Eating out of Smaller lakes & creeks

[Lajon]

Huge fan of fishing the local lakes and creeks, but I'm also a fan of catching a feed. :dinner:

I have never eaten from any freshwater lake due to fear of stagnant and unreplenished water, or mercury levels..... does anyone have any other opinion on this or know of any dangers/risks (or know of any studies that suggest its mostly ok)??

I am aware that parts of Lake Eildon, it is suggested you dont eat the reddies or larger brown trout due to them being aggressive species that get a large build up of mercury due to the mining that used to go on in northern Victoria.

What about other lakes, like Lilydale, Auravale, and smaller ones, like those in the Pakenham estates, Ringwood and Rowville?

Would be great to catch a feed, but not at the risk of my health........opinions?

[Rod Bender]

Whilst I am aware of what you are talking about I can not help you with individual lakes. All I could suggest is that the smaller 'Family Fishing Lakes' where trout are stocked - I would guess they would have to be fine.
Jim

[Lajon]

I think when it comes to stocked trout they would definately be ok for a certain amount of time, but what about the fish that are 5-6+ years old that are still in those lakes.....

[rixter]

As Jim mentioned , most regular stocked ponds/lakes are fine. The pondage at lake eildon is actually one of the largest stocked in vic ! , plently of good fresh eating fish. As you mentioned yourself , if water levels look low with algie and stagnant waters , then give it a miss eating the fish. Otherwise too, your best bet is also to stay away from eating the HUGE old fish , they are most likely to carry any long term diseases/toxins, better being released anyway imo as any fish getting big for it's size ain't to good eating realy.
As for the mercury levels ..there is probably more toxic levels of crap in your drinking tapwater than what you would ingest from eating a 'cooked' fish!.
Cheers, Rick.

[Steff]

I can guarentee you will be getting a 5-6 year old trout stuffed

[rixter]

I can guarentee you will be getting a 5-6 year old trout stuffed

Lol , taxidermy isn't realy on my list !, a photo is good enough for me these days. Nice to see the big ones go off to breed to produce more future fish to catch :D. cheers

[Rod Bender]

I think when it comes to stocked trout they would definately be ok for a certain amount of time, but what about the fish that are 5-6+ years old that are still in those lakes.....

The point I was trying to make is that I could see DPI putting a bit of thought into where they stock. Hence I don't think they would bother stocking waters that continually had problems. Just a guess from me
thanks

[mazman]

thats a good point jim, you would hope that they would consider that when selecting lakes to be regularly stocked. as for smaller creeks i normally put fish back after a quick photo regardless (unless its a carp). this aslo depends on what you classify a creek.

[Lajon]

As Jim mentioned , most regular stocked ponds/lakes are fine. The pondage at lake eildon is actually one of the largest stocked in vic ! , plently of good fresh eating fish. As you mentioned yourself , if water levels look low with algie and stagnant waters , then give it a miss eating the fish. Otherwise too, your best bet is also to stay away from eating the HUGE old fish , they are most likely to carry any long term diseases/toxins, better being released anyway imo as any fish getting big for it's size ain't to good eating realy.
As for the mercury levels ..there is probably more toxic levels of crap in your drinking tapwater than what you would ingest from eating a 'cooked' fish!.
Cheers, Rick.

It is actually on the Department of Fisheries website that parts of Lake Eildon are recommended not to be eaten out of.

In regards to mercury, cooking it wont get rid of the levels in fish. Mercury levels are a very serious issue when it comes to a large range of fish species. Example would be Gummy sharks, not only are the big ones big breeders, they also have one of the largest concentrates of mercury of any fish species and once mercury is in your body, it stays there. Thats the reason pregnant women are recommended not to eat flake more than once a fortnight.

Agree that it makes sense that any place fish are gettting stock should be ok to a certain extent. More interested in Redfin and whether or not small lakes containing them would be ok? I guess it might be a case of only eating smaller species and letting the larger ones go? Hard to do that with the big feeds off a larger reddie though :dinner:

[rixter]

The point I was trying to make is that I could see DPI putting a bit of thought into where they stock. Hence I don't think they would bother stocking waters that continually had problems. Just a guess from me
thanks

Trial and error , I don't think the garfield lake will be getting stocked again this coming school holidays , dry as a bone atm and looking like it still will be before the next stock due.
Personaly, how low the water is there atm, and going all algie and green / stagnant, I wouldn't eat a fish out of there atm. A few months back maybe yes , but now no way !, lucky to catch anything there the last month anyway, not fishable now realy. A shame !.
Cheers , Rick.