Lake Lenthall is a recreational and camping area in the Wongi State Forest between Maryborough and Childers in Queensland.
It is accessed via a 9 kilometre dirt road from the Bruce Highway which officially is unmaintained, however, we found it to be in very good condition.
The first two kilometres was smoother than the highway before turning off towards Lake Lenthall. The rest was decent enough with a bit of corrugation and a couple of cattle grids.
Lenthall’s Dam was built on the Burrum River in 1984 and named after the pioneers, the Lenthall family, creating Lake Lenthall. The lake holds around 29,500 megalitres of water when full before flowing over the spillway wall.
Camping is limited to 18 persons and up to 6 self-contained camping vehicles, so you know it will never be too crowded. Camping is for short stays of up to 3 days and 2 nights.
It seems odd for there to be such a low limit on campers with ample space for many more available, and the limit is based on persons, not camp sites. We are a family of five so that would allow for only 3-4 camp sites – definitely not crowded.
The restricted numbers are based on the available facilities (toilets) rather than due to space. That is why the 6 self-contained camping vehicles is in addition to the limit.
That said, I don’t think there is any limit on the number of people there during the day, only on camping. An upgrade of facilities would help lift the maximum numbers up a little and there is room for a few more without making the place feel crowded.
There is lots of parking and level spots to camp along the edge of the dam. It is more or less suitable to camp with just about any style of camping you have, whether it is a tent, campervan, camper trailer, or caravan. There is no power available so if you need power available then it won’t be suitable for you.
There are no BBQs or picnic tables near the water. Up near the office there is a covered picnic table with free BBQs for use. If you want to use the BBQs while camping, it is a bit of a walk uphill to get there but otherwise it is an option for cooking.
There are a couple of walks you can do there. One is an easy stroll through the bush on a bitumen sealed path. It is like it was added to be wheelchair friendly, the slope is fairly light and smooth ground, however, the facilities are not accessible.
Another track is more rugged with a bush trail. It is more closed in and less defined but it is easy enough to follow.
With a lot of open ground around in the camping and day-use area of Lake Lenthall, there is plenty of space for walking, running, and other activities to keep active.
If fishing is an activity you like to pursue, Lake Lenthall is a stocked dam with Barramundi, Golden Perch, Silver Perch, and Australian Bass found in the water. It is known to have good edge fishing and surface fishing.
If fishing from the surface, it is restricted to only 4-stroke motors and direct-injection 2-stroke outboards to 60hp. Non-motorised options, such as kayaks, are great options for fishing or simply enjoying the lake from on the water.
As it is a stocked impound, a SIPS permit is required to be able to fish at Lake Lenthall.
To Get There
Heading north along Bruce Hwy around 14km from Maryborough, turn left at the brown sign for Lake Lenthall. Follow the track for 2km and turn right at a white sign for Lenthall’s Dam. Continue for another 3.2km and turn right at the smaller brown sign for Lake Lenthall, crossing a cattle grid. Follow for another 4.2km to reach the parking area and site office of Lake Lenthall.
Heading south along Bruce Hwy around 40km from Childers (6.5km from Howard), turn left at the brown sign for Lake Lenthall. Follow the track for 2km and turn right at a white sign for Lenthall’s Dam. Continue for another 3.2km and turn right at the smaller brown sign for Lake Lenthall, crossing a cattle grid. Follow for another 4.2km to reach the parking area and site office of Lake Lenthall.
Links
lake-lenthall-dl-brochure-2016-screen-pdf (frasercoast.qld.gov.au)
