Fishing in Cania Gorge National Park

Cania Gorge National Park sits in Queensland's Burnett Region, about 35 kilometres north-west of Monto — a long day's drive from Brisbane through sparsely populated country.

The park's water story centres on a single impoundment: Cania Dam, built across Three Moon Creek, a tributary of the Burnett River system that eventually reaches the coast near Bundaberg.

Lake Cania, as the dam is also known, covers around 720 hectares at full capacity and averages about 12 metres deep — medium-sized by Queensland standards, but with enough water to keep a boat angler busy for days.

The species list is what draws people: Australian bass, saratoga, golden perch (yellowbelly), silver perch, eel-tailed catfish, snub-nosed garfish, and spangled and banded perch.

The dam is part of the Bass to Barra Trail, which signals the quality of the bass and toga fishing in particular.

There are no boating restrictions on the dam, and a single-lane concrete ramp serves most conditions — though when levels drop below the ramp's end, anglers typically launch from the bank near the dam wall via a dirt track. The dam fishes year-round.

One permit requirement applies here that doesn't apply on open water: a Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) is required to fish Cania Dam, on top of any standard Queensland fishing licence.

Check current rules and fees with the relevant Queensland authority before you go, as these details change.

Three Moon Creek feeds the impoundment and gives the gorge its drainage character, while Cedar Creek and Boolgal Creek are among the smaller tributaries in the park's catchment. The dam remains the clear focus for visiting anglers.

The gorge scenery — rocky escarpments, timbered ridges, dramatic bluffs — is part of the experience here, not just backdrop.

Fishing a stocked impoundment inside a national park means sharing the place with people who aren't fishing, and the country itself asks for a certain care. Take the SIP requirement seriously; it funds the stocking that makes the fishing what it is.