Lake Illawarra and Windang fishing spots
Lake Illawarra is a shallow coastal lake best known for dusky flathead, bream, whiting and summer prawning around its busy entrance, while Windang Beach and Windang Island, either side of the entrance, give salmon, tailor, drummer and luderick.
Updated
4 spots here, all fished from land, plus 3 public boat ramps. Seasons follow our NSW South Coast species list for New South Wales. Positions are a guide only, not for navigation.
Under each spot, "Forecast for this spot" opens the app's forecast worked out for that spot: Go, Marginal or No-go for each day of the week ahead, with the best times, wind, waves and tide. Open the forecast.
Spots at a glance
| Spot | Type | Fished from | Water | Marine park |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Windang Beach | Beach | Land-based | Ocean coast | – |
| 2. Windang Island | Island | Land-based | Ocean coast | – |
| 3. Lake Illawarra entrance & Windang Bridge | Channel | Land-based, boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | – |
| 4. Lake Illawarra (Kanahooka Point) | Lake | Land-based, boat and kayak | Bay, estuary or river | – |
1. Windang Beach
- Type
- Beach · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
- Access
- Land-based. Park at Windang (surf club or foreshore reserves) and walk onto the sand.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: Australian salmon, sand whiting, dusky flathead and mulloway. Also in season: tailor and yellowfin bream.
- Best tide
- Rising tide around dawn and dusk; work the gutters toward the lake entrance.
- Best wind
- Westerlies flatten the surf; strong north-easters make it messy. Faces E.
- Note
- Surf beach running north from the Lake Illawarra entrance: pilchards or beach worms in the gutters for salmon, tailor, bream and whiting, with mulloway after dark near the entrance end.
- Safety
- Rips are common; the beach is patrolled only in season between the flags. Strong outflow near the lake entrance on the run-out.
- Zone
- No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -34.54010, 150.87620 · Open in Google Maps (position: Windang Beach, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
2. Windang Island
- Type
- Island · ocean coast (beach or rocks)
- Access
- Land-based. Walk across the sand from the southern side of the Lake Illawarra entrance when tide and swell allow.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: Australian salmon. Also in season: rock blackfish, luderick, yellowfin bream, tailor and silver trevally.
- Best tide
- Cross on low to mid tide and keep an eye on the way back as the tide rises.
- Best wind
- Westerlies; avoid east and south-east swell. Faces E.
- Note
- Rocky island off the lake entrance: drummer and luderick in the washes, bream and trevally on berley, and salmon and tailor on metals in the cooler months.
- Safety
- A rising tide or swell can cut off the walk back. Shellharbour Council lists Windang Island among its high-risk rock platforms: wear a lifejacket. Never fish alone.
- Zone
- No marine park. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -34.54840, 150.88450 · Open in Google Maps (position: Windang Island, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
3. Lake Illawarra entrance & Windang Bridge
- Type
- Channel · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based, boat and kayak. Parking and shore access by the Windang bridge boat ramp (Fern Street) and along both foreshores.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting and mulloway. Also in season: yellowfin bream, luderick, tailor, silver trevally and southern calamari.
- Best tide
- Slack water around the bridge for mulloway; the run-in for whiting on the flats; channel drop-offs on the run-out for flathead.
- Best wind
- Fishable in most winds; strong southerlies chop up the channel.
- Note
- Coordinate is Picnic Island in the entrance channel. Drift whitebait, prawns or plastics along the channel edges for flathead, worm the flats for whiting and bream, and float weed for luderick.
- Safety
- Fast tidal flow through the channel and under the bridge. The lake entrance is a coastal bar: lifejackets on when crossing by boat. Shallow, shifting sandbanks.
- Zone
- No marine park. Entrance waters: no hoop or lift nets, hand-hauled or push prawn nets, crab or lobster traps, and no spearfishing. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -34.54010, 150.86780 · Open in Google Maps (position: Picnic Island, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
4. Lake Illawarra (Kanahooka Point)
- Type
- Lake · bay, estuary or river
- Access
- Land-based, boat and kayak. Foreshore reserves and the Kanahooka boat ramp on the lake's north-western shore.
- What's good here
- Peak in October: dusky flathead and sand whiting. Also in season: yellowfin bream, school and eastern king prawns, luderick and eastern sea garfish.
- Best tide
- Not confirmed for this spot yet.
- Best wind
- Fish the shore the wind is blowing onto for flathead; westerlies leave the western bays calm.
- Note
- Shallow weed flats and drop-offs: drift or wade with soft plastics for dusky flathead, worm the sand for whiting and bream, and scoop prawns on dark summer nights.
- Safety
- Very shallow in places: easy to run aground. Night prawning: wade with a partner and a good light.
- Zone
- No marine park. Mullet Creek, which enters the lake on this side, is closed to nets. Guide only, not for navigation: check dpird.nsw.gov.au.
- Map
- -34.50680, 150.83450 · Open in Google Maps (position: Kanahooka Point, Composite Gazetteer of Australia)
- Forecast
- Forecast for this spot
Boat ramps
3 public boat ramps are listed for Lake Illawarra and Windang, with positions from Maritime NSW Boat Ramps. Lanes, parking and tide access are as the data says: check them on the day.
| Ramp | Notes | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Illawarra - Berkeley Harbour | 2 lanes, 21-50 car/trailer spaces, water access: all times, pontoon or jetty nearby, toilets (TfNSW record). Northern shore of Lake Illawarra. | -34.48380, 150.85519 Google Maps |
| Lake Illawarra - Windang Near Windang Bridge | 2 lanes, 11-20 car/trailer spaces, water access: shallow at times, pontoon, toilets, fish-cleaning table (TfNSW record). Closest lake ramp to the entrance channel; sand bars at low tide. | -34.53510, 150.86967 Google Maps |
| Lake Illawarra - Oak Flats Ski Park | 1 lane, 0-10 car/trailer spaces, water access: all times, pontoon, toilets (TfNSW record). Southern shore of Lake Illawarra. | -34.55506, 150.83331 Google Maps |
What's biting here in October?
