This is a council supply dam, not a fishing lake, and that shapes everything about the visit. It is a secondary storage for Orange, and fishing is allowed only inside a defined fishing zone rather than along the whole shoreline.

You fish it from the bank only. Without wading, your reach is whatever you can cast from the shore of the zone, so the fish you catch are the ones that come within range. In a small dam that is often enough. In our experience trout cruise a bank at dawn and dusk, and warm-water fish tend to sit tight to whatever structure the margin offers.

Three species have been stocked: rainbow trout, golden perch and Murray cod. Redfin and carp are also present. Stocking is a trial, so treat the catch as unpredictable and fish it as a mixed water rather than a trout water that happens to hold other fish.

For forage, think about what a small dam usually offers. In our experience that means small baitfish plus the usual insects and crustaceans that trout take. Carry a few small baitfish patterns and a couple of nymphs rather than a wide hatch-matching selection. See rainbow trout, golden perch and Murray cod for each species.

No season has been published for this water, so this is a guide’s read rather than a calendar. Rainbow trout generally fish best in the cooler months and in low light, and golden perch and cod are more active when the water is warm. Because you can only fish between the hours set in the closure notice, check those hours before you plan an early start or a late finish.

A first trip is best on a still morning in the cooler part of the year, when trout are most likely to be near the bank.

Keep the kit simple. A 5 or 6 weight fly rod with a floating line and a few small streamers and nymphs covers the trout. If you are on a spin outfit, small lures worked slowly along the margin do the same job. Heavier flies or bigger lures suit the golden perch and cod, but take care: the closure notice limits what you can use, so confirm it first.

Without wading, make every cast count. Fish the water along the zone methodically, work out from your feet first, then lengthen the cast, and move along the bank rather than blasting the same spot.

Entry is on foot from the gate on Lone Pine Avenue, which is the only point of entry, and along the gravel road to the fishing zone named in the conditions of entry. The conditions of entry are short and firm: pedestrian access only, no fires, no firearms, no camping, swimming (including wading), boating or digging, and no removing anything from the land except fish. No dogs or other animals, other than assistance dogs. You fish at your own risk.

The landholder can refuse access to any angler at any time. For access questions, DPIRD lists Angler Access staff at angler.access@dpird.nsw.gov.au. In an emergency call 000 and give the location as Spring Creek reservoir, off Lone Pine Avenue. To report illegal or suspect fishing, the Fishers Watch Phoneline is 1800 043 536.

Fishing here is governed by the Fisheries Management Act 1994, with a closure notice specific to Spring Creek Reservoir sitting on top of the general rules, including size limits that continue to apply. Read the current notice and the fishing zone map on the DPIRD trout waters and fishing guides page before you fish, and check the current NSW recreational fishing guide for licence requirements, size and bag limits.

Breaching the closure notice or the conditions of entry can mean a caution, a fine or prosecution, and the landholder can also remove you from the site.