Lake Cootharaba

Lake Cootharaba is a large, shallow natural lake on the Noosa River in the Noosa Shire, Queensland, north of Noosa Heads near Boreen Point. It is the largest lake in the Noosa Biosphere Reserve and gateway to the Noosa Everglades within Great Sandy National Park. Notable for its warm, shallow waters averaging 1.5 metres deep, it is popular for sailing, kayaking, swimming and fishing, and is fringed by national park, wetlands and small lakeside communities.

Visitors can expect a broad, shallow freshwater lake with sandy foreshores, open water and fringing wetlands and paperbark forests. The lake is centred around Boreen Point with a sailing club, jetties, boat ramps and picnic areas. Activities focus on water-based recreation such as sailing, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and swimming in warm, shallow water. The northern end provides access to the Noosa River and Noosa Everglades for guided canoe tours through Great Sandy National Park.

Lake Cootharaba lies within the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) people. The name is derived from an Aboriginal word. The area was used for timber getting and later became a focus for recreation and conservation, now forming part of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve and adjoining Great Sandy National Park.

The lake and surrounding Noosa River system hold cultural significance for the Kabi Kabi people as part of Country with traditional connections to water, wetlands and food resources. Today it is valued as a community recreation area centred on Boreen Point and as an ecotourism gateway to the Noosa Everglades.