Causeway Lake
The Causeway Lake, a man-made feature, formed by the bridge that crosses Mulambin Creek allowing fresh salt water in on the high tide.
Swim, Fish, paddle, play.
A safe swimming area for families on the landward side of the bridge, and a steady channel on the seaward side for anglers.
Causeway Lake, located between Mulambin Beach and Kinka Beach about halfway along the Scenic Highway between Yeppoon and Emu Park on the Capricorn Coast. A very shallow lake, popular for fishing, the Causeway is a unique location created in the 1950’s with the construction of a bridge and rock wall across the mouth of a creek. Despite its shallow depth it still manages to regularly produce a lot of good fish and provides a wide variety of different fishing options including weed beds, flats, mangrove roots, rocky ledges and bays, feeder creeks and drains. It also provides one of the best family fishing locations along the coast with shaded areas, tables and seats, barbecues, play equipment and a great fish and chip shop if you don’t catch anything.
According to locals, the best fishing occurs during the “run-through” when the larger tides push water into the lake. The larger predatory fish line up in and around the mouth of the lake feasting on baitfish that are pushed into the lake. Regular catches on the run-through include Barramundi, Trevally, Queenfish and Mangrove Jack with either live baits or lures (soft plastics, poppers and shallow running minnows) being the most productive. These fish then move back up the lake to rocky points, deep holes and snags until the next big tides push into the lake. The lake also fishes well at other times, however, the fish are more widespread throughout the lake and not as easily accessible for those who are shore-based.
The Causeway is also home to a wide variety of other fish including, Bream, Grunter, Estuary Cod, Flathead, Whiting and Salmon. The Causeway holds a large population of Bream that can be targeted with either baits or soft plastics around the mangroves and rock shelves. Fish with a very light sinker or with unweighted baits and use
Whiting can be targeted in the channel leading into the lake and along the beach out the front. The best baits being live yabbies that can be pumped along the banks of the channel. These also make great baits within the lake for Bream, Flathead and Grunter. Occasionally small Trevally, Queenfish and Salmon enter the channel also. The best tides to target fish in the channel are the large tides that run into the lake, fishing the tide until just before it runs into the lake and then as it starts to run out again. Whiting and Flathead will be found along the sandbars and drop-offs while the Trevally, Queenfish and Salmon are usually found in the main channel. They are best targeted with small poppers or metal lures worked across the channel and the edges of the drop-offs.
The Causeway is a very popular place to fish and also for watersports and can get quite busy and congested on weekends and over the school holiday period. Because of this, fishing early mornings, late afternoons, night time and, if you are lucky enough, quieter weekdays, is generally more successful. The fish are also less wary and will be found right up onto the flats and shallow water feeding.
