Little Pine Lagoon

Little Pine is shallow, weedy and productive. Brown trout use the weed edges, open lanes and flooded margins.

Wind creates the day’s structure. A light breeze can collect insects and give you a broken surface for the approach. Strong wind can dirty the shallows, remove your view and make a small boat hard to control.

The lagoon was formed by a low dam across the Little Pine River. Water is diverted through Monpeelyata Canal towards Lake Echo, so the visible waterline can change. Treat the shoreline you find as the day’s evidence rather than expecting last trip’s edge.

IFS manages Little Pine as a wild brown-trout fishery. The population is sustained by natural recruitment.

In spring, trout work the wet margins for food you may never see. In our experience, a small nymph or wet fly placed ahead of the fish is a good bet.

Mayfly is the clear summer event. Watch the rise form before choosing the fly. A bulge or head and tail rise points towards an emerger, while a clean surface take gives the dry a better chance.

September through November is the tailing window when water is moderately high. First light and late afternoon give you the clearest starting times. Spend the first minutes looking, because a moving fish is a better plan than a familiar shore name.

December through March is the established mayfly period. Overcast, steady conditions can extend surface activity, while glare may make a boat and polarised glasses more useful for finding cruisers.

Later in the season, two small wet flies fished from a boat can search the open lanes between weed. Stop targeting trout when released fish are slow to recover, and leave open water when the wind compromises a safe return.

For a tailing fish, use a lightly weighted size 14 or 16 Pheasant Tail or another slim nymph. Cast beyond and to the side of its path, then draw the fly into position and let it settle. Move it only when the fish has passed the expected intercept.

During the mayfly, begin with a size 12 or 14 Klinkhamer or a small nymph in the film. Change to a visible dry only when the rise form shows fish taking from the surface. Lengthen the pause between casts before changing patterns.

From a boat, set a drift that finishes in open water with room to restart. Fish two size 10 to 12 wets on a floating or slow intermediate line, and keep the retrieve slow enough to stay in touch. Leave the drift before the shore, weed or another angler removes the safe exit.

A five weight handles the bank fishing. Carry forceps and a soft net, wet your hands and release each fish once it can hold itself upright. Check, clean and dry your boots, waders, net, boat and trailer before moving to another water.

Little Pine Lagoon is about ten kilometres west of Miena on the B11. IFS states that public foot access extends around the perimeter. Follow current signs and give other anglers room on a small, popular water.

Camping is restricted to the designated area in Little Pine Lagoon Public Reserve. Campfires are prohibited there, fuel stoves are required and dogs must be kept under control.

The single launching area is beside Monpeelyata Canal. Keep boats out of the zone near the dam and obey the five-knot limit across the lagoon. North and east of the marked line near Bertrams Island, IFS recommends an electric motor, oars or a paddle.

Check the plateau forecast before launching. Wear a fitted life jacket, keep enough daylight for the return and come ashore if wind removes your boat control. From the bank, avoid trampling weed beds and soft sediments when a dry route is available.

IFS reserves Little Pine Lagoon for fly fishing only and lists water-specific season, size and bag conditions. The current 2026–27 listing must be checked before fishing because those details can change between seasons.

Trolling from a boat is prohibited. A five-knot speed limit applies across the lagoon. Give shore anglers wide clearance.

Before travelling, read the current IFS Little Pine Lagoon listing and the Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code. Confirm the current licence position, season dates, permitted gear, limits and any temporary notice.