IFS director John Diggle said Lake Leake was last stocked with 1000 rainbow trout on October 9.

He said IFS had since imposed the moratorium on new stocks until the storage level at the lake improved.

‘‘Water temperatures typically rise in summer as lake volume decreases, and the risk of trout mortality increases significantly above 25 degrees C,’’ he said.

‘‘Although no trout mortalities were observed in Lake Leake during the severe drought that ended there in 2009, the outcome this summer will depend on the temperatures experienced at the lake.

‘‘Low lake levels are a concern for anglers in drought years, with boat access and water quality being most noticeably affected.’’

Mr Diggle said inflows into water storages in the state’s eastern catchments had been significantly reduced following the dry

conditions that had affected Tasmania since late

winter.

The IFS did not have temperature records for Lake Leake, however Anglers Alliance Tasmania chairman Gary France said he expected the temperature to be about 18 degrees. Mr France said he supported IFS’ imposition of the moratorium, as well as its decision to add fish in early October.

‘‘If there is a dire situation – because we don’t know which way the climate and rainfalls are going to go – we rely on cycles and expectations, but the Inland Fisheries have to manage that,’’ he said. ‘‘If it does turn around, then it’s got a good stock.’’

Mr France said he did not believe the low level of Lake Leake was keeping anglers away from the area, but instead that it was

attracting different people.

‘‘There are some anglers fishing and getting some very good fish (at Lake Leake).‘‘Because some people avoid (it), others consider that they’re going to get some solitude and they go and visit it,’’ he said.

‘‘What happens when lake levels drop is that all of a sudden weed beds that were hard to reach ... you can all of a sudden reach them on foot.’’