Fishing in Koreelah National Park

Koreelah National Park sits in the far north of New South Wales, close to the Queensland border, protecting a section of Gondwana rainforest on the McPherson Range.

The fishing here is creek fishing — small, clear, upland streams running through dense subtropical and warm temperate rainforest. This is not big-water country. Koreelah Creek is the water most anglers come for.

It runs through the park and is accessible from the Koreelah Creek Campground, which requires advance bookings through NSW National Parks. Shortfin eel have been recorded in the creek.

The surrounding tributaries — Trough Creek, Oaky Creek, and Long Gully — drain the same forested ridgelines and share the character of the main creek: narrow, shaded, and subject to the flows that come with the range's rainfall patterns.

Camping at Koreelah Creek Campground puts you on the water, which is the practical way to fish here. Access to the broader park is limited by the terrain and the road network, so most fishing happens close to that campground.

A standard NSW fishing licence applies. Check current rules with NSW National Parks before you go — the Kyogle office handles this park and can be reached on 02 6632 0000. These creeks are not high-volume fisheries.

The draw is the setting and the solitude, not the numbers. Fish it for what it is: a quiet stretch of rainforest water where the eels hold in the deeper runs and the forest comes down to the bank on both sides.