Lake Eildon

Lake Eildon is a large artificial reservoir on the Goulburn River in north-central Victoria, within Murrindindi Shire near the town of Eildon, about 150 kilometres northeast of Melbourne. Created by the Eildon Dam, it is one of Victoria's largest inland water storages. Notable for its extensive shoreline, forested surrounds within Lake Eildon National Park, and role in irrigation and hydroelectric power, it is a major destination for boating, fishing and camping.

Visitors can expect a vast inland lake with over 500 kilometres of shoreline set among forested hills of Lake Eildon National Park. The area offers open water for boating and water-skiing, sheltered bays for swimming and kayaking, boat ramps and jetties, lakeside camping and picnic areas, walking tracks, and viewpoints of the Eildon Dam wall. Facilities are spread around townships of Eildon and Bonnie Doon, with houseboat hire and fishing for Murray cod and trout.

Lake Eildon was formed by the construction of the Eildon Dam on the Goulburn River. The original Sugarloaf Reservoir (Eildon Weir) was built between 1915 and 1929 to supply irrigation water for the Goulburn Valley. It was greatly enlarged between 1951 and 1955 to create the present Lake Eildon, increasing storage capacity for irrigation, town water supply and hydroelectric power generation. The dam remains a key component of Victoria's northern irrigation system.

Lake Eildon is a major recreational and water-resource landmark for Victoria, valued for its role in regional irrigation, hydroelectricity and inland tourism. It is a central leisure destination for communities in Murrindindi Shire and the High Country, supporting houseboating, fishing and camping traditions and forming the centrepiece of Lake Eildon National Park.