Wetland closures
Closed or further regulated hunting areas
Occasionally, wetlands or parts of wetlands, may be closed to duck hunting or hunting may be further regulated (e.g. hunting from boats prohibited) to protect concentrations of rare or threatened species or breeding waterbird colonies from disturbance or being mistakenly shot.
Further regulation can involve additional restrictions on hunting times, equipment and hunting methods. If a closure is required, this can involve a partial closure of a hunting area or full closure.
Wetlands are monitored throughout the duck season. If the reason for further regulation or closure no longer exists, the wetland may be reopened to hunting.
The wetlands listed below will be closed or partially closed to duck hunting for the 2025 duck season. Check this page regularly for updates to this list. Some wetlands may be added and others removed during the course of the season.
Hunting is not permitted in wildlife sanctuaries, including Reedy Lakes (Kerang), Kow Swamp (Gunbower) and Richardson River (Buloke Shire).
Wetlands closed or partially closed to hunting will be reflected in Victoria’s online hunting maps. Download the More to Explore app or visit MapshareVic.
2025 duck season wetland closures to take effect from Wednesday, 19 March 2025
2025 Wetland closure gazette notice
2025 Wetlands reopen gazette notice (Hospital Swamp and Dowd Morass)
| Wetland name | Nearby town | Threatened species present / reason for closure | Regulation / Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson Inlet | Inverloch | Orange-bellied Parrot | Full closure |
Lake Cope Cope State Game Reserve | Cope Cope | Freckled Duck | Partial closure, only Browns Lake (also known as Lake Cope Cope) is closed to duck hunting. Other wetlands that make up the State Game Reserve (e.g. Lake Nurrrumbeet) are open to duck hunting. |
Great Spectacle Lake Complex State Game Reserve | Dingwall | Blue-Winged Shoveler Blue-billed Duck | Full closure of all five lakes including Great Spectacle Lake, Little Spectacle Lake, Round Lake, Tobacco Lake, and Little Lake Meran |
Koorangie State Game Reserve | Kerang | Blue-Winged Shoveler | Partial closure, only Lake Bael Bael and Little Lake Bael Bael are closed to duck hunting. see map* |
Lake Bolac | Lake Bolac | Blue-billed Duck Freckled Duck | Full closure |
Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve | Barwon Heads | Orange-bellied Parrot Blue-Winged Shoveler | Partial closure, Lake Connewarre is closed to duck hunting. Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp are open to hunting. |
Lake Cullen State Game Reserve | Kerang | Blue-Winged Shoveler | Full closure |
Lake Elingamite Lake Reserve | Camperdown | Blue-Winged Shoveler Musk Duck Blue-billed Duck | Full closure |
Lake Lonsdale | Stawell | Freckled Duck Blue-Winged Shoveler | Full closure |
Lake Muirhead | Willaura | Brolga | Full closure |
Lake Stewart (private wetland) | Burramboot | Brolga | Full closure |
Lake Struan State Game Reserve | Lismore | Blue-billed Duck | Full closure |
Lake Tooliorook Lake Reserve | Lismore | Blue-Winged Shoveler Blue-billed Duck | Full closure |
Tower Hill State Game Reserve | Warrnambool | Blue-Winged Shoveler Blue-billed Duck | Full closure |
Tutchewop State Game Reserve and Lake Tutchewop | Mystic Park | Curlew Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Full closure |
Lake Weering Lake Reserve | Cressy | Brolga | Full closure |
Lake Wongan State Game Reserve | Streatham | Blue-winged Shoveler Brolga | Full closure |
* Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve partial closure map
If you have observed significant numbers of threatened waterbird species or breeding waterbird colonies at a wetland open to duck hunting, you can submit a report here: http://www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/our-wildlife/duck-season-2025.
Avian influenza area closures
Agriculture Victoria is responding to the detection of H7N8 avian influenza at four Victorian poultry farms in the Euroa area. A Control Order for the H7N8 avian influenza response has been put in place since February 2025. There have been no new disease detections since 24 February 2025 and good progress has been made on the cleaning and decontamination of affected properties. As a result, the control area has been reduced in size to about 40 kilometres from east to west and 30 kilometres from north to south and it no longer includes Violet Town, Ruffy, Avenel and Strathbogie.
Game bird hunting remains banned in the restricted and redrawn control areas near Euroa and Longwood, to help prevent the spread of avian influenza (see map below), and game birds harvested elsewhere must not be moved into or out of the area. This includes duck, Stubble Quail and non-indigenous game birds. Hunters who live in the control area or restricted area and would like to hunt game birds can apply for a permit from Agriculture Victoria to move their hunting equipment and any harvest into or back into the control or restricted areas. Agriculture Victoria will work with permit applicants to minimise risks arising from these movements.
Hunters passing through the control and restricted areas with harvested ducks, Stubble Quail or non-indigenous gamebirds or hunting equipment, must not stop for any reason.
For more information about the avian influenza control zone and to apply for a permit visit Agriculture Victoria
Page last updated: 17 Apr 2025