Derwent Estuary Seafood Safety

Please click here for the latest Derwent estuary seafood safety brochure and some accompanying information (Q & A's).   The advisory also includes Black Bream caught from Browns River in Kingston.

Derwent Sea Runner

My names Daniel Crane. I caught a Derwent Sea Runner on Friday 19th just gone in the upper reaches of the Derwent just below Bridgewater. It weighed just shy of three pounds and fell to a Berkley Pearl olive Flick Bait in which the fish just smashed nearly swallowing the whole soft plastic.

Derwent River - the lower reaches

By Marty Wells
The Derwent River has been my fishing playground for many years. I started off targeting flathead in the Sandy Bay area but soon had my eyes opened to the fantastic range of species and fishing scenarios the Derwent offers. I have detailed below a few of the successful locations and tactics that I've explored during my Derwent years.

Derwent trout worth the chase

Alistair Creed

The Derwent River is one of my favorite trout fisheries, it can be a good challenge to the best fishermen. I always look forward to the first few months of the season on the river the weather is pretty good. I found that an overcast day with a gentle breeze is the way, the fish seem to come on good in these conditions. So far this season I have bagged 17 trout, all these fish were resident fish. All fish apart from one were caught on soft plastic, the other on fly.

Health warning on Derwent fish

Do not eat any bream and- limit consumption of flathead and other Derwent-caught fish

- Pregnant women and young children should limit consumption of flathead or other Derwent caught fish to no more than ONE meal per week, and avoid eating other fish in the same week.

Derwent Bream - Andrew Large


Bream are predominately bottom feeders that eat shellfish, crustaceans, and small fish. In Tasmania the black bream is found in nearly all east and north coast estuary and coastal river systems and seaward draining lagoons.

Winter trout fishing in the Derwent Estuary

by Greg French

The Derwent, the truly great winter trout fishery on Hobart's doorstep, remains under fished. There are several reasons: The River Derwent down stream of Dogshear Point (Cadbury Point) is not an official "˜inland water"and so it is not subject to normal Inland Fisheries regulations.

Fly fishing for Derwent River bream

by Tim Farrell

In Tasmanian estuaries, Black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) are one of the mainstay of recreational fishers. These fish can be relied upon to provide excellent sport on light gear with baits such as crabs, mussels and pretty fish involving the simplest of rigs - often just a hook. Bream are great fighters and are taken regularly by spinning and fly fishing in mainland waters. So why don't we take them on artificial's in Tasmania?

Derwent River trout an early treat

Steve Bax from Hobart's Fishing Connection previews fishing for sea run trout in the Derwent River.

Some of the best trout fishing in Tasmania is found on Hobart's doorstep in the Derwent River. At this time of the year most anglers catch their fish on bait - using the local pretty fish, but there is also dedicated band of fly fishers. The pretty fish are found all over the Derwent, as are the trout.

Go to top
JSN Boot template designed by JoomlaShine.com