Trout anglers across New South Wales have a hard deadline this week. From Tuesday 9 June 2026, the state's trout streams and rivers close to fishing, and they will not reopen until Saturday 3 October 2026 — the start of the new season on the October long weekend.
The annual closure is timed to the spawning run, when wild brown and rainbow trout move up the rivers to breed. Shutting the running water during this window gives the fish an uninterrupted chance to reproduce and keeps wild stocks healthy for future seasons.
"By temporarily closing trout streams and rivers during the spawning season, we help ensure strong, healthy fish populations," said Ian Lyall, Director of Aquaculture and Industry Development at the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
The closure applies to flowing water — the streams and rivers where trout actually spawn. Plenty of still water stays open, so the season does not end for everyone on 9 June. Lake Jindabyne and Eucumbene Dam, Oberon Dam, Thompsons Creek Dam, Talbingo Dam and Malpas Dam all remain open through winter, as do two sections of moving water: the Macquarie River, excluding tributaries above the Lewis Ponds Creek junction, and the Turon River and its tributaries downstream of the Upper Turon Road crossing.
Anglers fishing those open waters still need to play by the rules. The bag limit is five trout, dropping to two at the artificial-fly and lure-only dams, and the minimum legal size is 25 centimetres. A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required, as it is everywhere in the state.
For stream anglers, the message is simple: get your last few sessions in before Monday night, then point the four-wheel-drive at one of the open dams if you want to keep chasing trout through the cold months. Lake Jindabyne and Eucumbene in particular fish well in winter, when big browns hunt in the shallows and shore-based anglers using bait, lures and flies all get a look in.
The streams will be waiting again in October. Until then, the spawning run has the rivers to itself.
