This month’s camping venue, Lake Monduran Holiday Park, is within five minute’s walk from Lake Monduran, recognized as one of the premier freshwater barramundi fisheries in the State.

While enjoying time at the well set out and enjoyable camp grounds, it’s pretty hard to overlook the fact that less than 400m away is a lake holding some of the largest, strongest freshwater fish found on this continent. Warming water will kick start barramundi at this time of year and with spring temperatures finally going from tepid to quite warm the action in Lake Monduran is hotting up as well.

There is plenty of room for all comers in these relatively flat and very well maintained grounds. In essence there are two sections, a wide expanse of area for campers without the need for power, and an area comprising 42 powered sites set aside for caravans and the like. Each area has ample amenities, complete with laundry and a separate camp kitchen.

In conjunction with the camp grounds are deluxe air conditioned cabins, offering a view of the lake below, plus three air conditioned holiday houses as well. Visitors without their own camping facilities can make use of these handy adjuncts but you must be prepared to book cabins and holiday houses in advance just about any time of year.

Throughout the main camp grounds a number of excellent shade trees offer extra comfort for campers and there are plenty of useful facilities such as shelter sheds, barbeques and other items set up for the enjoyment of all. Fire places are also provided.

The camp kitchens feature cooking facilities, power points, hot water on tap, a refrigerator, other appliances plus a lot of table and bench space. The camp ground staff maintain these facilities each day to ensure they are kept to a very high standard of cleanliness and overall presentation.

As we sometimes see within large camping areas like these visitors are able to select an area for their use on a casual, first in best dressed manner that will allow ample room for the car, a boat or perhaps a car and van with a boat on top. One thing’s for certain, nobody will be short of room at the Lake Monduran Holiday Park.

The Camp Office and kiosk adjoining the camp grounds, located on the left side of the camp grounds, offers a wide range of food items, ice, gas, tackle and lures, Stocked Impoundment Permits, plus walls adorned with eye catching photos of anglers holding some seriously big barramundi.

A fishing guide is also on hand to offer advice for beginners regarding suitable tackle for the lake’s jumbo barra or to arrange a charter. Note that hire boats, or a hire of the ten berth Lake Monduran Houseboat, can also be arranged through the kiosk if necessary.

My own association with Lake Monduran on the Kolan River goes back around seven years. In the early days the resident barra were hard to come by but each year the fishing seems to be getting easier, the fish more plentiful. If the number of successful forays fished for barra before is an indicator, then Monduran is slowly shaking its tag of Lake Misery.

Last summer a large number of really big barra were caught within sight of the dam wall (in the dam’s main basin) by anglers trolling deep diving lures on suitably strong tackle.

To catch a barra or one of the plentiful bass also in the lake a boat is a necessity but as this very large body of water consists of a series of long narrow arms, it’s regarded as a safe place for even a small boat. Three metre car toppers can be used to fish Lake Monduran in sensible conditions. That aside, the two well-formed boat ramps will handle virtually any trailerable craft.

The main fishing methods include trolling lures, casting plastics and hard bodied lures, and fly fishing. Most trolling is done in the more open areas of the dam but when it comes to soft plastics, lure or fly casting the clue is to remember that barra love cover and won’t be found far from it. So how big is a big one? A 120 cm fish doesn’t rate much at this impoundment these days and that’s a scary thought.

The turn off to Lake Monduran Holiday Park (if travelling north) is on the east side of the Bruce Highway 20km north of the town of Gin Gin where most travellers top up fuel, replenish food supplies and the like. From Miriam Vale, when travelling south, the turn off will be approximately 60km and found on your left hand side.

In all the Lake Monduran Holiday Park has a lot going for it so far as a laid back, relaxed, atmosphere is concerned while the fishing nearby is undeniably a major attraction.