Cox's River
Cox’s River winds its way for over 100km
from Ben Bullen
State Forest (north of Lithgow) to Sydney’s main water storage Lake
Burragorang
in the Blue Mountains National Park (south of Katoomba). The river is
named
after William Cox the surveyor who built the first road over the Blue
Mountains.
Cox fell into the river from his horse while crossing it on his first
day
surveying at the base of Mt Blaxland in November 1814.
Cox’s River is one of the most popular trout
streams in Central New South Wales
and this is because it
offers great fishing within 2 hours drive of Sydney.
Photo: Cox's River
below Little River
Cox’s River and its tributaries are
classified as a general trout stream
above its
junction
with, but not including the Little River. All the easily accessible
sections of
river are upstream of its junction with Little River and are considered
general
trout stream and are closed to fishing from the end of the June long
weekend to
the start of the October long weekend. Other fishing regulations apply
and you
should check The Department of Primary Industries website
for the latest regulations before you fish.
The river sustains a healthy population of
Rainbow and Brown
Trout particularly in its upper reaches near Lithgow close to Lake Lyell
and Lake
Wallace. You
may also find Carp and
Macquarie Perch in places.
The Cox’s River runs through bushy granite
gorges, with sections
of open sandy pools mainly adjacent to open farming land. Near Lithgow willow
and
blackberry infestations make
fishing difficult in some areas, however generally fishermen can find
their way
around obstructions to make a cast. In the lower reaches she-oaks
dominate the
vegetation, and these large trees allow better access to the waters
edge.
Two other great trout streams the Kowmung River
and Jenolan River flow into the lower Cox's
River within the boundries of Blue Mountains National Park.
Photo: Cox's River near Lake
Lyell
Public Access Points
Wallerawang: Near
the intersection of Main Street Wallerawang and the Castlereagh Highway
(Mudgee Rd)
just upstream of Wallerawang
Power Station. Fish generally hold in the rapids and in the weed beds
of the
larger pools. Do not go into fenced off private property or within the
boundaries
of the power station without permission from the relevant land manager.
MAP
Lidsdale State
Forest: There are multiple access points for this area of the
river,
however the only access for non 4WD vehicles is via the western end of
Sir
Thomas Mitchell Drive (from the town of Rydal) near Lake Lyell. Once at
the end
of this dirt road walk to Lake
Lyell then
follow the
Cox’s River arm of the lake in a northerly direction (upstream). With
the dam
currently below 50% capacity it is worth walking upstream until you
reach the
high water mark of the lake before commencing fishing. There are
normally very
few fish in the river below the high water mark. You will need to walk
for
about 20 minutes (1km) to get above the high water mark. This is a
worthwhile walk
as the river is quite picturesque and there are plenty of trout to be
caught in
this section of the river.
MAP
Photo: Cox's River Platapus
McKanes Falls
Road Bridge: A small
area of river can be accessed at McKanes Falls
Bridge. McKanes Falls Road
can be accessed from the Great
Western Highway two minutes South East of
South
Bowenfels. The bridge is approximately 4 minutes from the Great Western Highway.
MAP
Glenroy
Camping Area: A
great trout fishing location. Glenroy Camping Area is located at the
junction
of Cox’s River and The River Lett (on the Jenolan Road near Hartley). This
is a key
site in the history of NSW settlement and in Aboriginal history.
Camping fees
apply to access the land in this section of river but the prices are
very
reasonable. Please contact the Glenroy Cottage for current rates.
PH: (02) 6355
2186 www.glenroycottages.com
In this area the
river is
generally skirted by large granite slabs, sandy soil and the roots of
substantial river she-oaks which offer good cover for fish. The fish
usually
take cover behind or above rocks in rapids, as well as under overhangs
of
riverbanks and around blackberry bushes. In deeper pools they will hold
at the bottom.
Take great care not to spook the fish.
MAP
Cox’s
River Road
(Duddawarra Bridge): Duddawarra Bridge is approximately 15kms from the Great Western Highway
on Cox’s River Road.
The
Cox’s River Road
is the first seeled road on the left when heading west at the base Mt
Victoria
Pass. The area offers about 700m of riverfront. Fish in this area tend
to hold
in the deeper pools around weed beds during the day. The sandy bottom
of this
section of river means fewer fish but the fish that are mostly of good
size and
condition.
