Victorians can now try their hand at catching tasty Murray spiny freshwater crayfish to cook over a camp fire or take home for the dinner table.
Found north of the Great Dividing Range, the inland delicacy has a three-month open season that started on June 1, and will close on August 31.
The species isn’t just found in the Murray River, it can be caught in the Goulburn RIver at Seymour, Lake Nagambie and Lake Eildon.
Victorian Fisheries Authority chief executive Travis Dowling said catching Murray crays was a fun activity for the whole family and could be as simple as dangling a piece of meat on a string into a river or lake.
“Murray crays are a delicious treat sought by many and a fantastic way to get the kids off screens, active and outdoors in the crisp winter air,” he said.
“Cray season is often a time when friends and family rug up, camp together by a waterway for a weekend, enjoy a warm fire, tell a few stories and catch a meal to share.
“One of Victoria’s most popular catchments to go Murray cray fishing is the Goulburn, in the river above Lake Eildon, in the lake itself, and downstream through Seymour and Nagambie to Shepparton.
“The Ovens and Kiewa rivers are productive waters for Murray crays too, along with Waranga Basin.”
VRFish Chair Rob Loats said chasing a feed of Murray crays in Victorian rivers was a great way to spend a winter’s day, checking hoop nets or open top lift nets from a tinnie, in between warming up by a campfire and spending quality time with loved ones in the great outdoors.
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Alternatively, download the free Vic Fishing smartphone app.
