Kangaroo Valley Fishing Guide: Australian Bass, Spots, Seasons and Local Know-How

The Kangaroo River is the heart of fishing in the valley and the reason bass anglers make the trip. Above and around Hampden Bridge the river runs in a chain of deep, clear pools separated by shallow rocky runs — classic bass water, where the fish hold tight against the snags, undercut banks and overhanging casuarinas. Much of it is fished on foot, wading and walking between pools, but the deeper stretches are made for a kayak or canoe, drifting quietly with the current and casting tight to the structure as you go.

Timing is everything. The bass come alive at dawn and dusk in the warmer months, and there is little in Australian freshwater fishing as exciting as a bass exploding on a surface lure — a popper, a paddler or a walk-the-dog stickbait twitched across a still pool in the half-light. Through the brighter middle of the day the fish go deep and sulky, and that’s the time to switch to a spinnerbait or a weighted soft plastic worked slowly through the snags. A short paddle from the bridge or the riverside reserves puts you onto fish without a boat ramp in sight.

It suits lure anglers who enjoy a hands-on, scenic style of fishing, and reasonably confident paddlers — though you can fish plenty of it from the bank too. Two things to honour: from 1 June to 31 August the river bass must be released (closed season), and the Kangaroo River is platypus habitat, so fish gently, never leave line in the water, and take a quick photo before releasing your bass with wet hands.

Where the Kangaroo and Shoalhaven Rivers meet, Tallowa Dam backs the water up into Lake Yarrunga — a long, sheltered impoundment that offers a different, more forgiving kind of bass fishing. Here the fish school around the drowned river channels, the standing timber and the rocky points, and you’ll often find bass and estuary perch holding together. Because it’s an impoundment rather than a flowing river, the lake is more stable than the river and can fish well when the river is too high or too low. The dam also has a fish lift — a mechanical ‘bucket’ that carries native fish up and over the wall — part of why the upper Shoalhaven holds the fish it does.

The defining feature is the access: Tallowa Dam permits only canoes, kayaks and electric motors — no large petrol-powered boats — which keeps the lake quiet, clean and beautifully un-crowded. You launch a paddle craft (or a small electric-powered tinny) at the dam and fish your way up the lake arms, often with the whole place to yourself. It’s a genuinely peaceful way to chase native fish, and the drowned timber makes for textbook bass-and-perch structure.

It suits paddlers and small-craft anglers who like to explore and aren’t in a hurry, and it’s a good option in winter when the river bass are closed — the impoundment has different rules, so check the current NSW DPI limits before keeping any fish, as dams and rivers are treated differently. Pack for a paddle, take plenty of water, and leave the petrol outboard at home.

Not everyone wants to paddle a kayak at dawn, and the valley has easy, accessible bank fishing for families and first-timers. The Bendeela picnic and camping area on the Kangaroo River is the best-known spot — grassy banks, gentle access to the water, picnic tables and plenty of room for kids — and there are riverside reserves around the valley and near Hampden Bridge that offer the same relaxed, feet-on-dry-land fishing. It’s the kind of place you can set up a picnic, drop a line and let the children fish at their own pace.

For kids, the obliging fish are the ones to target. Eels and sea mullet run up the freshwater reaches and will take a simple bait off the bank, giving young anglers something that bends the rod without the patience a bass demands. Introduced carp are common and a great no-pressure target on bait — and because they’re a pest, there’s no guilt in keeping them (in NSW they must not be returned to the water alive). A keen junior might even tempt a bass on a small lure in the cooler parts of the day from a likely-looking bank.

It suits families, beginners and anyone who wants the river without a boat. The same valley-wide rules apply: a NSW licence is needed even for shore fishing, river bass are closed 1 June to 31 August, and the river is platypus habitat — so the whole family takes their line and rubbish home, and handles any bass gently before letting it go.

Catching Australian bass is a lure game, and matching the lure to the light and the water makes all the difference. The most exciting method is surface fishing at dawn and dusk: a popper, a paddler or a walk-the-dog stickbait twitched and paused across a quiet pool, waiting for the explosive strike. When the sun is high and the bass have gone deep and sulky, switch to a spinnerbait or a weighted soft plastic, working it slowly through the snags, the undercut banks and the standing timber where the fish hold up. In the lake, soft plastics and small lures around the drowned timber pick up both bass and estuary perch.

The gear is light and simple — a 2–4 kilo spin outfit, a handful of lures and a small landing net is enough to fish the whole valley. Cast tight to structure, because bass live hard against cover; the better fish come from the awkward, shaded, snaggy spots most people skip. A kayak or canoe lets you reach the deep pools and present a lure quietly, but plenty of fish are caught wading and walking the bank.

The most important technique of all is how you treat the fish. Bass are a slow-growing native and the local ethic is strongly catch-and-release: use a knotless landing net, wet your hands, keep the fish in the water as much as you can, take a quick photo and let it swim off strongly. From 1 June to 31 August this is the law for river bass, not just good manners — they must be released. Do it well, fish a platypus river gently, and the fishery stays superb for the next angler.

Fishing Kangaroo Valley well starts with getting the rules right — and they’re stricter here than at the coast for good reason. In NSW you must pay the recreational fishing fee and carry your licence receipt when fishing anywhere, including freshwater and shore-based fishing in the valley. Short-term and longer licences are available online through NSW DPI Fisheries, from three days to three years, and they’re inexpensive. Some exemptions apply (for example under-18s and certain pensioners), so check the current rules — and note that fisheries officers do patrol.

The rule that defines the valley is the bass closed season. Australian bass and estuary perch in flowing rivers are protected by a zero bag limit from 1 June to 31 August every year, when the fish school up and migrate to spawn — during this period they must be released, no exceptions. Outside the closed season, strict size and bag limits apply, so check the current NSW DPI freshwater limits before keeping any fish, and note that impoundments such as Lake Yarrunga can have different rules to the open river. The strong local ethic, year-round, is catch-and-release for these slow-growing natives.

Finally, look after the river itself. The Kangaroo River is home to platypus and a sensitive native ecosystem, so handle bass gently with wet hands, never leave fishing line in or near the water (it’s lethal to platypus and birds), and take all your rubbish home. Remove introduced carp and redfin rather than returning them alive. Get the licence, learn the closed season, fish gently — and Kangaroo Valley stays one of the most beautiful freshwater fisheries in the state.