Wellington Dam (Collie)

Wellington Dam is the largest reservoir in WA's south-west, completed in 1933 on the Collie River about two and a half hours from Perth. The headline targets are naturalised redfin perch and DPIRD-stocked rainbow trout, with brown trout holdovers from earlier release programmes and freshwater cobbler in the deeper holes year-round. Marron are a short-season target in summer. The dam is a different kind of WA fishing — a large, calm, jarrah-and-marri impoundment that rewards patience and a small boat or kayak more than long-range casting.

Redfin are the bread-and-butter target and respond to small soft plastics, bladed jigs and worm baits worked along the dam edges and around any submerged timber. Rainbow trout, where stocked, are best targeted at first light and last light on small spinners, minnows or PowerBait fished off a sliding sinker. Cobbler are an after-dark proposition in the deeper basins on whole prawn or freshwater shrimp baits. Most serious anglers fish from a kayak or canoe to reach the points and bays the bank crowds can't, particularly along the southern arm and out from Potters Gorge. Long Gully and Stones Brook offer quiet bank water for shore-based sessions.

Redfin perch year-round (the dominant species in DPIRD freshwater creel surveys). Rainbow trout from cooler-season stockings (Recfishwest and DPIRD release schedules vary year to year). Occasional brown trout from earlier release programmes. Freshwater cobbler in the deeper holes after dark. Marron during the short open season Jan 8 – Feb 5 in drop nets, scoops or snares only.

Buy your South-West Freshwater Angling Licence before you arrive — DPIRD enforces it and it's a separate licence from the marine recreational fishing one. Marron require their own additional Recreational Marron Licence, taken on drop nets, scoops or snares only — no rod and line. Redfin are a declared pest under WA rules: do not return them alive to the water, dispatch and dispose of them on the bank. Trout sessions live and die on light, so be on the water before sunrise rather than driving down for a midday cast. Pack insect repellent through the warmer months — the still water breeds mosquitoes thick along the shaded bank edges.

Drive from Perth is roughly 2.5 hours: South Western Hwy through Pinjarra and Harvey, then Coalfields Hwy or Wellington Dam Road in from Collie. Potters Gorge campground sits on the southern shore of the dam with 59 sites and the practical boat ramp; bookings are essential through the DBCA system. Honeymoon Pool is downstream of the dam wall on the Collie River — calm pool water, picnic and day-use, with riverside camping. Stones Brook and Long Gully give quieter bank access on the upper arms. The dam wall itself is closed to vehicles but accessible on foot, with views over the lower river. Mobile reception is patchy in the forest — download offline maps before leaving Collie.

The dam is most fishable in cooler months — autumn through spring — when water temperatures suit trout and the redfin are tighter to the edges. Mid-summer water warms above the trout comfort zone and they retreat deep, while redfin spread out across the basin. Wind is the practical limiter for kayak and small-boat anglers; afternoon easterlies build through the warmer months and the open basin can chop up quickly. Clarity holds well outside winter run-off events, when the Collie River carries tannins and colour into the upper arms.

Forest fire restrictions apply through summer and can close park access at short notice — check DBCA alerts before driving down. Tracks soften and rut after rain; getting bogged on a fire road is a real prospect for the unprepared. Snakes are active around the bank edges through the warmer months. The dam itself is deep and cold; small-boat and kayak anglers should wear a PFD and watch for afternoon wind build-ups that catch out the casual paddler. Submerged timber chews lures and can hole a hull — read the water before motoring across an unfamiliar bay.

Yes — a South-West Freshwater Angling licence from DPIRD is required to fish for trout, redfin perch, freshwater cobbler or marron in WA's inland south-west waters. It is a separate licence from the marine recreational fishing licence and covers the four named species under one fee. Check the current DPIRD freshwater guide for season dates and bag limits before fishing.

Rainbow trout are released into Wellington Dam under the annual Recfishwest and DPIRD stocking programme, with cooler-season release windows that vary year to year. Brown trout have featured in earlier programmes and a small holdover population persists. Redfin are not stocked — they are a naturalised introduced species and are managed as a pest under WA rules.

Bank fishing is workable from Potters Gorge, Stones Brook, Long Gully and along the dam edges, particularly for redfin. A kayak, canoe or small boat opens up the points and bays that produce the better trout sessions and lets you reach the deeper cobbler holes after dark. The dam wall itself is closed to vehicles but accessible on foot for shore casting along the lower river.

Under WA rules redfin perch are a declared pest and must not be returned alive to the water. Dispatch them humanely on the bank and either take them home as table fish (they are good eating, white-fleshed and mild) or dispose of them away from the waterline. Returning live redfin spreads them through the catchment and is taken seriously by DPIRD.