Lakes Entrance
Gateway to the Gippsland Lakes
On the lands of the Gunaikurnai people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
On the edge of Australia's largest inland waterway system, the Gippsland Lakes. Lakes Entrance is a small fishing town where the lakes meet the Tasman Sea through a narrow artificial channel cut through the dunes in 1889.
The Gippsland Lakes are a series of three large coastal lakes (Lake King, Lake Victoria, and Lake Wellington) connected to the ocean only at Lakes Entrance. They cover around 600 square kilometres and form the largest navigable inland waterway system in Australia. The system was sealed off from the sea by a sand barrier (the Ninety Mile Beach) for much of its history and was opened by the construction of the artificial entrance in 1889.
The town of Lakes Entrance sits on the inland side of the channel. A pedestrian footbridge crosses to the ocean beach. The town's working fishing fleet is the largest in Victoria, and the catch comes off the boats every afternoon and goes straight to the local fish coops. Beyond the town, the Mitchell River silt jetties (a 8 kilometre fingers of land that extend into Lake King) are one of the most unusual landforms in Australia.
Tourist locations
Places to visit in Lakes Entrance.
6 locations to explore
Buchan Caves Reserve
Ancient limestone underground
$23.50 adult (single cave tour); $35.10 adult (double cave tour); concessions available
Full guide arrow_forwardCunninghame Arm Footbridge
Walk to the wild surf
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardMetung
Riviera of the Gippsland Lakes
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardNinety Mile Beach
Australia's endless wild shore
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardNyerimilang Heritage Park
Clifftop homestead above the lakes
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardRaymond Island Koala Trail
Koalas in the wild
Free (ferry free for foot passengers)
Full guide arrow_forwardWhere to stay
Holiday parks near Lakes Entrance.
4 options via our booking partner
Lakes Entrance Tourist Park
0.5km away
Waters Edge Holiday Park
1.4km away
NRMA Eastern Beach Holiday Park
2.9km away
Mingling Waters Holiday Park
19km away
Bookings handled by our partner Parkbooker. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Lakes Entrance.
You may also like
Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (1)
Images (2)
- Lakes Entrance (AU), Cunningham Quay -- 2019 -- 1693.jpg · Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lakes Entrance (AU), Cunningham Quay -- 2019 -- 1697.jpg · Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
,_Cunningham_Quay_--_2019_--_1693.jpg){kind=link}
,_Cunningham_Quay_--_2019_--_1697.jpg){kind=link}
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.