Fishing in Deua National Park

Deua National Park sits in the ranges of southern New South Wales, inland from the coast near Moruya, where the country is steep, heavily timbered, and cut through by river gorges.

The water here is mostly cold, clear, and fast-moving — the kind of country that shapes both the fish and the access. The Deua River is the park's main waterway and the one most worth understanding before you go.

It is the principal perennial river of the Moruya catchment and holds two species that define fishing here: Australian bass and the endangered Australian grayling.

The grayling's presence matters — it signals a healthy, largely undisturbed system, and it also signals that anglers have a responsibility to fish carefully.

The Deua Rivercare group and OzFish have spent more than a decade rehabilitating the river after weed infestations and the damage left by the 2019–20 bushfires and subsequent flooding.

Riparian vegetation is being restored, which directly supports bass — native trees and shrubs along the bank provide the insect fall that makes up a significant portion of their diet. Access to the river inside the park is practical.

Bakers Flat and the Deua River campground itself are reachable by 2WD along Araluen Road; Dry Creek campground requires 4WD.

All three sites sit along the she-oak lined river and allow camping beside your vehicle, which makes multi-day fishing trips straightforward without needing to carry gear far.

Burra Creek, Wamban Creek, Moodong Creek and the others that drain into the system are worth exploring, and the creeks worth fishing tend to reveal themselves once you're on the ground. Check current regulations with NSW National Parks before you go.

This is a working conservation area, not just a backdrop.