Located between Bega and Eden on the Sapphire Coast, Pambula Lake is one of the healthiest estuaries in NSW.  Recognised as an estuary with high conservation value, the lake is fed by the Pambula & Yowaka Rivers.  The Pambula Lake estuary is classified as a wave-dominated estuary with an open lake entrance. The mouth is approximately 290m wide with excellent tidal flow allowing for replenishment of oceanic water twice daily.  The maximum depth in the lake is approximately 12.5m with an average depth of just below 2m.

Oysters have been farmed in Pambula Lake since the 1890’s.  Today 16 oyster farms cultivate 90 hectares of lease area to sustainably harvest over 220,000 dozen oysters per year, valued at around $1.5 million.  Farmers from other local estuaries use Pambula Lake to catch ‘spat’ - free-swimming larval stage oysters that attach to a hard substrate.

Oysters harvested from Pambula Lake have won many awards for their high quality & purity and are served locally in the Bega Valley, regionally in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, and exported to south-east Asia.

Pambula Lake Oyster Farmers recognise that maintaining clean, unpolluted water in the lake is vital to the ongoing viability
of the industry and are working to an estuary-wide EMS to achieve this goal.

Read more about Pambula Lake Oyster Farmers