Wetlands previously closed to hunting
To help hunters plan their duck hunting trips, the table below contains information about wetlands where rare and threatened species have been regularly sighted, the potential risk to the species from duck hunting and, if applicable, the year in which the wetland was closed or further regulated since 2009.
Hunters are encouraged to have a ‘plan b’ in place as wetlands can be closed at short notice during the duck season and an alternate hunting location is required. And don’t forget, if you’re NOT SURE, DON’T SHOOT.
| Wetland name | Rare or threatened species | Risk | Year wetland closed and/or further regulatedi since 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
Andersons Inlet |
| Disturbance | 2023, 2024, 2025 |
Baillieu Lagoon (Richardson’s Lagoon) |
| Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2011 |
Bartlett’s Swamp |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2014 |
Big Reedy Lagoon |
| Disturbance | 2017, 2024 |
Booroopki Swamp |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Box Flat Swamp |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / distirbance | 2013 |
Browns Lake (also known as Lake Cope Cope) |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2018, 2025 |
Bradys Swamp |
| Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / distirbarnce | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Bryan Swamp |
| Disturbance during flocking. Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2022, 2023 |
Buffalo Dam (Lake Buffalo) |
| Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) | |
Bullrush Swamp |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2024 |
Clydebank Morass |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2024 |
Cundare Pool |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2024 |
Deep Lake (Derrinallum) |
| Disturbance during flocking | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Doctors Swamp (Murchison Swamp) |
| Disturbance | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Dowd Morass State Game Reserve (SGR) |
| Disturbance | 2022, 2024, 2025 |
Freshwater Swamp SGR |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Gaynor Swamp |
| Disturbance | 2023 |
Great Spectacle Lake Complex SGR (Great Spectacle Lake, Little Spectacle Lake, Round Lake, Tobacco Lake, Little Lake Meran) |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2025 |
Green Lake |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2024, 2025 |
Green Swamp |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Harnath Swamp |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Heywood Lake |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Disturbance. Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2016 |
Hird Swamp |
| Disturbance
| 2014, 2018, 2024 |
Hollands Landing Lagoon |
| Disturbance | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Hospital Swamps (part of Lake Connewarre SGR) |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Disturbance Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2009, 2014, 2019, 2025 |
Johnsons Swamp |
| Disturbance. Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2016 |
Koorangie SGR (INCLUDES First, Second and Third Marsh, Lake Bael Bael |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Disturbance | 2017, 2018, 2024 |
Krause Swamp |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2015 |
| Lake Bael Bael (part of Koorangie SGR) |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2025 |
Lake Bolac |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024, 2025 |
Lake Bookar |
| Disturbance (note, Hardhead is no longer a listed threatened species) | 2023 |
Lake Boort |
| Disturbance | 2024 |
Lake Buloke |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2023, 2024 |
Lake Buninjon |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2024 |
Lake Cartcarrong |
| Closed to provide drought refuge | 2009 |
Lake Colac |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2014 |
Lake Cooper |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2017 |
Lake Colongulac |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2024 |
Lake Connewarre |
| Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2009, 2014, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
Lake Corringle |
| Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Lake Cullen |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2024, 2025 |
Lake Curlip |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Lake Elingamite |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2009, 2023, 2025 |
Lake Elizabeth |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2016, 2019, 2023 |
Lake Fyans |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2009 |
Lake Cullen |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2025 |
Lake Goldsmith |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2023, 2024 |
Lake Linlithgow |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024 |
Lake Lonsdale |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024, 2025 |
Lake Martin |
| Disturbance prior to migration | 2018, 2024 |
Lake Modewarre |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2024 |
Lake Muirhead |
| Disturbance during flocking Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
Lake Murdeduke |
| Disturbance prior to migration | 2024 |
Lake Murphy |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Disturbance | 2019, 2023 |
Lake Natimuk |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2014, 2017, 2023, 2024 |
Lake Stewart (private wetland) |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2024, 2025 |
Lake Struan |
| Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2009, 2025 |
Lake Tooliorook |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2025 |
Lake Tutchewop |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Disturbance prior to migration Disturbance prior to migration | 2024, 2025 |
Lake Wat Wat |
| Disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2024 |
Lake Weering |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2025 |
Lake Wongan |
| Disturbance during flocking Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2022, 2024, 2025 |
| Little Lake Bael Bael (part of Koorangie SGR) |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2025 |
Little Lake Meran |
| Disturbance during flocking | Routinely attracts threatened species |
Lough Calvert |
| Disturbance during flocking | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
McGlashins Swamp |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |
Moodie Swamp |
| Disturbance during flocking | 2024 |
Pine Lake |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2019, 2024 |
Reedy Lake (part of Lake Connewarre SGR) |
| Disturbance Disturbance Disturbance prior to migration | 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 |
Reedy Lake (near Nagambie) |
| Disturbance | 2023 |
Round Lake (Lake Boga) |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 |
Round Lake (Lake Cope Cope) |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) | 2019 |
Toolondo Reservoir |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | 2016 |
Tower Hill SGR |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks) / disturbance | 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
Walker’s Lake |
| Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance Mistakenly shot (misidentification) / disturbance | N/A but routinely attracts threatened species |