Hooked on responsible fishing
Responsible fishing: protecting our community and environment.
Respect others
Be mindful of fellow anglers and anyone else enjoying the space. Keep noise to a minimum, maintain a safe distance from others, and place respect local residents.
Leave no trace
Please leave plants growing as they were, don't change or damage them. Always clean up after yourself. Take your rubbish with you and leave the space as you found it for others to enjoy.
Disposal of tackle and gear
If you catch any carp or other invasive species, make sure to dispose of them in an environmentally responsible manner.
Protecting our natural environment
By respecting our environment, we can ensure that fishing remains a fun and sustainable activity for all. Let's work together to protect and preserve the natural beauty of our shared spaces.
Thank you for fishing responsibly!
If you are looking to fish responsibly around the main lake at West Lakes, please see our permitted fishing zones map.
Freshwater Lake
West Lakes Boulevard, West Lakes
Where is fishing permitted around West Lakes lake?
Fishing is permitted at Freshwater Lake.
*Please ensure you stay at least 6 metres from any property boundary when fishing.
Update March 2026
We remain committed to ongoing monitoring and to fostering a safe, respectful, and environmentally responsible shared space at Freshwater Lake.
In addition to actions completed below, we have also:
- Reviewed reed beds near the islands, confirming remaining reed beds are critical for reducing bank erosion
- Investigated fencing the islands (as endorsed on 28 April 2025), determining it was not effective or financially responsible due to cost and visual impact
- Restocked the lake with native fish species (Golden Perch, Murray River Rainbow, and Murray Cod) in January 2026
- Undertaken additional plantings, including aquatic vegetation, and installed logs and purpose-built rock habitats to improve wildlife and fish habitat
- Continued passive monitoring through Community Safety and field patrols
- Delivered school holiday fishing clinics in partnership with RecFish SA in September 2025 and January 2026, with further clinics planned for April 2026. These clinics prioritised alternative locations within West Lakes to promote accessible fishing away from Freshwater Lake and have been well attended, with approximately 100 children participating to date.
Our educational messaging following the April 2025 meeting has consistently emphasised the importance of:
- Respecting others using the shared space
- Leaving no trace and preventing harm to wildlife
- Disposing of fishing tackle and equipment responsibly
- Protecting the natural environment
Update November 2025
All carp have now been removed from the ponds, restoring the Lake's natural balance. Native turtles have also been safely relocated into the fountain and lily ponds.
Over the coming weeks, our crews will complete sediment removal, with this stage expected to wrap up around Christmas. Once that’s done, we’ll begin replanting the surrounding garden beds with native plants to boost biodiversity and create better habitat for local bird life.
We’ve also received approval to restock the ponds with native fish species. This will help further improve water quality and support a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem.
We anticipate the carp and sediment removal project will be finalised by the end of January, 2026.
Update September 2025
As works progress at Freshwater Lake, our team have removed sediment from the front pond and continue to work on the remaining two ponds. Logs have been placed as retreats for fish in the future. These ponds will be restocked with native fish that includes golden perch, silver perch, Murray rainbows and some Murray cod.
Update August 2025
From the week commencing 25 August, we will be removing carp, an invasive pest, from Freshwater Lake to help support native wildlife and fauna and improve water quality.
During this time there may be path limited access and traffic management will be in place. Fishing may also be limited to outside the works area at times.
Update July 2025
We know Freshwater lake is an important place for both nature and our community and we’re committed to improving engagement with our community to promote and facilitate the respectful, recreational use of this space.
Following the Council Meeting on the 28th April, we have continued to develop and implement our response to the fishing concerns raised.
We have:
- Installed temporary signage to promote key messages around responsible fishing, leaving no trace, caring for the environment and wildlife and using the space respectfully.
- Reviewed the number of bins at Freshwater Lake to ensure the service standard is sufficient
- Ensured we are able to keep our community up to date with topics relevant to Freshwater Lake via this page and on social media
- Reviewed and regularly monitored access to man-made islands. We’ve looked into reed and silt removal, but won’t proceed at this stage to protect wildlife habitat and prevent bank erosion. Staff report minimal vegetation damage since March/April, and we’ll continue to explore ways to limit access to these wildlife refuge areas.
We are currently:
- Reviewing the of impact of recreational fishing
- Scheduling routine maintenance (including removal of existing carp). We anticipate this reduction in the number of carp will further reduce fishing activity
- Developing content and opportunities for community engagement and education relating to responsible and respectful fishing in West Lakes, including investigating opportunities to partner with RecFish SA for schools clinics
- Developing a process for collecting and collating internal data relating to the monitoring of Freshwater Lake, including any impacts of recreational use of the lake.
We will continue to provide updates on Freshwater Lake on this page.
West Lakes
Where is fishing permitted around West Lakes lake?
*Please ensure you stay at least 6 metres from any property boundary when fishing.
Please refer to our Fishing in West Lakes map for locations where fishing is permitted around the West Lakes lake.
Is fishing permitted from boats / kayaks?
This is permitted if you are:
- 20 metres or more away from any bridge over the lake
- 6 metres or more away from the boundary of any private, residential or commercial property abutting the lake
Artificial reef habitat
You can fish recreationally in the artificial reef habitat at West Lakes 12. Our project aims to improve the fish habitat and promote positive, lawful recreational fishing.
The project received funding from the South Australian Recreational Fishing Grants Program. To ensure the success of the project, RecFish SA and the City of Charles Sturt worked together on the design and implementation of the reefs.
The floating reefs are a world first. They were designed specifically for lake, which has a soft sediment that could otherwise bury conventional reef structures over time.
In partnership with RecFish SA, we've successfully created 12 artificial reef units into the inlet side of West Lakes. The reefs are expected to promote the health of the lake, improve the fish habitat and grow fish populations.
The new reefs have been strategically placed to increase positive fishing from Inlet Reserve and increase the fish population in the lake. The reserve is an ideal family fishing spot with a playground, public toilets and a fish cleaning station.
About the reefs
Two contrasting styles of fish habitat were chosen in order to increase biodiversity and test if local species prefer a certain design.
Both designs provide not only juvenile fish habitat but also food-generating surfaces that support a range of sessile organisms like oysters and sponges, and mobile organisms like small shrimp and crabs.
The largest unit is a fish tower (1.3m high x 0.7 to 1.6m wide). The fish tower has many openings that fish can enter and exit to avoid predators. Fish like the shade and hiding places under horizontal wing-like awnings. The fish tower is long enough to reduce the chance of territorial disputes among fish.
The Fish Urchin resembles a long spined urchin (1m x 1.3m). It has over 20 sand coated composite rods and recycled plastic plates for protection and colonisation. This unit will suit the smaller fish and oysters.