Lake Eildon: Chasing Big Murray Cod in One of Australia's Best Cod Fisheries
Report & images courtesy of Colby Lesko
Picture: Colby Lesko
2.5 hours from Albury. One of Australia's best cod lakes.
About 200 km (2.5 hours) from Albury/Wodonga, Lake Eildon is a massive stretch of water offering fun all year round, with houseboats, camping, and endless space to explore. But it's renowned as one of Australia's premier Murray cod destinations, with over 5 million cod stocked into it and prime night fishing on offer.
I was recently lucky enough to spend a week at Lake Eildon chasing Murray cod, and it's easy to see why this lake is now regarded as one of Australia's best Murray cod fishing locations.
A Lake Built for Big Cod
Picture: Colby Lesko
After the biggest numbers of Murray cod ever stocked into the lake, it's no surprise Eildon is now full of big fish. Over 5 million Murray cod have been stocked into Lake Eildon, and that fact alone makes it worth the travel for a trip here.
Finding the Fish
The lake is massive, so it can be hard to pick a location to start fishing, but the cod are very well spread right across the whole lake, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.
Picture: Colby Lesko
Given the current conditions and the recent rain across the catchment over the last month, it's proving to be a positive indicator for fishing on Eildon. Rising water pushes bait straight up into the river arms, and the big cod follow close behind, a textbook example of how a rising, freshening lake can flip the fishing switch almost overnight. Other hotspots were the shallow, muddy flats and bays holding plenty of carp.
Where to Stay
Camping at the lake is easy at the Delatite Arm Reserve, where there's plenty of free camping, though camping in winter is freezing. Because of that, I opted to hire a house for the week, which turned out to be a great way to fish in comfort.
Picture: Colby Lesko
Other accommodation options include cabins at various surrounding holiday parks, and even boatels on the water at Jerusalem Creek Marina.
Best Times and Techniques
The water at Lake Eildon is very clear, so fishing into the night is very successful. Water temperature is currently holding around 12.8°C as of 22/07/2026. First and last light were the standout bite windows across the trip, but with a bit of persistence and the right approach, quality cod were still caught right through the middle of the day too.
Be sure to check with local sources for the most accurate data for the time of your trip.
The best lures for my trip were big fly jigs, with big soft plastics, like the Spinwright Fluffball, also a great option.
The Verdict
The number of big fish I saw on the live sonar at the lake was incredible. I really think Lake Eildon holds the biggest numbers of big cod of anywhere in the country.
If you're thinking about a trip, winter and spring are the best time to go!
Be sure to checkout Colby's latest Youtube video on this trip.