Laanecoorie Reservoir
• Lascelles Lake
• Moodemere Lake
• Nagambie
• Nillahcootie Lake
• Numurkah Lake
• Taylors Lake
• Victoria Lake Shepparton
• Walkers Lake
• Waranga Basin

 

Lakes and Urban Lakes for Murray Cod Classification

Specified lakes and impoundments

• Barkers Creek Reservoir
• Benalla Lake
• Big Meran Lake
• Booroopki Swamp
• Boga Lake
• Buffalo Lake
• Cairn Curran Reservoir
• Charlegrark Lake
• Charm Lake
• Cullulleraine Lake
• Eildon Lake
• Eppalock Lake
• First Reedy Lake
• Greens Lake
• Hume Lake
• Kangaroo Lake
• Kow Swamp
• Laanecoorie Reservoir
• Lascelles Lake
• Lauriston Reservoir
• Moodemere Lake
• Nagambie Weir
• Nillahcootie Lake
• Numurkah Lake
• Rocklands Reservoir
• Taylors Lake
• Victoria Lake (Shepparton)
• Upper Coliban Reservoir
• Walkers Lake
• Waranga Basin

 

Urban Lakes

• Albert Park Lake
• Casey Fields Lake
• Karkarook Lake
• Melton Reservoir
• Navan Park Lake
• Quarry Lake (Ferntree Gully)
• Roxburgh Park Lake
• Spavin Lake

Murray Cod Fishing Guide Victoria – Fish image supplied VFA and DEPI. They carry out wonderful initiatives locally, and we encourage you to visit their website and support them. You can obtain a free Victorian recreational fishing guide from the Victorian Fisheries Authorities weblink

If you feel this fish species guide lacks key information or needs corrections. Then, please let us know by emailing our team at [email protected] with specific details in the email. Thank you