Lake Illawarra NSW

A Holiday Makers Delight

Lake Illawarra NSW is a holiday maker’s delight. This area hasn’t really changed much in years yet it’s still such a fantastic place to holiday with the family, with beautiful parks and estuary foreshores along with good fishing and prawning.

Visitors come from far and wide to enjoy their time on the lake as well as the beaches. The area is home to some fascinating attractions, events and culture which make for great things to see and do anytime of the year.

For Sydneysiders who don’t want to travel far this area is particularly attractive because it’s only an hour and a bit down the road, an easy drive on a Friday afternoon or a Saturday or Sunday morning.

These days the region relies less on industry and more on tourism and that alone is creating quite a buzz in the eyes of those who want to escape the big smoke city for a bit of relax time. There is plenty of scope to explore discover enjoy!
























summer is a beautiful time of the year here and you can enjoy some down time on the lake fishing like these birds
















Try your hand at fishing around the entrance and you might catch a salmon like this one here

Fishing On Lake Illawarra NSW

Prawning is a special activity that is very popular in the summer months after the full moon on the run out tide. In the dark of night you can see the many lights of the fishermen on the water. I have many fond memories of such occasions. If you’re around at this time I’m sure you will have vivid memories of this also.

There’s always plenty of good fishing going on especially around the main channel with good catches of flathead to be had. Even though officially there is no mooring of boats allowed in any of these channels, the MSB Waterways seem to tolerate the practice, provided that the boat anglers do use common sense and don't block the way.

Be careful of bag limits and size requirements on fish yeah? I believe that hoop and lift nets are also illegal to use around the lake entrance, as is anchoring below the bridge. When in doubt contact the fisheries.

The middle of the lake is usually only a few meters deep and if the wind comes up it can get rough. Always be prepared and wear life jackets when boating or canoeing. Don’t head out if there’s an expected change in the weather.

In different areas around the lake you can catch flathead, (my favourite) bream, whiting, mullet, flounder, tailor among others along with blue swimmer crabs and ...yes there are even good sized mud crabs if you know where to drop a pot. Of course there are a few well guarded secret spots as well.

The western side of the lake produces good fishing also around Mullet Creek, Tallawarra/Haywards Bay and Macquarie Rivulet. Good bait is the go with local bloodworms, prawns, pilchards or mullet. There’s a bait and tackle shop at Windang and also at Albion Park Rail, they’ll have everything you need to make your fishing on Lake Illawarra enjoyable.

To keep an eye on what’s happening with fishing on Lake Illawarra click here to check out the report, it’s updated regularly.

Lake Illawarra NSW Accommodation

Depending on what you’re after you can find everything from hotels and motels through to B&B’s caravan parks and camping. You can make it an overnight stay or a holiday of long duration. The hip pocket is well catered for with accommodation ranging from inexpensive backpacker style to holiday houses and apartment rentals.

If you would prefer to find some family value places to set up you next getaway try Tasman Accommodation, they have a good range from studio apartments to luxury on the waterfront... well what are you waiting for?