Trip Planner: South Pacific / Australia / Queensland / Mount Isa / Lake Moondarra

Lake Moondarra, Mount Isa

4.6

#4 of 11 in Things to do in Mount Isa

Outdoor Activity

Lake Moondarra is an artificial lake on the Leichhardt River in Queensland, Australia, 16 km downstream from the town of Mount Isa. It provides water to the city and the adjacent Mount Isa Mines (MIM) mining lease.
Construction began on the Leichhardt Dam in 1956, and was completed on 6 November 1958 at a cost of £1.7 million. The dam was built for Mount Isa Mines and, at the time, was the largest water scheme in Australia financed by private enterprise. The original construction was started by the American Utah Construction Company, but Thiess Brothers completed the project.
On 11 July 1961 the dam officially became Lake Moondarra after a competition to name the dam was won by a Mount Isa local, Danny Driscoll. The aboriginal name means "plenty of rain also thunder".
The lake includes picnic areas, pontoons, a ski jump, and water sports facilities. The lake is popular with birdwatchers, sailors and anglers, as it is stocked with barramundi and sooty grunter. The Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic has been held there since 1999.

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Lake Moondarra reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating

126 reviews

Google

4.7

By sarithad1234

Such a peaceful and beautiful river. It is great to spend a few hours near the lake for tranquility and calmness. The river water is clean. There is no traffic around this place, but there is a... more »
By Ohauiti

Went for a drive to the lake. What a beautiful and peaceful place! We found plenty of lookouts, BBQ areas and tables, toilets and children playgrounds. There are also many 4WD tracks. Highly... more »

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Google

By Robert ranclaud

Lake Moondarra 19km outside Mount Isa is a large artificial lake on the Leichhardt River. Popular for fishing boating hiking and birdwatching. Very scenic, you can walk across the Dam, have a picnic and just enjoy the view.

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By Pam Luhrman

Good place for family outings. Clean and we'll maintained.

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