EWEN Maddock Dam is luring keen fishermen to its waters with the release of more than 50,000 fingerlings.

Last week Ewen Maddock Fish Management Inc released 15 saratoga fingerlings into the dam for the first time since 2001.

They also released about 3000 Australian bass fingerlings.

The company's president David Brace said the saratoga would grow to more than a metre.

"The main reason to stock saratoga is it's one of the very few freshwater species that will breed in a land-locked environment," he said.

"Bass need to go over the wall to breed.

"With saratoga, you put them in there to breed among themselves."

In February last year, the company put 29,000 bass, silver perch and gold perch fingerlings into the dam. Mary river cod and saratoga fingerlings weren't available.

The release was the first since 2001 and largest into the Ewen Maddock Dam since it was built in 1973.

The annual releases are part of EMFM Inc's five-year management plan to replenish stock of Australian bass, silver perch, golden perch, mary river cod and saratoga in the dam.

Mr Brace said while some of the fish were being caught, most were too small to legally catch as they would be about 10cm long, short of the 30cm legal size.

"A golden perch was caught recently. It was 20cm long, which would indicate it could be from our stocking last year," he said.

"But bass are extremely slow-growing fish. It might take 15-20 years for them to get to 45-50cm."

He said 25 Australian bass also were caught recently, the biggest measuring 54cm, proving they were from the last stocking group's release more than a decade ago.

Mr Brace said the purpose of the annual restocking was to lure recreational fishermen back to the dam.

"It gives fishermen somewhere to go, other than saltwater, and adds diversity. It gets people outside and enjoying the great outdoors," he said.

EMFM Inc has also taken responsibility for restocking the Baroon Pocket Dam, after the former stocking group ceased operation in about 2000.

The dam has not been stocked since.

The group is permitted to annually restock only Australian bass and mary river cod.

EMFM is preparing to release about 40,000 bass fingerlings into the dams in coming weeks.