Bonnie Doon on Lake Eildon

Water and trails define Bonnie Doon

Bonnie Doon lies on the shore of Lake Eildon. The lake and the Great Victorian Rail Trail offer different perspectives on the area: here, activities on the water take centre stage; there, you can explore a trail on foot, by bike or on horseback. If you’re planning a family holiday, you can weigh up whether time together by the lake or getting active on the trail should shape your stay.

At Lake Eildon: water sports and fishing

From Bonnie Doon, you can water-ski and wakeboard on Lake Eildon. This gives your plans a clear water-sports focus without reducing the lake to a single experience. If you’d rather stay on the shore, there’s another option: when water levels are high enough, shore fishing for golden perch around Bonnie Doon Bridge is popular. That condition matters, as it is explicitly part of this fishing experience.

Other fish found in the lake near Bonnie Doon include yellowbelly, redfin, carp, brown trout and Murray cod. The different fish species give anglers a specific point of interest, while water-skiing and wakeboarding offer another way to spend time on the water. When choosing holiday accommodation, it may therefore help to first consider which of these interests you’d like to shape your stay.

Bonnie Doon Bridge and the Great Victorian Rail Trail

The Bonnie Doon Bridge on the Great Victorian Rail Trail crosses Lake Eildon and is 385 metres long. Together with shore fishing around the bridge, it connects two of the area’s features mentioned here: the lake and the trail. The length gives you a specific measure of the bridge; it does not, however, indicate the length of other sections of the trail.

The Great Victorian Rail Trail passes through the Bonnie Doon area and can be explored by bike, on horseback or on foot. The section from Bonnie Doon to Mansfield is 22 kilometres long. This figure applies to that specific part of the trail.

There are water and toilets in Bonnie Doon and Merton Township along the Great Victorian Rail Trail section from Bonnie Doon to Merton. This is a useful guide when planning to travel this section. The information applies to the two places named along this trail section.

Art and history along the trail

The section from Bonnie Doon to Merton passes the outdoor sculpture “Remnant”. It also passes two First Nations artworks called “We Scar Many Trees”. As well as movement and scenery, these artworks add a cultural dimension to a trip. If you’re travelling with family, you can include them as specific destinations when considering which route to take.

Bonnie Doon Station is also part of the history of the Great Victorian Rail Trail: the name marks the location of the former railway station on the trail. Together with the artworks, it offers another way to experience the area beyond water sports and fishing. When choosing your stay, you can weigh these interests against one another: the lake and activities on the water, a trail route, or art and historical remembrance along the section to Merton.

More destination pages: Rochester, Upwey, Inverloch, Porepunkah, Bambra, Tullamarine, Durham Lead, Flowerdale.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.