Rylstone Dam (Rylstone Weir) is on the Cudgegong River just a few minutes from the centre of Rylstone. It is the town water supply for Rylstone, but it can be used for limited recreational activities including fishing and unpowered boating. The dam has been stocked with Murray Cod, Silver Perch and Golden Perch in recent years. There are also some Rainbow Trout.

The dam has a lot of weed, and large rushes at it’s fringes, this can make fishing trying. In places the rushes are far to thick to cast over or around, however they provide plenty of cover and are a great place for fish to find food. Casting around the edges of the rushes is your first port of call when fishing this water storage from a canoe in summer. It is not a deep dam and so working the old river bed is also wise.

The best way to fish the dam is with a canoe or kayak, but vehicle access to the dam wall is usually blocked by two locked gates on Rylstone Dam Road. The first  gate is about half a kilometer from the dam wall. All other access is via private property except for a small strip of crown land from the road between Rylstone and Dunn Swamp. The entry to the crown land is opposite a propert called Excalibur.

View Rylstone Dam in a larger map

Most of the locals are very approachable and a beer at the pub will often get you the information you need and contacts for access to private property on the Cudgegong which feeds the dam.

If you are fishing from the bank try fishing the steap sections of bank where the water gets deep quickly.

When fishing from the bank bait is best. Worms and yabbies fished under a float or with a small sinker on a running line are good methods to fish for natives at Rylstone. Take a rod holder and a few beers and you will have a good day even if you don’t catch a fish.