The Gippsland Lakes are a chain of large coastal lakes in East Gippsland, Victoria, sitting behind the dunes of the Ninety Mile Beach. Lake King, Lake Victoria and Lake Wellington are the main bodies of water, fed by the Mitchell, Nicholson, Tambo and Latrobe rivers and joined to Bass Strait by a single artificial entrance at Lakes Entrance.
It is a very large, shallow, salty system. The sheltered arms and bays around Metung and Paynesville are the easy packraft water. The open lakes are another matter.
Shallow water, fast chop
Because the lakes are shallow, wind raises steep, short chop quickly, and the fetch across Lake King or Lake Victoria is long. A calm morning can turn into whitecaps by lunchtime.
Plan around the forecast, not the view from the jetty. Morning is usually the calmest part of the day. Keep your route close to shore, and turn around early rather than late when the wind starts to lift.
Metung, Lake King and the bays
Metung sits on a point between Bancroft Bay and Lake King, and the inlets and bays around it give you shelter in most wind directions. Short paddles along the shoreline, into the backwaters and around the points are the kind of day the lakes do well.
Out on Lake King the water opens up. A crossing that looks short from shore is a long way in a small craft if the wind gets up halfway.
Paynesville, Raymond Island and the river mouths along the northern shore offer more sheltered water to explore. The lower Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo rivers run slow and flat into the lakes.
Sharing the water
The lakes are a busy boating area, especially over summer and holidays. Motor cruisers, runabouts, sailing craft, fishing boats and ferries all share the water, and wake travels a long way on a calm day.
Stay out of marked channels, cross them quickly and at right angles when you have to, and wear something bright. Keep clear of marinas, moorings and the Raymond Island ferry crossing.
Stay away from the entrance
The entrance at Lakes Entrance is the only connection to the sea. Tidal currents run hard through it, and the bar beyond is open ocean. It is no place for a packraft. Keep well inside the lakes and away from the channel leading to the entrance.
Access and conditions
Parks Victoria manages the lakes waterways and the surrounding coastal parks, and local councils manage many of the ramps and foreshore reserves. Check current boating rules, zones and access with Parks Victoria and East Gippsland Shire Council.
Algal blooms occur in the lakes from time to time. Check for current water quality warnings before you go.
Wear a PFD, leave your trip intentions with someone, and set a time to call when you are off the water.
Where a Seeka fits
The sheltered bays around Metung and Paynesville, and the slow river mouths, are packraft country on a calm day. Open-lake crossings in wind, and anywhere near the entrance, are not what a Seeka is built for.