Golden perch Macquaria ambigua
Recreational species Gunbower Creek NCCMA
Key health indicators
| Survey year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Recent recruitment | NO | NO | SOME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple size classes | YES | YES | YES |
| Mature fish present | YES | YES | YES |
Monitoring Results
| Monitoring year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish per 1km of waterway | 2.28 | 1.21 | 1.31 |
| Largest fish by length (cm) | 57.8 | 59.5 | 59.5 |
| Largest fish by weight (g) | 4150 | 5004 | 5220 |
| % of the catch that is legal size | 93 | 94 | 47 |
Interpretation
Key Result: Approximately 50 % fewer Golden perch were caught in 2018 and 2019 compared to 2017. This result was largely influenced by conditions downstream of Koondrook Weir where water levels were low and very few fish were caught suggesting that fish may have moved out of the system. Small fish (< 15 cm) detected in 2019 are likely to be stocked individuals, with high numbers of fish stocked in 2018.
Stocking: Golden perch were stocked into Gunbower Creek for the first time in 2016. In 2016, 20,000 were stocked; 40,500 in 2017; 200,000 in early 2018; and 70,000 in early 2019.