MAP
Photo: Cox's River down from Duddawarra Bridge
Sandy Hook: To
get to Sandy Hook go to Duddawarra
Bridge as
above. Then
follow Ganbenang Road
to Cullenbenbong Road
and follow Cullenbenbong
Rd
for about 6km until the road starts to run parallel to the Cox’s River.
Where
the road and river meet there is a 3km stretch that is unfenced. This
section
of river can be fished to just down stream of Sandy Hook picnic area.
The river
bottom is a mixture of pebbly river rock, sand and marble slabs. There
is an
almost even mix of brown and rainbow trout in this section of river.
Average
size fish here are around 30cm.
MAP
Photo: Cox's River @ Sandy Hook
Six Foot Track: Experienced bushwalkers only! The Six
Foot Track
is a 46km walking track which runs from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves.
It crosses Cox’s River approximately 4km upstream from the junction
with the Little
River. While the Six Foot Track does not follow Cox’s River for a long
distance
it still offers great access to a remote area of the river where few
fishermen
visit.
To reach the river you do not need to walk
the full 46km of
track, however you will need to walk a 16km round trip to access Cox’s
River
Camping Ground and Bowtel’s Swing Bridge.
If you want to walk further, a track heads downstream to Little
River from Bowtel’s Swing
Bridge. It
is a 4km walk
to the Little River via this track. This is an important access trail
for
people wishing to fish the area of the river which is not “General
Trout
Stream” (thus open to fishermen all year round). There is some private
land
both up and downstream from Cox’s Camp Ground
and lookout for
signs that indicate private land or gain permission before you fish.
Photo: Bowtell's Swing Bridge
over Cox's River on the Six Foot Track
To access the Cox’s river via the Six Foot Track drive into
the Megalong Valley and park were Megalong Valley Road meets the Six
Foot Track
near Old For Reserve (see map). To ensure plenty of time for fishing
you should
be willing to camp overnight. If you don’t camp you will have get a
very early start
in order to make it a worthwhile walk. You can also walk further down
the Six
Foot Track to fish Little River.
Good preparation is required if you wish to fish the Six
Foot Track and down stream sections of river, as there is no public
vehicle
access and no mobile coverage. You should take an EPIRB or Satellite
Phone when
fishing such remote areas, and leave a copy of your trip plan with a
friend or family
member and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). EPIRBS can
be
borrowed from NPWS
and Blue
Mountains Police (Springwood & Katoomba Police Stations only).
Make sure you have plenty of food and water. If you are
considering doing this walk you should purchase the Six Foot Track Map
(from
Glenbrook or Katoomba Tourist Information Centre) or the Hampton 1:25000
topographic map.
MAP
Other possible areas
to fish include: Megalong Creek (Old Ford Reserve on Megalong Rd),
Farmers
Creek, Marangaroo Creek (near Great Western Highway), and
Little River (via the Six Foot Track).
Safety: Use
extreme care when wading where the river base is a granite slab,
boulders or river
rock as it is extremely slippery. Sunglasses, hat and sunscreen are
worthwhile
even when the weather is cool. When fishing in a remote area always
fish with a
buddy, and carry an EPERB, satellite phone or a mobile phone (if there
is
coverage) in case you get into trouble. Temperatures can drop quickly
and on a winter, spring or autumn afternoon
temperatures of
below zero are a possibility, so always layer up (at least bring a
thermal
under layer and a rain jacket).
Watch
out for snakes such as Death Adders, Browns and Red Belly Black Snakes
as they
are regularly seen by fishermen in the area. Blue
Mountains and Sydney Funnel Web Spiders are also found in
the area
although rarely spied by fishers.
Regulations: The
lowest 3km section of the river is closed to public access all year
round due
to its proximity to Lake Burragorang (see map). Cox’s River and its
tributaries
are classified as a general trout stream
above its junction with, but not including the Little River. General
trout
stream regulations can be found on the NSW DPI Fisheries website.
Impoundments: The
main water storages along the river are Lake
Wallace (Wallerawang), Lake Lyell
(Lithgow) and Warragamba Dam (Lake Burragorang).
While not
on the Cox’s River proper, Thompsons Creek Dam near Wallerawang and
Farmers
Creek Dam near Lithgow are also within the upper catchment of the Cox’s
River
as they are built on tributaries of the river.
Photo: Cox's River Bridge on Main Street
Wallerawang.
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