Home / Chapters / New South Wales / Lake Macquarie Chapter

OzFish is dedicated to helping local recreational fishers take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries. We partner with members and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways.

Become a member of the OzFish Lake Macquarie Chapter.
There is a membership for everyone.

ADULT MEMBERSHIP    JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP    FAMILY MEMBERSHIP

Every new member will receive an OzFish cap, sticker, gift and a $10 BCF Gift Card courtesy of our major partner.

Welcome to the Lake Macquarie Chapter

The Lake Mac Chapter is a group of passionate local anglers that want to see the lake perform at its maximum potential. Through education, habitat restoration projects, and some good old beer garden catch-ups, the chapter is confident they can make a difference.

This OzFish Chapter aims to make sustainable fishing practices high on every recreational fisher’s agenda when they are out on the water and they are ready to give seagrass meadows a boost to improve the lake’s capacity.

OzFish is dedicated to helping local recreational fishers take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries. We partner with members and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways.

What we do:

• Work with fishers to make local fishing grounds healthy, vibrant and more productive
• Share ideas on how to improve, restore and protect fish habitat
• Seek grants and support for hands-on habitat restoration
• Provide events, resources, education and research that support fishing groups to achieve local environmental outcomes.

This OzFish Chapter is established Awabakal country, and we acknowledge Elders past and present and emerging.

Meet the Chapter Executives

  • Jonathon Bleakley – Passionate local angler who holds a passion for fishing communication.
  • Dan Guilfoyle – One of the most successful anglers on the lake with a large social following for his continued success chasing mulloway.
  • Tre Carson – Tre holds a degree in Marine biology and offers a youthful eye when it comes to the habitat projects the chapter plans to partake in.

 

 

  • Toby Francis – Recently moving to Newcastle, Toby is a keen beach, rock and offshore fisho that is passionate about making sure fishing is around for his kids.
  • John Reeves – a gun angler living on the shores of the lake, John offers experience in knowing the ins and outs of the lake and the local businesses nearby.

You can meet fishers who want to give back to Lake Mac by joining the OzFish Lake Macquarie Chapter.

 JOIN NOW

Current Project – Operation Posidonia

The decline of Posidonia meadows in parts of NSW has been so severe that seagrass meadows have been formally listed as ‘endangered’. There’s a very real risk that this species may become locally extinct from Lake Macquarie within the next 15 years unless we help reverse current trends.

Coastal development and pollution have caused Posidonia meadows to decline. One ongoing threat is traditional fixed-block-and-chain boat moorings, which create ‘scars’ or bare patches in the seagrass meadow. Because the loss of seagrass destabilises the sediment, and Posidonia is very slow-growing, natural recovery in these scars is unlikely. OzFishers can be part of the Storm Squad  of volunteers working on restoring this important habitat in Lake Macquarie.

FIND OUT MORE

 

Current Project – Saving saltmarsh in Salt Bay and Black Neds Bay

The OzFish  are working in collaboration with Lake Macquarie Landcare Volunteer Network, Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council and Lake Macquarie City Council to rehabilitate Salt Bay and Black Neds Bay. The project will plant 1,200 native species with the hope to improve the terrestrial and estuarine environments and, ultimately, improve the recreational fishing area.

Salt Bay and Black Neds Bay are important areas of Lake Macquarie as they are home to coastal saltmarsh which are threatened in NSW. Providing shelter and habitat for juvenile fish will allow us to keep these areas vibrant with fish, keeping our recreational fishers happy with more bites!

FIND OUT MORE

 

Become a member of the OzFish Lake Macquarie Chapter.
There is a membership for everyone.

ADULT MEMBERSHIP    JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP    FAMILY MEMBERSHIP

Every new member will receive an OzFish cap, sticker, facemasks and a $10 BCF Gift Card courtesy of our major partner.

About Lake Macquarie

Lake Macquarie is characterised by a great diversity of towns on its edges. It is located approximately 110 km from Sydney. The lake itself is the largest coastal saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere.

There is no appreciable tidal range within the lake although the tidal race at Swansea Channel can be strong. There are 92 towns and villages, 29 public boat ramps, 28 public jetties and wharves and 7 marina berth around the lake.  At the northern end there are flotillas of bobbing boats and white, flapping sails which crowd the lake and fishing and swimming are also popular. At the southern end small towns nestle into the wilderness. Most of the destinations are designed to take full advantage of the views across the lake.

 

Fishing in the Lake

It’s home to a wide range of popular recreational fish species including mulloway, bream, dusky flathead, tailor, squid, luderick, sand whiting, yellowtail kingfish and Australian salmon.

Fringed by a number of picturesque towns and villages including Swansea, Belmont, Mannering Park, Wangi Wangi and Toronto. Lake Macquarie features numerous sheltered bays, headlands, and creeks. It’s an extremely productive and popular fishery for locals and for visitors from other areas with plenty of holiday accommodation, caravan parks and camping grounds.

 

Linked to the sea

Lake Macquarie is linked to the sea via Swansea Channel on the eastern side. This waterway is tremendously popular with recreational anglers targeting dusky flathead, bream, whiting and luderick. Large schools of Australian salmon often take up residence in the channel during the cooler months, providing great sport for anglers using lures or fly tackle.

Yellowtail kingfish are a prized catch for anglers fishing with surface lures or live baits around Swansea Bridge or at the nearby “Drop Over” where the channel meets the Lake. Three larger creeks (Dora Creek, Cockle Creek and Stoney Creek) drain into the Lake as well as a number of smaller waterways, many of which are popular fishing locations.

 

LATEST NEWS

APRIL 2022 | OzFish to lead Lake Macquarie fish habitat restoraton

APRIL 2022 | OzFish to lead Lake Macquarie fish habitat restoraton

OzFish Unlimited, Australia’s leading fishing conservation charity, has announced Lake Macquarie as the home of its newest chapter protecting and revitalising recreational fishing in the region. OzFish is a growing national not-for-profit that protects and restores fish habitats. Dan Guilfoyle, local angler and Lake Macquarie Chapter executive, says that the Lake has needed a group like OzFish for some time. “The last 20 years has seen a boom in how many people are fishing the Lake, which is great, but this pressure hasn’t been accompanied by a level of awareness that is needed to make sure we protect, restore and revitalise it as well,” Mr Guilfoyle said.

Find Out More

Continue the conversation with the Lake Macquarie Chapter by following them on Facebook or tagging them @OzFishLakeMacquarie

 FOLLOW