ACT · REGULATIONS · JUNE 2026

Golden Perch ACT legal size & bag limits.

Golden Perch (also known as Yellowbelly, Callop) in the Australian Capital Territory. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit — verified against the ACT Government guide, 2026.

In the Australian Capital Territory, the minimum legal size for Golden Perch is 30 cm and the daily bag limit is 5 (2 in the Murrumbidgee River). There is no closed season in ACT.

What is the legal size & bag limit for Golden Perch in ACT?

Minimum size
30cm
Daily bag
5 (2 in the Murrumbidgee River)
Possession
5 (2 in the Murrumbidgee River)
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Is there a closed season for Golden Perch in ACT?

No closed season

Why these rules exist

Golden perch (yellowbelly) carry a 30 cm minimum legal size and a daily bag of 5 in most ACT waters, reduced to 2 in the Murrumbidgee River. A warm-water native, they fish best through the warmer months in the lakes (Burley Griffin, Ginninderra) and lowland river reaches. No closed season applies in Open Waters — but the Trout Waters all-species winter closure applies if you fish those upland catchments.

Source & verification

These limits are pulled from the ACT Government recreational fishing rules. Last verified June 2026.

Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. ACT Government (recreational fishing administered under the Fisheries Act 2000) updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.

The Australian Capital Territory does not require a recreational fishing licence to fish its public waters — but you must comply with the Fisheries Act 2000. One exception: Googong Reservoir is managed under New South Wales rules and requires a NSW recreational fishing licence.

See related

Common questions

What is the minimum legal size for Golden Perch in ACT?
In the Australian Capital Territory, the minimum legal size for Golden Perch (also known as Yellowbelly, Callop) is 30 cm. Verified against the ACT Government recreational fishing rules (June 2026).
What is the bag limit for Golden Perch in ACT?
In the Australian Capital Territory, the daily bag limit for Golden Perch is 5 (2 in the Murrumbidgee River). Verified against the ACT Government recreational fishing rules (June 2026).
Is there a closed season for Golden Perch in ACT?
No — there is no closed season for Golden Perch in the Australian Capital Territory. You can fish for it year-round, subject to the size and bag limits. Verified against the ACT Government guide (June 2026).
Do you need a fishing licence to fish in the Australian Capital Territory?
The Australian Capital Territory does not require a recreational fishing licence to fish its public waters — but you must comply with the Fisheries Act 2000. One exception: Googong Reservoir is managed under New South Wales rules and requires a NSW recreational fishing licence.
Written by
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen, founder of Fishare, holding a yellowfin tuna boatside
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen

Olli-Mikael Vaittinen has fished his whole life. Fifteen years of fly fishing, guiding seasons on Norway's Lakselva — his favourite Atlantic salmon river — and a blue marlin landed in Vava'u, Tonga. Founder of Fishare — the app that puts the data behind the decisions every angler makes on the water.

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