Can you fish at Lock 1 Blanchetown?

Yes, but not at the lock itself. Fishing is prohibited within 150 metres of any lock or weir on the River Murray, permanently, so the chamber and the weir are closed water and there are signed SA Water boundaries on the ground. The fishing is the bank downstream of that boundary, which locals rate for callop and for big carp. Park at the Lock 1 lawn area and walk downstream, well clear of the signed boundary, before you cast.

Can you fish for Murray cod at Blanchetown right now?

No. Targeting Murray cod is prohibited across the South Australian River Murray from 1 August to 31 December, including trolling a lure from a moving boat, with penalties up to $20,000. Catch and release is permitted only from 1 January to 31 July, and taking a Murray cod is prohibited at all times in the River Murray proper, so there is no legal size or bag. Catch and release stays legal year-round in the reservoirs, which need an SA Water permit.

When is the best time for callop at Blanchetown?

The warmer months, roughly December to March, when rising water temperature gets golden perch feeding. Locals fish it through winter and early spring too, and an Adelaide tackle shop named Blanchetown in both its July and its September 2026 reports, with fish to 60 cm possible. Callop have no closed season, a 33 cm minimum and a bag of 5, so the calendar is a matter of odds rather than rules.

Do you need a licence to fish the River Murray in South Australia?

No. South Australia has no general recreational fishing licence in fresh water or salt, and that covers the whole River Murray. Reservoir fishing is the exception and needs an SA Water permit. Size limits, bag limits, the Murray cod closure and the 150-metre lock exclusion all apply regardless.

What do you actually catch off the bank at Lock 1?

Callop and carp, mostly. The long-standing local advice is that carp can always be had from the bank immediately below the lock boundary and that they are often big and hard-fighting, while the same stretch produces good callop, and anglers fish it for them right through the cold months. Redfin turn up through this part of the river too. Carp and redfin are both declared noxious and must not be returned to the water.

Bite Compass

Bite Forecast

Lock 1 (Blanchetown)

Mon 19 Oct 2026 · Australia/Adelaide

Forecast updated Sun 18 Oct, 10:44pm ACDT

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📍 Lock 1 (Blanchetown)

first quarter · 53%

Weather: Sunny Wind: N 10° · 24 km/h Pressure: 1019.7 hPa Sheltered water: wind direction matters less here

★★★☆☆

Medium Fish Activity

▸ Why this score?

At the day's peak · 7:30 pm

Solunar Major window

Time of day Dusk

Wind NE 9 km/h

Moon first quarter all day

Learn how the score works →

Activity Forecast

Now

Day Timeline

Major Minor Twilight

First light 5:59 am Last light 7:54 pm

Drag or use arrow keys to explore

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

7:00 pm → 9:00 pm

Good

5:30 am → 8:30 am

First light

5:59 am

Last light

7:54 pm

Sunrise

6:25 am

Sunset

7:28 pm

Moonrise

12:29 pm

Moonset

2:21 am

Hourly Wind

High Bite Hours Highlighted

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Wind Map

Wind data (text)

Now: 24 km/h N (10°).

Wind map data: ECMWF HRES (operational), updated every 6 hours. Not for navigation.

Feeding Windows

Best times to fish based on activity score.

Peak

7:00 pm → 9:00 pm

Good

5:30 am → 8:30 am

First light

5:59 am

Last light

7:54 pm

Sunrise

6:25 am

Sunset

7:28 pm

Moonrise

12:29 pm

Moonset

2:21 am

Species at This Spot