Fish

Luderick

Luderick feed over the muddy and sandy shallows in and around the seagrass beds of Lake Illawarra. They primarily feed on the dark green thread-like algae Enteromorpha that is common in the lake. Occasionally they feed on nippers, worms and small prawns. Luderick congregate in schools and can be caught on a rod and line using a float and small hooks. The legal size is 25 cm and the bag limit is 20 fish.

Tailor

Tailor are voracious predators chopping through schools of baitfish such as pilchards and mullet. Most tailor in Lake Illawarra are juvenile fish, feeding on the plentiful supply of small baitfish that the lake supports. Once mature these fish will then move into the ocean where they usually migrate along the coast to spawn. Tailor can be caught on small metal lures or fish bait in the lake, but need to be longer than 30 cm before you can keep them. The bag limit is 20 fish.

Sand Whiting

Sand whiting are common in the lake particularly around the entrance area where they prefer the sandy bottom to feed over. Here they feed on worms, nippers, small prawns and crabs. There are many juvenile whiting in the lake, as it acts as a nursery ground for the fish to mature. Once matured the fish move out of the lake to spawn on the nearby sandy beaches. The legal length of sand whiting in NSW is 27 cm and you can only keep up to 20 in total.

Polychaetes (Bristle Worms)

Bloodworm

Bloodworms are polychaetes (bristled worms) that inhabit areas of Lake Illawarra which have sheltered or moderately exposed sand and mud flats. They prefer to live among decaying seagrass vegetation and can be found by searching for their tell-tale sandy tubes that are raised just above the sandy mud bottom. The worms are highly sought after for bait within the lake as they are eaten by nearly all lake fish.