Murray Cod are one of Australia’s most famous freshwater fish. They are powerful ambush predators that live around structure, especially timber, snags, rock bars, deep holes, and river bends.

• Habits: Ambush predator; often holds close to snags, logs, rocks, and deep structure.
• Best Season: Summer and early autumn can be productive, but closed seasons apply in some states and waters.
• Best Methods: Large hardbodies, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, surface lures, big soft plastics, and bait such as yabbies or worms where legal.
• Where to Fish: Murray-Darling rivers, inland impoundments, deep holes, timbered banks, and rocky structure.

Golden Perch, also called Yellowbelly, are popular native freshwater fish found in rivers, lakes, and impoundments. They often become more active as water temperatures rise.

• Habits: Likes structure, edges, timber, rocky banks, and warmer water.
• Best Season: Spring through autumn is usually best, especially after warmer weather or rising river flows.
• Best Methods: Small hardbodies, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits, vibes, worms, shrimp, and yabbies where legal.
• Where to Fish: Murray-Darling rivers, stocked dams, reservoirs, timbered edges, and rocky points.

Australian Bass are hard-fighting native fish found mostly in eastern Australian rivers, creeks, and stocked impoundments. They are exciting targets on light spinning gear and surface lures.

• Habits: Likes cover, shade, current edges, timber, rocks, and overhanging banks.
• Best Season: Warmer months are excellent in freshwater, but local closed seasons may apply in some areas.
• Best Methods: Surface lures, small crankbaits, soft plastics, spinnerbaits, beetle spins, and light vibes.
• Where to Fish: Eastern rivers, creeks, bass dams, weed edges, timber, and shaded banks.

Barramundi are one of Australia’s most exciting sport fish. While they are often associated with estuaries, they are also targeted in freshwater rivers, billabongs, and stocked impoundments in northern Australia.

• Habits: Ambush predator; likes warm water, structure, weed beds, timber, rock bars, and baitfish schools.
• Best Season: Warmer months are productive, but northern wet season conditions and local closures matter.
• Best Methods: Hardbody lures, soft plastics, paddle tails, vibes, swimbaits, and live bait where legal.
• Where to Fish: Northern rivers, freshwater lagoons, impoundments, billabongs, and structure-rich edges.

Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout are popular introduced sport fish in Australia’s cooler regions. They are common in alpine lakes, cold rivers, streams, and stocked waters.

• Habits: Prefers cool, clean, oxygen-rich water; feeds on insects, small baitfish, and aquatic life.
• Best Season: Autumn, winter, and spring are often productive, depending on location and trout season rules.
• Best Methods: Small spoons, inline spinners, soft plastics, trout dough bait, worms, fly fishing, and trolling in lakes.
• Where to Fish: Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales high country, alpine lakes, streams, tailwaters, and stocked dams.

Redfin Perch are an introduced freshwater species found in many southern Australian lakes, dams, and rivers. They often school up, so once you find one, there may be more nearby.

• Habits: Schooling predator; feeds on small fish, insects, shrimp, and aquatic life.
• Best Season: Spring, summer, and autumn are usually good, especially around weed beds and drop-offs.
• Best Methods: Small soft plastics, vibes, blade lures, spinners, worms, and small minnows where legal.
• Where to Fish: Lakes, reservoirs, farm dams, weed edges, points, drop-offs, and deeper schools.

Carp are widespread in many Australian freshwater systems. They are strong fighters and can be caught with simple bait methods, but they are considered a pest species in many areas.

• Habits: Bottom feeder; often roots around mud, shallow flats, weed edges, and slow water.
• Best Season: Warmer months are best, especially late spring through early autumn.
• Best Methods: Corn, bread, dough bait, worms, light bottom rigs, and float fishing.
• Where to Fish: Slow rivers, lakes, dams, muddy bays, backwaters, and shallow flats.

Eel-tailed Catfish are native freshwater fish found in parts of eastern and northern Australia. They are bottom-oriented fish and often feed by smell and touch.

• Habits: Bottom feeder; often found near muddy bottoms, holes, slow water, and structure.
• Best Season: Warmer months are usually more active, especially around evening and low light.
• Best Methods: Worms, shrimp, yabbies, small bait rigs, and simple bottom fishing methods where legal.
• Where to Fish: Rivers, lagoons, dams, slower pools, and deeper holes.