In peak season at Lake Illawarra and Windang in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting, mulloway, Australian salmon and 4 more. Of the 29 species our NSW South Coast list has for this part of the coast, 8 peak in October 2026 and 14 more are in season.
Peak in October: dusky flathead, sand whiting, mulloway, Australian salmon, sand and tiger flathead, snapper, Australian bass and estuary perch.
Also in season: yellowfin bream, tailor, luderick, silver trevally, rock blackfish, eastern sea garfish, southern calamari, school and eastern king prawns, tarwhine, yellowtail kingfish, leatherjacket, blue swimmer crab, Australian bonito and yellowfin tuna.
Out of season in October: mahi mahi (best Dec–Apr); marlin (best Jan–Apr).
Seen now and then, so not rated: mud crab, mangrove jack, mackerel tuna, Spanish mackerel and cobia.
Seasons are closure-aware: a species is never listed as in season, for the area or at a spot, while it is closed there; a closure for part of the area says where. Species links go to our South East Queensland species guides, with Queensland's limits: New South Wales' own size and bag limits are on the official rules page.
Can you fish here? Rules and safety
NSW Recreational Fishing Fee needed to fish NSW saltwater (incl. spearfishing, hand gathering, bait collecting, prawning): $7 3 days, $14 1 month, $35 1 year, $85 3 years (Oct 2026). Exempt: under 18, Aboriginal people, Pensioner Concession Card and DVA TPI/EDA Gold Card holders (other cases, e.g. some DVA payments or a charter or guide with an exemption certificate, are on the exemptions page). Interstate licences are not an exemption. Licence details. Size and bag limits and closed seasons apply: New South Wales' limits (checked 9 Oct 2026).
Rules at Lake Illawarra and Windang
- Lake Illawarra entrance: no hoop or lift nets, hand-hauled or push prawn nets, crab or lobster traps, and no spearfishing; Mullet Creek is closed to nets.
- Eastern blue groper: no take by any method in NSW.
Marine parks and no-take zones
Zones are a guide only, not for navigation: check the official maps before you fish.
Safety at Lake Illawarra and Windang
- The Lake Illawarra entrance is a coastal bar with fast tidal flow.
- Shellharbour is not a declared rock-fishing area, but its council lists Windang Island among its high-risk platforms: wear a lifejacket.
- Southerly changes and swell arrive quickly on this open coast.
New South Wales: official links
Read the official forecast and warnings in the Bureau of Meteorology's own words: NSW coastal and local waters forecast map and current warnings.
Boating: New South Wales boating safety, crossing coastal bars and lifejacket rules. Lifejackets: Boats <=4.8m: always on open waters and bars (L100+); enclosed waters when alone or at night. >4.8m: all wear L100+ crossing bars. Under-12s: always on <=4.8m; open areas <=8m underway.
Heading out on the water? Log on and off with Marine Rescue NSW. Log On when you head out and Log Off when you return. Call your Marine Rescue NSW base on VHF Channel 16 or use the free Marine Rescue NSW app. If you don't Log Off, volunteers start searching.
Marine parks and closed areas: NSW marine parks (Cape Byron, Solitary Islands, Port Stephens-Great Lakes, Jervis Bay, Batemans, Lord Howe Island), NSW aquatic reserves, Intertidal protected areas (Sydney) and Australian Marine Parks (Temperate East network, Lord Howe).
- Rock fishing lifejacket law: Lifejacket required by law when rock fishing in declared areas (Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016): Ballina, Central Coast, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Northern Beaches, Port Stephens, Randwick, Richmond Valley, Sutherland, Wollongong. $100 fine. More.
New South Wales' official rules: size and bag limits and closed seasons and areas (checked 9 Oct 2026).
Emergency: 000 (112 from mobiles) · VHF channel 16 for distress.
Nearby fishing areas
- Wollongong and Port Kembla (about 11 km north-east)
- Kiama and Shellharbour (about 15 km south)
- Jervis Bay and the Shoalhaven (about 51 km south)
- Botany Bay and Port Hacking (about 63 km north-east)
Distances are between the middle of each area. Every area in New South Wales · all fishing spot guides.
Sources and checked dates
- Spot and ramp positions: Composite Gazetteer of Australia (Geoscience Australia and the state and territory naming authorities), CC BY 4.0, ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 (2021) (Australian Bureau of Statistics), CC BY 4.0 and Maritime NSW Boat Ramps (Transport for NSW), CC BY 4.0; gazetteer and ABS positions through our place index. Guide only, not for navigation.
- Spot research checked 9 Oct 2026 and fact-checked 9 Oct 2026; species seasons and rules checked 9 Oct 2026; safety links checked 9 Oct 2026. Text in our own words.
- Research sources: dpird.nsw.gov.au (DPIRD Illawarra closures: Lake Illawarra entrance and Mullet Creek); dpird.nsw.gov.au (Lake Illawarra entrance gear closures); illawarramercury.com.au (Shellharbour not opted in; council high-risk platforms incl. Windang Island and Bass Point); illawarramercury.com.au (Lake Illawarra entrance and bridge: flathead, bream, whiting, mulloway, tailor (local tackle report)); illawarramercury.com.au (Lake Illawarra flathead, bream, prawns (local report)); spatial.industry.nsw.gov.au (NSW marine protected areas layer: no marine park or sanctuary zone in this area); opendata.transport.nsw.gov.au (Boat ramp locations and facilities).
- Every source and licence: Sources and disclaimers.