Built
across the Boyne River south west of Gladstone, the Awoonga
Dam is a rockfill structure with a concrete upstream face
slab. The embankment was formed from rock excavated from
a quarry on the Eastern side of the dam wall. The embankment
is over 650 metres in length and 54.4 metres in height,
with a volume of approximately 2 million cubic metres of
rock. The spillways height is 40 metres AHD. This
design of the current dam allows for further raising, if
necessary, through the addition of gates to the top of the
spillway. The current capacity of the dam is 777,000 megalitres.
The
Gladstone Area Water Board with the Gladstone Port Authority
has begun a breeding program Mangrove Jack and mullet for
stocking in Lake Awoonga. Approximately 300,000 fish are
released into Lake Awoonga each year (200,000 barramundi
and 100,000 mullet, and small numbers of mangrove jack).
The fish are bred at our purpose-built fish hatchery, operated
jointly by the Gladstone Area Water Board and the Gladstone
Port Authority. The hatchery is one of the largest breeders
of barramundi fingerlings in Queensland and our mangrove
jack breeding program has resulted in Lake Awoonga holding
the largest stocks in Australia with over 13,000 released.
Since 1996 over two million barramundi fingerlings and 340,000
mullet fingerlings have been released into Lake Awoonga.
Barramundi in the 10-25kg range are regularly caught from
the lake. the largest barramundi caught to date was 29.8kg.
The fish you may encounter in Lake Awoonga are: Agassizs
Glass Perch, Banded Grunter, Barramundi, Bony Bream, Eastern
Rainbowfish, Eeltail catfish, Fly-specked Hardyhead, Forktail
Catfish, Gudgeon, Long-finned Eel, Longtom (Alligator Gar),
Mouth Almighty, Sea Mullet, Snub-nose Garfish, Spangled
Perch. (Present in low numbers: Hyrtls Tandan, Mangrove
Jack, Saratoga, Silver Perch, Sleepy Cod, Sooty Grunter
& Yellowbelly)
The
Board has a continuing fishery monitoring program in place
using net surveys, to evaluate the success of the restocking
effort. Although not deliberately stocked, redclaw crayfish
have become well established at the lake.
The Barramundi closed season does not apply to Lake Awoonga.
Fishing
Guide / Charter Operator
Johhny Mitchell - Lake Awoonga Guided Barra Fishing
Charters. Johnny has a well earned reputation for consistently
producing barra for his clients on lure and soft plastics.
You can send an Email
Boating
on Lake Awoonga
No Boating Restrictions apply on Lake Awoonga except for
a no boating zone in front of dam wall.
A two (2) lane boat ramp is currently open 24 hours.
Click
on images above for larger view
Some
of the above images courtesy of Gladstone Area Water Board
Garra
Lures. Hand crafted & signed by Terry Marshall.
Get yours HERE
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Accommodation at Awoonga Dam
Just a few kilometers from Lake awoonga is the Awoonga Geteway
Lodge.
Here you can stay in the air-conditioned comfort of self
contained cabins and keep easy access to your car or boat.
For further details contact Mark & Lynnette Lorberg.
Awoonga Gateway Lodge. 231 Awoonga Dam Rd. Benaraby.
Willowgrove
on the River Holiday Park Barra Heaven Willowgrove Boyne Barbie
Boats Greenacres Hilltop Motel Awonga Dam Lake Awonga
For those who dont have a boat or are just passing through, a
good way to see the lake or catch a barra is to hire a barbie
boat. No boat licence is required to drive them. They are available
on Lake Awoonga or the Boyne River and fit upto 10 people on board.
For further enquiries Email Boyne Barbie Boats