Lake Wivenhoe is South East Queensland’s largest lake, about 80 km north-west of Brisbane, with buoyed swimming areas, free BBQs, playgrounds, kayaking, fishing, a campground and a 16 km network of bush trails. It is a Seqwater drinking water dam on the Brisbane River, so the rules are stricter than at a normal park: no dogs, no water skiing and no swimming outside the marked areas.
The lake has several separate day-use areas around its shore, each with its own entrance. Logan Inlet is the all-rounder, with a swimming area, a playground, a boat ramp and a campground close by. The day-use areas are open seven days a week, with shorter hours in winter.
The day-use areas at Lake Wivenhoe
Pick the area that suits your day. The picnic areas all have tables, shelters and free BBQs, and the recreation guide’s maps mark toilets at the main day-use areas.
- Logan Inlet: the best all-round stop. A designated swimming area, a playground, a picnic and BBQ area, a boat ramp, and a campground nearby.
- Cormorant Bay: a picnic and BBQ area, a children’s playground, shore fishing and a bush walk.
- Billies Bay and Hays Landing: a designated swimming area at Billies Bay, a boat ramp, a picnic area, shore fishing and a paddle craft launch.
- Hamon Cove: a picnic and BBQ area, a boat ramp, a paddle craft launch and shore fishing.
- O’Shea’s Crossing: a picnic area and a paddle craft launch.
- Branch Creek: a paddle craft launch and shore fishing.
- Spillway Lookout: a picnic area at the dam wall. Seqwater has an ongoing closure of Atkinsons Crossing, the river access and paddle craft launch below it.
Much of the land around the lake is private, so stay inside the signed recreation areas. If there is no Seqwater sign, it is not a place to enter.
Can you swim at Lake Wivenhoe?
Yes, but only in the two designated swimming areas, at Logan Inlet and Billies Bay. Each is marked with buoys on the water. Scuba diving and snorkelling are also allowed inside those areas.
There are no lifeguards. Seqwater’s advice is to know where your children are at all times, wear a lifejacket, never dive where you cannot see the bottom and not swim after drinking alcohol. Still water can hide submerged obstacles and uneven ground, and there are snakes and biting insects around the shore. Swimming and fishing around the dam wall and spillway are not allowed.
Blue-green algae can bloom in lakes and can harm your health if you swim, boat or fish, so check the current level on Seqwater’s algae levels page before you go.
Picnics, BBQs and playgrounds
The BBQs are free, and the picnic areas have tables and shelters. The easy family choices are Logan Inlet and Cormorant Bay, which both have playgrounds, so you can combine lunch, a play and a swim at Logan Inlet.
Take your rubbish home or use the bins provided, and leave the facilities as you found them: the lake is a drinking water supply.
Boating, kayaking and sailing
Non-motorised boats and restricted motorised boats are allowed. Motors must be low-emission outboards (four-stroke, or direct fuel-injected two-stroke), and boats must not go faster than six knots, so any boat that is up on the plane is going too fast. Seqwater asks you to keep a safe distance from swimmers and paddlers.
You can canoe, kayak, row, stand-up paddle and sail. Water skiing, jet skiing, wakeboarding and tubing are not permitted at Lake Wivenhoe; they are available at nearby Lake Somerset. If water skiing is the plan, Lake Moogerah in the Scenic Rim also allows it.
- Motorised boats: launch only from the boat ramps at Hamon Cove, Billies Bay and Logan Inlet. Make sure the boat is registered, the driver is licensed and everyone has the right safety gear.
- Paddle craft: launch from Hamon Cove, Logan Inlet, O’Shea’s Crossing, Branch Creek or Billies Bay/Hays Landing.
- Stop-off points: McKeys Hill (north-east) and McGraths Bay (south-west) are reachable only from the water, and each has a picnic table, a bin and a toilet.
- Rules: overnight stays on the water are not permitted, and you must not launch, retrieve or beach a boat on land around the lake outside the signed areas. Clean and dry boats and gear so weeds like water hyacinth, salvinia and cabomba do not spread.
Fishing at Lake Wivenhoe
You need a Stocked Impoundment Permit before you fish. Buy it from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries or one of its outlets; the department also sets the fishing rules. You can fish from a boat or from the shore at Branch Creek, Hamon Cove, Logan Inlet, Cormorant Bay and Billies Bay/Hays Landing.
Do not cross private land to reach the water, and put all line and hooks in a bin or take them home, because wildlife has been caught up in discarded fishing gear. Fishing around the dam wall and spillway is not allowed. New to fishing? Read the Beginner’s Guide to Fishing.
Wivenhoe Hill Trails: walking, mountain biking and horse riding
The Wivenhoe Hill Trails are a 16 km network of four colour-coded trails with views over the lake. Seqwater’s trail map shows the Red trail at 4.5 km, the Black trail at 4 km, the White trail at 3.2 km and the Blue trail at 5 km.
