Fish stocking
Fish stocking involves producing fish fry or fingerlings and releasing them into NSW waters.
Fish stocking can provide many benefits such as creating new fisheries or augmenting existing ones and is recognised for its importance to the community in terms of quality recreational fishing, conservation outcomes, employment and subsequent economic benefits that have grown in response to the activity over many years.
Fish stocking must be conducted responsibly to conserve and protect our unique biodiversity.
Map of marine and freshwater fish stocking records
Click on individual site markers for historical stocking information.
Freshwater fish stocking
Fish stocking supports some of our most important inland fisheries including the Australian Bass fishery in Glenbawn dam, Murray Cod and Golden Perch fisheries in impoundments such as Copeton, Pindari, Burrinjuck and Blowering dams and our trout fisheries in the Snowy Mountains, Southern Highlands and Central and New England tablelands.
Find out more about freshwater fish stocking in lakes and impoundments to enhance fish production.
Dollar for Dollar Native Fish Stocking Program
The Dollar for Dollar Native Fish Stocking Program is Recreational Fishing Trust funded program which provides matching funds to stock native fish into rivers and dams across NSW.
Find out more about the Dollar for Dollar Native Fish Stocking Program.
Releasing fish into public waters
All fish releases into public waters such as rivers, creeks and impoundments requires a fish stocking permit.
Find out more about releasing fish into public waters.
Fish hatcheries
Fish hatcheries run by DPI are found across the state, supplying fish for various stocking programs.
Find water monitoring data for Gaden Trout Hatchery and L.P. Dutton Trout Hatchery.
DPI provides a directory of fish hatcheries in NSW supplying fish for stocking
Gaden Trout Hatchery, on the Thredbo River, 10 km north-west of Jindabyne, is one of Australia’s main centres for breeding and rearing cold water sport fish. Four species, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, and Atlantic salmon are produced by DPI and stocked into the dams and river systems of our trout fisheries in the snowy mountains, southern highlands, the central tablelands and New England areas. Currently operations are being funded by the Recreational Fishing Trusts. This has enabled the department’s fish stocking program to continue to provide many benefits to the local environment and community.
Visiting the hatchery
Visitors can view and sometimes partake in feeding of the big fish that come to the surface in some of the hatchery’s brood stock ponds, watch a 10 minute introduction video that outlines the hatchery’s purpose and operations, and go for a walk around the grounds with one of the experienced hatchery staff. Coin operated barbeques and picnic shelters are available. Fishing is not permitted at the hatchery.
| Open times | Contact details |
|---|---|
Visitors’ Centre Open 10am - 4pm daily, guided tours run daily at 10am and 2pm only. Bookings are essential. Self Guided Tours available on selected days only - phone for availability. Closed ANZAC Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Visitors’ Centre opening times and tours are subject to change due to operational requirements. | Gaden Trout Hatchery 224 Gaden Road Jindabyne, NSW 2627 Phone: 02 6451 3400 Latitude: -36.376791 Longitude: 148.577042 |
Entry cost
| Admission fees | Cost per person (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Adult | $10.00 |
| Child (ages 4 - 14 years) | $7.00 |
| Concession (Seniors/Pension card to be shown) | $7.00 |
| Family (Based on 2 adults and 2 children) | $28.00 |
| Self guiding (group tour rates available for 20 people or more) Not available every day | $5.00 |
Dutton Trout Hatchery is located on the Serpentine River, just 75km east of Armidale and 125km west of Coffs Harbour.
It is one of two NSW Government facilities for breeding and rearing premier cold water sport fish. Dutton produces Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout. The fish are bred from hatchery brood stock and grown out to fry, when they are released into selected cold water public rivers and lakes.
Visiting the hatchery
The hatchery is open to visitors daily from 8.30am to 3.30pm (except Good Friday and Chritmas Day).
A small admission fee applies.
Contact details
Point Lookout Road
Ebor NSW 2453
Phone: 6775 9139
The aquaculture facilities at the Port Stephens Fisheries Centre produce Australian Bass as part of the fish stocking program.
Breeding programs have been conducted at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre since the 1960s. Native stock is bred and released to enhance recreational fishing in NSW and for conservation purposes.
Fishery Management Strategy
All freshwater fish stocking is conducted in accord with the NSW Freshwater Fish Stocking Fishery Management Strategy. The strategy ensures that the activity is conducted with appropriate environmental controls and generates quality recreational fishing outcomes for the people of NSW. For more information on freshwater fish stocking email fish.stocking@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
Saltwater fish stocking
NSW DPI has a Marine Fish Stocking Program which is aimed at boosting fish stocks for recreational fishers in NSW.
Species stocked recently include Dusky Flathead, Mulloway and Yellowtail Kingfish.
In 2021, the first ever large-scale stocking of Dusky Flathead was undertaken in NSW with the stocking of 75,000 juvenile fish into three South Coast systems - St Georges Basin, Lake Conjola and Burrill Lake. These fish were produced for DPI by Narooma Aquaculture, with technical advice provided by DPI’s Port Stephens Fisheries Institute. Plans are underway to do more Dusky Flathead stockings given the recent breeding success of this highly popular sportfish.
Likewise, the Mulloway stocking project aims to improve recreational fishing opportunities for this iconic sportfish species with more stocking planned in key estuary systems.
The Kingfish project is in the final stages of a three-year study to assess the suitability of this species for future small-scale stockings as a fisheries enhancement tool. Kingfish released in previous stocking events are being monitored to assess the effectiveness of the stockings.
Below is a snapshot on what fish have been stocked in recent years:
| Year | Location | Species | Number Stocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Botany Bay | Kingfish | 6,500 |
| 2020 | Lake Macquarie | Kingfish | 2,600 |
| 2020 | Lake Conjola | Dusky Flathead | 1,850 |
| 2021 | St Georges Basin | Dusky Flathead | 47,000 |
| 2021 | Lake Conjola | Dusky Flathead | 14,000 |
| 2021 | Burrill Lake | Dusky Flathead | 14,000 |
| 2021 | Georges River | Mulloway | 80,000 |
| 2021 | Hastings River | Mulloway | 10,000 |
| 2022 | St Georges Basin | Dusky Flathead | 14,000 |
| 2022 | Lake Conjola | Dusky Flathead | 16,000 |
| 2022 | Burrill Lake | Dusky Flathead | 12,000 |
| 2022 | Lake Macquarie | Dusky Flathead | 23,200 |
| 2022 | Camden Haven River | Dusky Flathead | 11,300 |
| 2022 | Georges River | Mulloway | 30,000 |
| 2022 | Lake Macquarie | Mulloway | 18,700 |
| 2022 | Hastings River | Mulloway | 10,200 |
| 2023 | Lake Macquarie | Dusky Flathead | 2,100 |
All stockings are in line with the NSW Marine Fish Stocking Fishery Management Strategy, which ensures that fishing stocking is conducted responsibly while minimising environmental risk.
The marine fish stocking fishery management strategy (PDF, 4421.57 KB) and associated environmental impact statement for marine stocking was prepared in line with the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
- Marine fish stocking environmental impact statement (Volume 1) (PDF, 7172.09 KB)
- Marine fish stocking environmental impact statement (Volume 2) (PDF, 5014.8 KB)
- Marine fish stocking environmental impact statement (Volume 3) (PDF, 10232.08 KB)
For more information on marine fish stocking email fisheries.enhancement@dpi.nsw.gov.au. or Call (02) 44247423.
