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First
Timers Guide to Lake Barambah (Bjelke-Petersen Dam)
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FOR
those that like to travel to different locations for a bit of
piece and quiet or those that are mad keen anglers chasing that
trophy fish or even just a feed, there are plenty of destinations
around that will cater to your needs. One of the best around is
Lake Barambah otherwise known as Bjelke Petersen Dam or simply
BP Dam.
Situated in the south Burnett region, this well stocked lake has
plenty to offer to campers tourists and anglers alike.
Construction of Bjelke-Petersen Dam commenced in 1984 and finished
in 1988 creating the lake that was named "Barambah" after the
original property in the region. This average sized impoundment
covers 2150 ha and holds 125 000 mega-litres coming from a catchment
area of 1670 km squared .
How
to get there
A two-hour drive north west of Brisbane heading along the Brisbane
Valley Highway and then turning left onto the D'Anguilar Highway
will find you getting close to Nanango. From here it is about
40 km north to the turn off and another 9 km to the lake itself
.
Facilities
Camping is permitted at Yallakool Tourist Park where there are
sites provided for caravans & campers as well as self contained
cabins & villas and some bunk houses with no cooking facilities.
There is plenty of space around the park & the operators are quite
keen to promote a nice quiet family atmosphere. For those that
don't want the head ache of cooking, these is a well equipped
café & tackle shop on site that is open 7 days a week. There is
a tennis court provided for guests and swings to keep the kids
amused. It is always handy to take a torch along, as there are
a few nocturnal visitors that are content to quietly feed if you
don't disturb them .
Boating
There are no boating restrictions on Lake Barambah but there are
two no boating zones near the main dam wall and the saddle dam
respectively. These no areas are marked with large buoys, so there's
no excuse if you get caught on the wrong side of them. There is
a concrete boat ramp directly in front of the camp ground that
has limited parking and a cleaning table provided for those that
want to clean their fish. Pelicans make their presence felt here,
especially when there is a bit of activity at the ramp. There
is another concrete ramp closer to the main wall with plenty of
parking available as well as a well grasses picnic area and toilets.
There are some hire boats available on site if you don't own one
and want to explore the lake .
Fishing
The fishing here is superb and is a credit to the hard work and
dedication of the local fish stocking group. Bass, yellow belly
and silver perch are the main stocked species with a few saratoga
also being liberated here. These fish are stocked on a regular
basis and live quite happily along side the breeding populations
of Tandans (eel tailed catfish) and spangled perch. There is a
growing trend among freshwater anglers to chase fish with lures
and there are plenty of areas for you to try. One of the best
techniques is to cast or troll shallow diving lures along the
outside of the many weed beds in the bays and around the points.
Other areas that produce fish on lures is the timbered upper reaches
that are best fished with deeper diving lures. The hotspot of
this lake that tends to produce the big bass is at Treasure Island.
At the current water level, it is not actually an island but an
underwater hilltop that bass tend to congregate on. Fish this
spot with deep diving lures or jigs. All of the above mentioned
spots will produce big bass, yellow belly and silver perch on
baits, especially if using locally caught live shrimp or fresh,
juicy worms. Try floating your bait down towards the bottom with
as little weight as possible and occasionally lift and move your
offering around to give it something to attract fish. Probably
the best rig to use is some 10 or 12-pound line tied straight
onto a 1/0 suicide hook with no sinker or swivel. Then it is a
simple matter of adding some split shot to the line if some weight
is needed to get the bait down to the fish or if the wind gets
up. Try one location for 20 minutes and if you've had little interest
move to another likely looking spot. Bank anglers aren't as much
the poor cousin here, with plenty of big yellow belly getting
caught from the bank all the way from Yallakool to the main wall
using live and dead baits like frozen prawns. .
Conclusion
For mine Lake Barambah / BP Dam is one of the best fishing locations
with some top facilities available at any freshwater destination
in southern Queensland. In fact I'd say that if you want to tangle
with a big bass then this is the place for you. If you want a
guided tour of the lake or want to sample the best fishing spots,
then contact local guide Mathew Mott of Burnett Valley Sportfishing
Adventures. Mathew and wife Gayle also run the lakeside café and
tackle store that has plenty of food, supplies and some camping
equipment if you've forgotten something. You can contact Mathew
and Gayle on 07 4168 4811.
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Its
an easy way for the ladies to get into fishing |
| Boat
ramp |
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Cabins
are an easy way to get away without all the fuss |
| An
average sized yellow belly caught by casting lures along weed
beds |
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