Murray spiny crayfish are the Goulburn's winter prize: the world's second-largest freshwater crayfish, slow-growing, closely protected, and open to recreational fishing for just three months a year. The rules carry real teeth and the fishery depends on people following them, so this page leads with the law.
01The season and where it applies
The Victorian Murray cray season runs from 1 June to 31 August, in specified waters north of the Great Dividing Range, and the Goulburn River catchment is among the open waters, which puts the river at Nagambie in play. Waters, dates and method rules can change between seasons, so confirm the current arrangements on the VFA's Murray spiny crayfish rules before setting any gear.
02The rules that matter
The slot limit is 10 to 12 centimetres carapace length, measured from the back of the eye socket to the rear of the carapace: crays under or over the slot go back. The bag limit is 2 per person per day, with a possession limit of 4. Berried females, those carrying eggs or young under the tail, must be returned to the water immediately and unharmed, and removing eggs is an offence. Only permitted methods may be used; check the current gear rules with the VFA rather than assuming last year's rules still hold. A current fishing licence applies; see the licence guide.
03How locals fish for them
Winter cray fishing on the Goulburn is a patience game: baited hoop nets set along the deeper river banks, checked regularly through a cold morning, with a thermos doing as much work as the gear. The crays favour the same structured, flowing water the native fish do, which makes the river reaches around and below the weir the natural starting country; see the hot spots guide and the Goulburn Weir guide for access.
Handle crays with respect: they are decades old at legal size, measure them precisely, and get undersize, oversize and berried animals straight back into the water they came from.
04Why the rules are tight
Murray crays grow slowly and were hit hard by past overfishing and the 2010s blackwater events, which is why the season is short, the slot is narrow and the limits are low. A measured, legal catch is the price of still having this fishery at all, and it is a genuinely special one: very few places this close to Melbourne offer a legal winter cray season.
05Common questions
When is Murray cray season in Victoria? 1 June to 31 August each year, in specified northern waters including the Goulburn catchment. Check the VFA for the current year's arrangements before you go.
What size Murray cray can you keep? Between 10 and 12 centimetres carapace length, with a bag limit of 2 and possession limit of 4. Anything outside the slot, and every berried female, goes straight back.
Can you catch Murray crays at Lake Nagambie? The season applies to the Goulburn catchment, and the river reaches around Nagambie are the traditional cray water. Check the VFA's current open-waters list for exactly where you can set gear.