Macquarie Perch

Habitat Distribution

• Native to the cool upper reaches of the Murray-Darling Basin — historically from the Macquarie River in NSW through mountain streams of Victoria and the ACT, and in the coastal Hawkesbury-Nepean and Shoalhaven catchments.
• Now reduced to scattered, fragmented populations: the largest self-sustaining Victorian populations are in Lake Dartmouth (Mitta Mitta River) and the Yarra River (from a 1920s translocation); small isolated groups persist in the Goulburn-Broken catchment, including King Parrot Creek.
• In NSW, remnant populations survive in the upper Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Cotter River (ACT), and some coastal NSW man-made lakes in the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Shoalhaven systems.
• Prefer cool, clear water — deep rocky pools in upland rivers and reservoirs; avoid warm, turbid lowland reaches.

Key Locations

• Lake Dartmouth, north-east Victoria — one of the largest remaining self-sustaining populations, though now fully protected from recreational fishing.
• Yarra River, Victoria — a translocated population established in the 1920s; now protected statewide.
• Cotter River and Cotter Reservoir, ACT — a significant population subject to ongoing recovery work following dam enlargement.
• Upper Lachlan River, NSW — subject to active recovery and restocking programs; check current regulations before fishing.
• King Parrot Creek, Goulburn-Broken catchment, Victoria — one of the few remaining upland stream populations in the state.

Specific Spots

• Deep, slow-moving rocky pools are the core habitat — fish hold tight to submerged boulders and ledges, especially where current breaks create a seam between fast and still water.
• The foot of pools and adjacent riffles are critical during spawning, when fish move from lakes into tributary streams and congregate over gravel and cobble.
• Undercut banks and large woody debris in upland streams provide daytime cover; fish move into open water to feed from dusk onward.