Walkers, trail runners, mountain bike riders and horse riders all share them. The trails are rated class 3 on the Australian Walking Trail Standard, so you need a reasonable level of fitness, and they are not suitable for wheelchairs. Everyone gives way to horse riders, and mountain bike riders give way to walkers. Stay on the marked trails, carry drinking water and tell someone if you are going alone.
The entrance is off Fig Tree Road, via the Hay Road exit on the Brisbane Valley Highway, and there is car and horse float parking at the entrance. For more on preparing for a bush walk, see Essential Tips for Hiking Trails in South East Queensland.
Camping at Lake Wivenhoe
There is a campground near Logan Inlet for caravans, camper trailers and tents. It is run by private operators (the Captain Logan and Lumley Hill camp grounds), so book and ask about prices directly: phone 0428 310 740 or visit campingwivenhoe.com.au.
Camping is only allowed in designated camp grounds, and campfires are prohibited on Seqwater land unless specifically advised. Camping with children? The camping with kids guide has activity ideas and packing tips.
About Wivenhoe Dam
Wivenhoe Dam was completed in 1984 on the Brisbane River. The wall is 2.3 km long and has five radial gates. The lake is the main water supply for Brisbane and greater Ipswich, providing more than half of South East Queensland’s drinking water, and it is also there for flood control: in a flood the dam is designed to hold back close to two million megalitres.
The land around the lake is home to native wildlife, including koalas, which is one reason pets are kept out.
Is Lake Wivenhoe dog friendly?
No. Dogs and other domestic pets are not allowed on the trails or in any recreation area at Lake Wivenhoe. Leave them at home, because they disturb the wildlife and the lake supplies drinking water.
Planning your visit
- How long: a few hours for a picnic, a swim and a play; a full day if you are boating or riding the trails; a weekend if you camp.
- Best time: the warmer months for swimming. From September to April the day-use areas open at 5:30 am, so you can make an early start before the heat.
- Cost: no entry fee is listed and the BBQs are free. A fishing permit and camping cost extra.
- What to bring: drinking water, sunscreen, a hat, lifejackets, insect repellent, your own food, and a first aid and snake bite kit if you are walking or camping.
- Accessibility: the Wivenhoe Hill Trails are not suitable for wheelchairs. No other wheelchair or pram access details are published, so ring Seqwater on 1300 737 928 if you need to be sure.
Getting there and parking
By car, Lake Wivenhoe is about 80 km north-west of Brisbane. Logan Inlet is about 79 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 1 hour 20 minutes, and about 45 km, or 50 minutes, from Ipswich. The dam wall at the southern end is about 70 km from the CBD, about 1 hour 5 minutes. The Brisbane Valley Highway runs along the western side of the lake.
Each day-use area has its own entrance, so check the map in the Seqwater Lake Wivenhoe recreation guide for the one you want. The Wivenhoe Hill Trails have their own car park at the trail entrance on Fig Tree Road.
No bus or train service to the lake is listed, so it is a drive. Check the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30 if you want to be sure. The Fernvale Visitor Information Centre, at 1483 Brisbane Valley Highway (07 5427 0200), can help with local questions. More detail is on Seqwater’s Wivenhoe Dam page and the Experience Somerset Lake Wivenhoe page. Details can change, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Lake Moogerah – another Seqwater lake, in the Scenic Rim, with a marked swimming area, free BBQs, camping and a dam wall walk.
- Enoggera Reservoir – closer to Brisbane, with a buoyed swimming area, a paddle craft launch and bush trails at The Gap.
- Hinze Dam – a Seqwater dam in the Gold Coast hinterland with free BBQs, a playground and a walk along the dam wall, but no swimming.
Browse more lakes and rivers or more of the Somerset Region.
Quick answers
Can you swim at Lake Wivenhoe?
Yes, in the two designated areas at Logan Inlet and Billies Bay, marked with buoys. There are no lifeguards, and swimming around the dam wall and spillway is not allowed.
Is Lake Wivenhoe free?
No entry fee is listed for the day-use areas and the BBQs are free. You pay for a fishing permit and for camping.
What time does Lake Wivenhoe open and close?
Daily, 5:30 am to 6:30 pm from September to April and 6 am to 5:30 pm from May to August.
Can I take my dog to Lake Wivenhoe?
No. Dogs and other pets are not allowed on the trails or in any recreation area at the lake.
Do you need a permit to fish at Lake Wivenhoe?
Yes. You need a Stocked Impoundment Permit, bought from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries before you start fishing.
How far is Lake Wivenhoe from Brisbane?
About 80 km north-west of the Brisbane CBD. Logan Inlet is about 1 hour 20 minutes by car, and the dam wall about 1 hour 5 minutes.
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