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Lake Illawarra

Lake Illawarra is the second largest saltwater lake in NSW Australia, located 8 km south of Wollongong on the NSW south coast.

Although the lake is a popular holiday spot and important fish nursery, it has been by-passed as a recreational fishing haven and is still extensively used for commercial fishing.

Lake Illawarra is also exposed to environmental stress through industries and urban expansion.

Good things about Lake Illawarra

Lake Illawarra has been described as the “Jewel of the Illawarra”. 

At the moment it certainly is not but has the potential to be restored to its former glory, if the Lake Illawarra Authority performed its duty and concentrated on Water Quality of the lake.

Lake Illawarra is a hotspot for aquatic activities and leisure.  Whatever you want to do you will find it somewhere around the lake.

The lake is supported by other Illawarra pleasures – clean beaches, parks, restaurants, cafes, wide range of accommodation, cultural and historical sites and art galleries.

In good times Lake Illawarra boasted excellent fishing, prawning, crabbing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, rowing, canoeing, water skiing and windsurfing.

In fact, back in the good old days the lake even boasted a floating restaurant

Lake Illawarra is an excellent place to just drop out and enjoy a BBQ at the lake edge, just watching the world go by. Free BBQ are located at many places around the Lake .

Lake Illawarra is the home of pelicans, sea gulls and black swans just to mention a few of the many aquatic bird species,. At some locations bird viewing platforms have been built at the lakes edge.

The lake has shared walkways/cycle ways at several locations around the lakes edge.

Thanks to the rain the lake entrance is now open and being flushed by fresh salt water twice a day with the tides, good reports of people catching fish in the lake are coming through. Just last week (June 2007) I caught 13 over sized whiting in just 2 hours near Windang Bridge .

The New Rock entrance walls are finished and the lake now has the best entrance it has had in its life.  It is proving to be a great tourist attraction with hundreds visiting the area to inspect the entrance. On a good and sunny weekend it is standing room only out on the wall.

The southern wall is proving to be a popular fishing spot with good catches being reported.

For technical information about the lake visit the LIA site at www.lia.gov.nsw.au