Cressbrook Dam, also called Lake Cressbrook, is a Toowoomba Regional Council water supply dam at Biarra, about 15 minutes from Crows Nest, with lakeside camping, boating, fishing and a 7.5 km walking track. It is a place for a quiet weekend on the water, not for swimming: swimming is prohibited because the lake supplies drinking water.
The dam wall was completed in 1983 on Cressbrook Creek, and the lake is now run for recreation as well as water supply. Council lists boating, rowing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, bushwalking, camping and picnicking as the things to do here.
Camping at Cressbrook Dam
The campground has more than 30 unpowered campsites, six of them set aside for camper trailers, vans and caravans. Council describes the tent sites as numbered, with a mix of shaded and sunny spots and many with shrub borders for privacy.
Facilities are a toilet and hot and cold shower block, a camp kitchen with a BBQ, tables and a sink (with electricity at the kitchen), rubbish bins and designated fire pits. There are no dump points for caravans and motorhomes, and generators are not allowed. Firewood is not sold or collected on site, so bring your own.
You cannot book a site. Self-register at the information booth when you arrive and put your fee in the registration envelope. Put the correct fee in the registration envelope, because no change is given. The limit is 14 consecutive nights. Council lists the fees on its online fees page.
Boating and fishing
There are boat ramps near the entrance, straight ahead after the boom gates, and a sealed boat ramp in the day-use area, under 1 km from the campground. Outboard motors are allowed. Local law limits boats to 4 knots (7.25 km/h) inshore and 8 knots (14.5 km/h) offshore. You can launch canoes and other paddle craft from the campground.
A buoy line keeps boats away from the spillway and Little Oaky Creek while a dam safety project is under way. Boating elsewhere on the lake is open.
To fish you need a Queensland Government Stocked Impoundment Permit. Permits are sold online through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and at most tackle shops, and bag limits apply. Water-based activities are only allowed during day-use hours, even if you are camping.
Council has closed the lake to water-based recreation before, after routine testing found elevated bacteria. The campground and day-use area stayed open during that closure. Check the council website for the current status before you tow a boat out here.
Lake Cressbrook Walk
Council rates the Lake Cressbrook Walk as a Grade 3 bushwalk. It is 7,455 m in total and council gives 2 hours 40 minutes to walk it. The trailhead is near the boat ramp off Access Road in the day-use area, and you can also join from the camping area. The track follows the lake’s edge, passes the campground, then loops back through bushland.
Take water, a hat and sturdy shoes, and leave the dog at home: pets are not allowed anywhere at the lake.
Day-use rules and hours
Day-use hours are 6 am to 8 pm from September to April, and 7 am to 6 pm from May to August. Water-based activities are not allowed outside those hours.
- No swimming.
- No alcohol.
- No domestic animals, because the lake is a nominated flora and fauna reserve.
- No generators.
- Boat speed limits apply.
Planning your visit
- How long: a day trip suits a picnic and a fish, or give the walk most of a morning.
- What to bring: a Stocked Impoundment Permit if you fish, the right money for camping fees (no change is given), firewood, drinking water and a camp stove or fire gear.
- Cost: camping fees are on council’s fees page, and there is no booking system.
- Contact: use the “Contact us” page on the Toowoomba Regional Council website.
Current opening and closure notices are on the council’s Lake Cressbrook page.
Getting to Cressbrook Dam
The lake is at Biarra, in the Somerset Region. It is about 15 minutes from Crows Nest and about 50 km from Toowoomba. From the Brisbane CBD it is about 2 hours 5 minutes by car, and from Toowoomba about 1 hour. You reach the lake from the New England Highway via Pechey or Crows Nest, or from Esk-Hampton Road near Ravensbourne.
There is no public transport to the lake, so you need a car.
Nearby
- Lake Perseverance, Crows Nest – another Toowoomba water supply lake, with picnic spots and its own rules.
- Esk – a country town in the Somerset Region.
- More lakes on the lakes and rivers page, more campgrounds on the camping page and more to see on the Somerset Region page.
You might also like
- Cooby Dam – fishing, boating and walks on the Toowoomba side.
- Lake Wivenhoe and Somerset Dam – bigger lakes in the Somerset Region, with their own rules for swimming, boating and camping.
- Atkinsons Dam (Lowood)
Quick answers
Can you swim in Cressbrook Dam?
No. Swimming is prohibited because Cressbrook is a water supply dam.
Can you camp at Cressbrook Dam?
Yes. There are more than 30 unpowered sites with a camp kitchen, toilets and hot showers. You cannot book: register at the information booth on arrival and put the correct fee in the envelope (no change is given). The limit is 14 consecutive nights.
Do you need a permit to fish at Cressbrook Dam?
Yes. You need a Queensland Government Stocked Impoundment Permit, available online or from most tackle shops. Bag limits apply.
Are dogs allowed at Cressbrook Dam?
No. Domestic animals are not allowed because the lake is a flora and fauna reserve.
What are the Cressbrook Dam opening hours?
The day-use area is open 6 am to 8 pm from September to April and 7 am to 6 pm from May to August.
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