TOURIST operators at Lake Hume are gearing up for a bumper holiday season as the lake level rises.

With the lake's capacity at 39 per cent, holiday maker numbers are expected to return to near pre-drought levels.

The past decade has been a tough one for operators, with levels dropping as low as 2 per cent.

Jon Ward, managing partner of Lake Hume Resort, last saw the lake close to full in 2004-05.

The next year, it was hit by the lowest inflows in 114 years of records, with resort turnover nosediving 20 per cent.

This was backed up by record-low lake levels in 2007 and last year.

Winter and spring rain in the Upper Murray catchment resulted in the lake filling quickly during October.

But the public perception remains one of a dusty waterhole, Jon believes.

"In the last four years, the metropolitan press has portrayed the Murray River as dying," he said.

"Many locals also have the same perception and that has hit our country-based business."

Jon said resort staff had worked hard at maintaining the conference and wedding market during the lean times.

"We have reinvented ourselves and targeted the rural market," he said.

"We hosted a sheep breeders' conference and have the room to handle machinery trade shows.

"The resort has the space and versatility in three to five-star accommodation to cater for groups of 400-plus."

The lakeside resort has also been popular with sporting and university groups, with accommodation ranging from motel to self-contained three-bedroom cottages.

Luxury apartment accommodation, built as permanent living or holiday rental, is available on a guaranteed leaseback arrangement at 6.5 per cent net return a year.

Jon said the resort was almost fully booked for January.

"We don't talk about water levels in percentage terms, but in useable water," he said.

"Even when the lake is at 12 per cent, there is 8 sq km of useable water for boating, skiing and fishing."

And the fishing is good, with 600 trout and 400 yellowbelly taken over one weekend in a recent fishing competition.

Lake Hume Tourist Park part-owner Suzanne Downie is looking forward to a return to a busy summer.

Suzanne moved from Melbourne with her husband, Matt, and father-in-law Kevin Downie six years ago.

"We would never go back to Melbourne - this whole area is just beautiful," she said.

"It's lovely to see the lake level up - even people from Albury said they had no idea the lake was so full."