Fishing in Dharawal National Park

Dharawal sits in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, roughly 45 kilometres southwest of Sydney, occupying the sandstone country between the Illawarra Range and the Georges River.

The park's 6,508 hectares were shaped by decades as a water catchment under Sydney Water management — restricted public access for most of the twentieth century left the creek systems largely undisturbed, and that history is still visible in the water quality today.

The park covers almost the entirety of two creek catchments: O'Hares Creek and Stokes Creek. These are the waters that anchor the fishing here.

Both run through sandstone gorge country, dropping through gully forests and rainforest patches before opening into broader valley sections. Platypuses are documented residents of the park, which tells you something about the condition of the waterways.

Access to the creek systems is on foot from the park's entry points — Maddens Falls carpark off Darkes Forest Road from the east, Victoria Road from the northwest near Wedderburn, and a southern entry off Appin Road.

There are no sealed roads into the gorge country itself, so reaching fishable water takes some walking. Minerva Pool is a sacred women's place for the Dharawal people.

The Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council asks that visitors respect its cultural significance: only women and children may enter the waters. This is not a fishing location. The park is managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Standard NSW fishing rules apply, and anglers should check directly with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for any park-specific conditions before visiting — the park's conservation objectives and its history as a water catchment area are worth keeping in mind when you're deciding how hard to fish it.

This is creek fishing in bush that has had very little pressure. Go in with that expectation — and leave it the same way.