Fishing in Murrumbidgee Valley National Park

Murrumbidgee Valley National Park runs along a long stretch of the Murrumbidgee River in the Riverina region of New South Wales, spreading across multiple reaches near Narrandera, Leeton, Yanco, Hay, and Balranald.

The park protects river red gum forest — the largest continuous tract of it in the world — and the fishing here is inseparable from that landscape: shaded banks, fallen timber, deep bends, and a river that moves at its own pace through flat inland country.

The Murrumbidgee River is the backbone of the fishing. This reach of the river is known for Murray cod holding around deep holes, undercut banks, and submerged timber.

The structure is consistent along much of the park frontage, and the river is noted as being largely unaffected by blue-green algal blooms, which makes it fishable across more of the year than some other inland systems. Redfin and bream are also present.

The Narrandera reach is particularly well regarded, and the paddle from Narrandera to Yanco Weir — about four hours by canoe — gives access to water that bank anglers rarely reach.

Beyond the main river, the park holds a network of smaller waters: creeks including Uri, Cudgel, Euroley, Guises, Banandra, Yarangery, Beavers, Yarradda, and Euroley, along with lagoons such as Euwarderry and Coononcoocabil.

The Sturt Canal also runs through the park's irrigation country.

These waters vary in character and access, and conditions in the smaller creeks and lagoons shift considerably with river levels and seasonal flooding — the red gums here depend on periodic inundation, and so do many of the fish.

Access across the park is generally self-sufficient. There are few facilities, and finding your own way to the river is part of the deal.

A NSW Recreational Fishing Licence is required to fish here — check current requirements with NSW DPI before you go, as rules around native species apply. The park sits on Wiradjuri Country, and that connection to the river runs deep.

The fish don't care about the park boundary, but the country around them is being looked after. Fish accordingly.