Fishing in Kinchega National Park

Kinchega sits in far west New South Wales near Menindee, about an hour south of Broken Hill on sealed road.

The park protects a substantial stretch of the Darling River along its eastern boundary and takes in half of the Menindee Lakes system — a network of large, shallow lakes that fill and drain with the Darling's seasonal flows.

This is arid country, and the water here is consequential: when the lakes are up, the fishing can be very good; when they're low or dry, the landscape shifts entirely. The Darling River is the backbone of the fishing.

Its banks inside the park are lined with river red gums, and the water holds golden perch. Winter is the time to go — below Weir 32 on the Darling is a named spot worth knowing. The weir creates a reliable holding area, and golden perch are the target.

You'll need a current NSW recreational fishing licence; bag limits and protected species rules apply, and you should check with the park for current conditions before you go. Lake Menindee and Lake Cawndilla are the two major lakes within the park boundary.

Both are part of the broader Menindee Lakes system, originally pondages of the Darling fed by seasonal river flow. Their levels fluctuate considerably — the same water that mirrors the sky during a flood can recede to a green lake bed within a season.

Fishing access and quality move with those levels. The park has two main entry points off Menindee Road and Old Pooncarie Road, with camping at the Darling River campground and Cawndilla campground.

Unsealed internal roads are dry-weather only, so check conditions before heading in. The Kinchega Visitor Centre is the right first stop for current access and any park-specific rules.

The Darling is a river that has seen hard times — flows have been inconsistent and fish populations reflect that history. Fish it with that in mind, and handle what you catch carefully.