Palmerston Lakes | City of Palmerston

Palmerston boasts 18 lakes that provide spaces for the community to actively engage in outdoor activities like fishing, exercise and picnicking.

The lakes are important for the local ecosystem, providing habitat for fish, birds, and reptiles. They also function as stormwater retention and water quality treatment basins.

The Palmerston Lakes have been stocked with Barramundi to provide recreational catch and release fishing opportunities. For more information on fishing in the Palmerston Lakes, see Boating and Fishing.

The Palmerston Lakes Management Plan guides management and monitoring of the lakes. The latest Quarterly Lakes Water Quality Report Card provides a quick snapshot of the health of our lakes.

You can report any issues with the lakes here.

Salvinia Weed

Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is the most significant weed that occurs in the lakes. It is an aggressive, fast-growing aquatic weed that forms dense mats over waterways.

Salvinia is managed through mechanical harvesting, weed spraying and biological control. Biological control involves introducing the salvinia weevil (Cyrtobagous salviniae) into the lakes. The weevil eats only salvinia.

Combining these management approaches reduces the impact that salvinia has on the lakes.

Mechanical Weed Harvesting

Mechanical weed harvesting of the lakes is carried out regularly, on an ‘as needs’ basis.

Salvinia is the main weed that is harvested from the lakes. Other aquatic vegetation and reeds are also harvested occasionally to maintain amenity and lake functions.

Weed Harvester at Work