LAKE Eppalock has received a fresh batch of more than 20,000 Murray cod.
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Bendigo Field and Game has contributed to the regular amount of fish the Department of Environment and Primary Industries releases annually into the lake.
DEPI officers and Field and Game members released 23,550 baby Murray cod, known as fingerlings, into the rocky banks of the popular recreational fishing lake on Wednesday.
Bendigo Field and Game donated about 3,550 and the rest of the fish are from the DEPI.
Publicity officer Danny Ryan said members had fundraised to purchase the fish.
Once they are in the water it's whoever catches them first.
- Graeme Saunders
"The club has been going since 1974 and we have got 485 members on our books both within Bendigo and outlying regional areas," he said.
The DEPI will also release 70,000 golden perch into the lake in coming weeks.
DEPI senior fisheries officer Murray Burns said Lake Eppalock was the top golden perch fishery in the state and they were working to get it back to that standard.
"We didn't stock the lake over the drought period but this year we are aiming for 20,000 Murray cod and 200,000 golden perch," he said.
"It's a constant stocking program that we are running here."
Bendigo Field and Game member Graeme Saunders is happy to contribute to his local fishing spot.
"We are doing this for the community too, our association only use a small part," he said.
"Once they are in the water it's whoever catches them first."