Lake Awoonga is a deep fresh water storage dam located 21km SW of Tannum Sands.
If you are a bit concerned about crocs and other deadly creatures found in the sea, Lake Awoonga is a great alternative. Here you will find fresh, clean, warm water with nothing more in it than a few small fish.
It is suited to windsurfing, foiling of all disciplines and kitesurfing however given the fickle nature of breezes on an inland lake it tends to be better for foilers.
When the wind blows, the lake chops up a but but minimally as it is quite deep and there is not enough fetch for big waves to form.
The best wind direction is SE & S breeze but it would also work in W/SW breeze which is not very common in the area.
It is said that the best time to sail here is in the mornings as the breeze has more south in it. During the day (usually late morning), the breeze evidently shifts more to the E which makes it too off-shore & gusty to be good for anyone.
Kitesurfers tend to go to main beach at Tunnum Sands for some bump n jump action whilst those looking for flat water head to the Boyne river mouth.
Access, Rigging & Launching
Access via the second picnic area. There you will find free parking and plenty of green grass for rigging on.
It is about a 50m walk to the waterfront with your gear. There is a spot between some reeds you can launch from. The bottom is mostly muddy but tread carefully as there are a few little floating rocks. You only need to wade out about 2 metres before you reach chest height.
Potential Hazards
There are really no hazards to speak of apart from the obvious that you can’t touch the bottom so if you can’t sail back up wind after getting blown down wind you may have a horrid walk back along the shore to our car.
Other Facilities
The area has BBQ/Rotunda shelters, lovely treed areas, kids playground, public toilets and a boat ramp.
Unfortunately the dog haters have been out and banned all dogs/pets from this area. They can’t be on-leads or left in your vehicle.
If you like to do a bit of fishing, this can be a great place to catch a Barramundi!
