Victoria Park in Ballarat is a great place to take the children fishing, or for beginners who want to wet a line. In this Fishing Victoria Park at Ballarat guide we will cover baits and fishing information about the lakes.
Victoria Park is affectionately known as fishing Vic Park to the local anglers.
The Vic Park lakes comprise of two small lakes, (more like dams) which are located only about 250 metres from each other. You can even see the lakes from each other.
Both lakes are stocked during some school holiday terms with small catch size rainbow trout. They are stocked by the Victorian Fishing Authority as part of the family fishing lakes program. (Which is a great initiative to get the children out fishing.)
To make it easier when I talk about the individual lakes, I will call the main little lake to the north, Lake “A” (or the main lake) and for the south one, Lake “B”.
The main lake (”A”) has a small pier which is probably the better fishing spot. This lake is very shallow though and the weed can be an issue. There is a small playground located close to it.
On evening the trout love rising and jumping out feeding on insects. The warmer nights do seem more productive as insects hatch and are more active. Having said that, we recently caught five trout on a cold winter night just on dusk.
As the lakes are very small it is pretty easy to spook the fish. (Even though the ducks splash about all the time.) So if you are fly fishing or flicking a lure, very the casting spot so you don’t scare the fish in the one area.
Lake ”B” has a small island in it, which is overgrown with weeds and tree branches. The birds love to nest on the island and you can even find geese their sometimes.
What fish are in Victoria Park Lake?
Rainbow trout are in both lakes.
I have heard of carp and redfin being caught in Vic Park years ago, but nothing recent.
What fishing bait to use at Vic Park?
Worms, Powerbait, canned corn kernels and mudeyes under a float seems popular and effective.
The weed can be annoying, so a float with a short leader helps keep the bait out of the slimy weeds.
You could use a small sinker, or split shot, but the bait can get covered in the weed.
If it is windy, try to get the float (or quill) to go out with the wind. So it might mean, not just fishing from the pier.
Crickets and grasshoppers are worth fishing on warm nights and when the bait is available.
Maggots or gents as they can be called can be good, but this bait is not for the faint at heart.
What lures to use?
Small lures like soft plastics curly tail grubs with a light jig head can work in lake “B”, but you can’t cast very far because of the weed and the island.
Avoid the big Aussie cod and USA bass lures like spinnerbaits as the trout can spook easy. Having said that it is amazing that the water birds landing on the lake and don’t scare the fish when they are rising. I have seen trout there still rise as mobs of ducks come and go. So small lures are still worth a flick.
With Lake “A” the shallow water and weed make it hard to spin. Light lures can be casted from the pier or certain spots, but the weed can be an issue.
Small Tassie Devil lures, Wobblers, Blue Fox and Jensen spinners are worth a cast.
Fly fishing at Victoria Park Lakes
Black and brown nymphs fished slowly work during the day.
Small wet patterns just on dusk, night or early dawn like Craig’s Night time, Alexandria’s, Mrs Simpson, Hamills, fur fly and small woolly bugger patterns are worth casting.
Other wet flies to try are leech, mudeye, beetle and smelt patterns.
My son recently caught four little rainbow trout with a wet tadpole pattern (as above) just fished under the surface, and I got a little stockie on a dry fly on a red tag pattern.
Dry flies on warm nights on evening can be effective as well. You can get beetles hatching, so it is worth putting on some small dries when the fish are rising.
While we normally catch and release most of the time, some of the trout had the hook stuck down right down, so we kept them. (We were over due on a feed as well.) The trout were cleaned and they had a lot of small freshwater snails inside them, which the trout had been feeding on.
For fly fishing at Lake “B” you have to watch your back cast as there are frequent people walking their dog.
How to get to Victoria Park Lakes?
You can get to the main lake via Plane Avenue or Poplar Avenue in Victoria Park at Newington. You can also get to the main lake from Russell St.
Plane Avenue runs from a bitumen road to a gravel road, which runs parallel to Russell St.
Lake “B” is accessed from Plane Avenue as well.
If you are coming from Melbourne it is around about 1 hour and 30 minutes’ drive, depending on traffic.
From Geelong it will take you around an hour and 15 minutes.
Bendigo takes around 1 hr 40 minutes to get to Vic Park.
What other fishing spots are close by?
Lake Wendouree is only about a kilometre away to the north of Vic Park Lakes. (The weed is a problem, but a great fishing lake.) Fir fishing tips, rigs and techniques, visit – Lake Wendouree Fishing At Ballarat | Beginners Guide
Lake Esmond in Canadian, is around 5 km away to the east. For more information about fishing there, and what baits to use, click on Fishing Lake Esmond At Ballarat Guide
Lake Burrumbeet is only about 20 minutes away.
Moorabool Reservoir, Newlyn Reservoir, St Georges Lake, O’Keefe’s Dam and Calembeen Lake at Creswick are some other waters to fish in, which are within half an hour’s drive from Ballarat.
Hepburn Lagoon is around 31 minutes away. For more information, click on Fishing Hepburn Lagoon.
Accommodation
There are plenty of caravan parks, motels, hotels and holiday parks in the Ballarat area and close to Vic Park.
For interstate travellers to Ballarat, remember to check out Sovereign Hill, Kryal Castle and the Ballarat Reptile & Wildlife Park.
Who else uses Vic Park?
There are areas were dog owners can let their dogs off the leashes, so you will get them running about. (So don’t leave your fishing tackle boxes open with exposed hooks.)
There is a 4 km walking running track around the park, so walkers and runners love the place, only second to the 6 km track at Lake Wendouree.
Close by to the lakes, they have a course for Disc Golf or known as frisbee golf. (I always wondered what the metal looking skeleton bin things were.)
Cricket ovals, soccer fields, bike track and even an equestrian club are in the area.
Amenities
There are some toilet blocks, picnic tables and playgrounds in the area. (Above pic, you can see the lake in the background behind the playground.
Can you swim at Vic Park?
I wouldn’t recommend it as you have the busy roads close by and the lake water gets a lot of run off from the roads.
There is a sign on the pier saying that the lake can get blue green algae.
What wildlife are there?
Black ducks love the main lake. Other birds like coots, wood ducks and purple swamp hens hang around the lake “B” with the island in it.
Water rats come out around dusk, so be careful they don’t steal your bait or fish.
Summary
If you are taking the kids fishing, testing out a new lure, or practising your fly casting, fishing Vic Park is a great little lake. While I haven’t heard of massive size trout getting caught there, it is easy to fish and convenient.
Above image: This is the south lake or Lake “B” with the carpark in the background.
Above photograph: Another rainbow trout caught on corn under a float at dusk.
Below photo: Fishing Vic Park can be a great place for beginner anglers, orchildren who want to learn how to fish.
Below image: Little stockie rainbow trout caught on corn and Powerbait combination under a float at Victoria Park Lakes at the pier.
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