Macquarie perch are a hard-fighting native freshwater fish that plenty of inland anglers rate highly. They are a bit of a cult species because they live in beautiful upland rivers and dams, and they punch well above their weight on light gear.
In Australia they are found in parts of the Murray-Darling Basin and a few south-eastern river systems, mainly in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT. Look for them in cool, clear rivers with rocky runs, deep pools and timber, plus some larger impoundments where they hold around structure and drop-offs.
They feed on aquatic insects, yabbies, shrimp and other small freshwater critters, with the odd small fish taken too. Most of the time they pick food close to the bottom around rocks, timber and current breaks, but they will move out and feed more actively when the light is low.
Tide is not a factor for this species because they are a freshwater fish, so FishCast users should focus more on the other three conditions. Low light around dawn, dusk and overcast periods usually helps, as these fish tend to get bolder and move out from cover. Light to moderate wind can improve the bite in dams by creating a bit of ripple and pushing food onto banks, while strong wind often makes freshwater systems harder to fish well. Swell does not apply in rivers and lakes, but in impoundments rough surface chop can still affect boat control and lure presentation.
A 2–4 kg spin outfit with light braid or mono and a fluorocarbon leader is a good fit. Small hardbodies, spinnerbaits, soft plastics and lightly weighted baits like worms, yabbies or scrub worms all work, especially when fished tight to rock, timber and deeper eddies. Keep your presentation natural and don’t rush it around likely holding water.
Macquarie perch are one of the few Aussie freshwater natives that many anglers reckon hit a lure much harder than their size suggests.