Updates to Australia’s Gippsland Lakes

Updates to Australia’s Gippsland Lakes

As part of our daily effort to bring you the newest and best charts available, we updated several lakes in Australia. In this blog post, we will look at one of Australia’s more diverse and popular destinations, The Gippsland Lake Region.

Connections 
The Gippsland Lakes are located in the state of Victoria which is in the southeast part of the continent. The area is an estuary consisting of a network of lakes and wetlands that connects to the Bass Strait. Lake Entrance is the largest town in the region and lives up to its name by neighboring with the only channel that connects the lakes to the ocean. Like many of the smaller towns in the area, this town plays a large part in the tourist market, but it is also known for its commercial fishing.

Three large lakes dominate the region. These are Lake Wellington, Lake Victoria and Lake King. Collectively, the lakes surfaces cover an impressive 354 square kilometers but most of the lakes are shallow, reaching depths of only 4 – 6 meters. Although several freshwater rivers and streams flow into the region, the lakes also share water from the Tasman Sea. Having a close connection to the sea has given a briny (high concentration of salt) nature to the lakes’ water.

What separates the Tasman Sea from the lakes’ peaceful and calm interior is a long stretch of continuous dunes of golden sand. On the seaside is Ninety Mile Beach, one of the world’s longest stretches of beach. Known for its surfing, coastal fishing for tailor, salmon and flathead is also popular here during the winter.

Activities
It might sound cliché, but this region really does offer something for everyone. Vacationers coming from Melbourne favor the area west of the lakes. Once you are there, you will not be bored. Popular activities include fishing, hunting, sailing, kayaking, waterskiing, camping, hiking, horseback riding and sightseeing. Small towns located throughout the region cater to tourists. There is no shortage of hotels, resorts, restaurants and shops in the area. If sightseeing is your thing, take the ferry to Raymond Island located on Lake King and enjoy watching many koalas that inhabit the island. Known for its ecological diversity, this area is a bird watcher’s paradise.

Fishing
Out of all the recreational activities this region has to offer, the most popular is fishing. Anglers enjoy the region’s diversity and fish for Black Bream, Flathead, Whiting and Estuary Perch.

Most of the area consists of large shallow lakes but for many, their favorite spots are in and along the rivers. There are five major rivers that feed the region with fresh water. The Tambo, Nicholson and Mitchell flow into Lake King while the Latrobe and Avon flow into Lake Wellington. The banks of the rivers offer many onshore fishing opportunities. As for the boaters, they have the advantage of finding plenty of deep spots that offer large sized Bream.

Don’t Let the Mulloway Getaway. The lakes are mostly shallow, but you will find the deepest point in a channel near the town of Metung, a small town well-known to anglers. Here, you can restock supplies, launch and fuel your boat. You could fish off the jetty, but most prefer to take advantage of the uniquely deep channel water just off Shaving Point where the depth reaches to 15 meters. You will find anglers fishing for Mulloways who prefer the deep water and prey on tailor schools. If you are looking for a large Mulloway, this is the spot for you.

Besides fish, the region hosts a variety of visiting aquatic animals. Be on the lookout for Bottlenose and Burrunan dolphins and Southern Right and Humpback whales as they make their way through Lake Entrance’s channel to visit the lakes.

Environmental Diversity
Two major protected areas in the region are, “The Lakes National Park” and the “Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park.” These areas are known for their coastal and inland wetlands and protected by an international treaty known as the Ramsar Convention enacted in 1971. The wetlands are important as they provide resources to many of the region’s fauna. Many birders head to this region as the wetlands provide a home for over 20,000 waterbirds.

Have a look at some of the updates:

Other lakes recently released include:

Lake Tyers
Mallacota Lake
Snowy River
Sydeham Inlet
Tamboon Inlet
Shallow Inlet

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