RECREATIONAL FISHERIES REPORT
BRONTE LAGOON
Fisheries Performance Report From Inland Fisheries Service Technical Report
Fisheries Performance Assessment
1. Introduction
via Bronte Canal. The canal also collects water pumped from Serpentine Creek. Inflows are also received from Laughing Jack Lagoon and the Clarence River, via the Clarence Pipeline. The lagoon is a shallow storage and consequently changes in water level can expose or inundate large areas of the surrounding land and influence the performance of the fishery in both the long and short term.
Bronte Lagoon is a Hydro Electric water storage formed in 1953 by construction of a low rockfill dam at the edge of Woodwards Marsh. It is a shallow water situated at 666 m above sea level (full supply level is 665.98m) and is approximately 480 hectares. It is surrounded by sub-alpine woodland with open and grassy shorelines consisting of extensive snowgrass. The lagoon receives on average, 3 654 angler visits per annum and is a significant fishery of statewide importance, offering an angling experience for brown, rainbow and the10occasional brook trout.
2.2. Annual Postal Survey
Technical Since 1986, the Report Service has conducted a postal survey
seeking information about anglers’ catches. The survey comprises a form sent to ten percent of all categories of anglers, asking set questions about their angling (catch of trout) for the past season. This information is entered into a database and information on catch per day, harvest and angling effort is extrapolated. This provides a long term overview of individual fishery performance in addition to characterising effort. In this report, only records post 2000 are analysed.
Bronte Lagoon – September 2018 Fisheries Performance Assessment
eport Bronte Lagoon September 2018
Under the Tasmanian Inland Recreation Fishery Fisheries Performance Assessment Management Plan 2018-28, Bronte Lagoon is managed
as a ‘wild self-sustaining fishery’ with a fishing season eportBronte Bronte Lagoon September 2018 Lagoon is the first of four small storages open from August to April in the following year. Fishing
Fisheries Performanceis restricted Assessment to the use of artificial lures only with a daily
Percent
Percent
that8 supply water to the Tungatinah power station. Water flows into Bronte Lagoon from Pine Tier Dam
bag limit of 12 fish and minimum size limit of 300 mm length.
Technical Report
6 10
The lagoon is primarily a Bronte Lagoon – September 2018brown trout fishery however,
4 8 2 6 0 4
0
50
2
100
150
200
250 300 350 Length (m m )
400
450
500
550
600
Length frequency for brown trout 2018.
0 0
50
100
150
200
250 300 350 Length (m m )
400
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600
50 45 40 35
Percent
30 50 25 45 20 40 15 35
Percent
10 30 5 25
15 10
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2 CF
1.4
Condition factor (k-factor) for brown trout 2018.
2. FPA Survey Methodology 2.1.
Length frequency for brown trout 2018.
0 20
there are a small number of rainbow trout and the infrequent brook trout captured each season. The lagoon also has populations of short finned eels, spotted and climbing galaxiids and the introduced tench.
1.6
1.8
2
Population Surveys
During 17 - 19 September 2018, 80 box traps were set each night over two nights (total of 160 box trap sets), with a wide area of the lagoon covered. In total, 292 trout were captured consisting of 281 brown trout, 10 rainbow trout and one brook trout, with all fish weighed and measured (fork length). All brown trout were judged as male, female or indeterminate, with fish released away from the trap site after processing.
2.3. Stocking Database The Service keeps electronic records of fish stocking within public waters dating back to 1980. These records set out information on location, date of stocking, species, age, origin, stock type and genotype, in addition to some length/weight data and comments e.g. denoting tagged fish. This information provides an historical record of supplementary recruitment into individual waters. 2.4. Analysis Methods Condition factor for all fish was calculated using a common formula. This provides a basic generalised result that can be used to compare other fish and fisheries. Condition factor categories assigned to each level of condition i.e. poor, fair, good or excellent, are reflective of an individual fish or population at a particular time within the reproductive cycle and will therefore change during this cycle e.g. high during peak spawning condition. A growth equation was generated using standardised log-linear data (ln) for weight against length.
3. Results 3.1. In-Lake Population Survey – Brown Trout During 17 - 19 September 2018, the Service conducted an in-lake survey at Bronte Lagoon to examine: •
• to assess the population structure of brown trout and, •
Fishingcondition News - Page - Get the knowledge - Get the fish. e overall of 26 brown trout was good, www.tasfish.com with an average k-factor of 1.08. 5 0
CPUE for brown trout and rainbow trout,
the condition of all fish captured.
