Mulloway and Dusky Flathead released to improve recreational fishing in Lake Macquarie 

More than 150,000 Mulloway and Dusky Flathead fingerlings have been released into key NSW fishing locations as part of the Minns Labor Government’s NSW Marine Stocking Program.  

Over the past month more than 100,000 Mulloway fingerlings have been released into the Georges River, Hastings River and Lake Macquarie.  

This follows previous releases of both dusky flathead and mulloway into Lake Macquarie in the 23/24 and 24/25 financial years.  

Both Dusky Flathead and Mulloway are among the State’s most popular fishing species, with Dusky Flatheads relatively easy to target, making them ideal for beginners and families, they are also great eating. 

Mulloway are notoriously unpredictable and can often be hard to locate. They make long, strong runs, hooking a big one is a serious test of skill and gear and they are often considered a “rite of passage” for NSW anglers. 

While the Marine Stocking Program has only been operating for five years, there are hopes it will grow to equal the success of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Freshwater Stocking Program, which has been operating for decades and produced and released over 5 million native and salmonid species in NSW waters last year.    

To ensure the success of the Marine Stocking Program into the future, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development scientists have an ongoing research and monitoring program to determine the optimum size of the fish for release, preferred habitats and the rates of predation in the days after liberation.  

The NSW Marine Stocking Program is supported by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts. 

Recreational fishers are reminded to ensure they have paid the recreational fishing fee and abide the bag and size limits when fishing in NSW. Mulloway has a size limit of 70cm and bag limit of 1. Dusky Flathead has a slot limit of 36cm-70cm and a bag limit of 5. 

For more information on DPIRD’s Marine Stocking Program, visit https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/stocking  

Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley said: 

“Fishing is such an important part of our local community, every weekend Lake Macquarie and Swansea Channel is boaties out chasing the perfect catch.  

Fishing is not just a hobby for our community it's part of who we are. The Minns Government know this and that is why we are investing and maintaining our waterways plenty of fish to support recreational fishing. 

I like everyone else can’t wait to get out here and chase the perfect flathead.”