Wallaga Lake

Wallaga Lake is an estuarine lake in Bega Valley Shire in New South Wales, Australia, the largest lake in southern NSW. It is located between Bermagui to the south and between Tilba Tilba to the north, situated beneath Mount Gulaga, in the traditional lands of the Yuin people. A large section of its foreshore and catchment are within the Gulaga National Park, since Wallaga Lake National Park, Goura Nature Reserve, and Mt Dromedary Flora Reserve were combined into the larger national park. There is an island in the lake known as Merrimans Island, Merriman Island or Umbarra. The lakes surface area is 7.8 km2, while its catchment area spans 280 km2, consisting mainly of Dignams Creek and Narira Creek and tributaries. While the lake itself and most of its catchment fall within the Bega Valley Shire, the northern part of the catchment lies within Eurobodalla Shire Council. It is classified as an Intermittently Closed and Open Lake or Lagoon (ICOLL), because the entrance of the lake sometimes allows tidal exchange from the ocean, but at other times is closed off by a sand bar at the beach. It is a popular spot for recreational fishing, sailing, bushwalking and birdwatching.