Tuggerah Lake is a sprawling coastal lagoon situated on the Central Coast of New South Wales, approximately 90 kilometres north of Sydney. Part of the broader Tuggerah Lakes system, it is classified as a intermittently open, intermediate wave-dominated barrier estuary covering roughly 80 square kilometres across the entire lakes complex. The system stretches from the Bucketty Ridges through the Somersby Plateau and Kulnura, via the fertile valleys at the foothills of the Watagan Mountains, down to the coastal and alluvial plains at Wyong, Tuggerah, