Mummaga Lake

Mummaga Lake is a small estuary with a catchment area is around 28km². It is considered to be either an intermittent estuary or a wave dominated estuary.

Nestled behind Dalmeny Beach and surrounded on the north and west by the Bodalla State Forest and Eurobodalla National Park, Mummaga Lake is home to relatively small but vital saltmarsh and seagrass beds. It is a renowned fishing and prawn netting spot.

Mummaga and the nearby Brou lake have long held special significance to the Aboriginal inhabitants of the area north of Narooma, the Walbunga people. The name Mummaga translates as “Mother’s Sister”. The Walbunga people hold the land as sacred and have continuously used the lake and surrounds for camping, meeting and fishing.

You can watch this short video to learn more about the estuary's cultural significance:

Entrance management

Mummaga remains closed for extended periods of time but does occasionally open when the conditions are right. This allows fresh stocks of bream, flathead and prawns to exit and enter the lake system.

Mummaga Lake is jointly managed by Eurobodalla Shire Council and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), who manage the surrounding National Park and entrance. Ultimately, entrance management of Mummaga lake is under the control of NPWS.

We do not currently have a Management Plan for Mummaga, and the trigger levels for the opening of the entrance are determined by NPWS.

More information