Copeton Waters

Copeton Waters is a large inland water recreation area centred on Lake Copeton, the reservoir formed by Copeton Dam on the Gwydir River in northern New South Wales. Located about 40 kilometres southwest of Inverell in Gwydir Shire, it is one of the largest inland dams in New South Wales. The site is notable for its expansive lake, dam wall, and holiday park offering camping, cabins and water-based recreation in a bushland setting.

Visitors can expect a large inland reservoir set in open bushland with a holiday park on the foreshore. The area includes the lake and dam wall, foreshore camping and cabin accommodation, boat ramps, and open water for boating and fishing. Facilities are centred around the Copeton Waters Holiday Park with lake views, picnic areas and bush surroundings. The environment is quiet and natural, suited to water sports, fishing and camping stays.

Lake Copeton was formed by the construction of Copeton Dam on the Gwydir River between 1968 and 1973, officially opened in 1973. The dam was built by the New South Wales Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission for irrigation, flood mitigation and water supply for the Gwydir Valley. It remains one of the largest earth and rock-fill dams in Australia.

The lake and holiday park are a major inland recreation and tourism focus for Gwydir Shire and the Inverell district, valued for fishing, water sports and camping traditions and as a community water resource for the region.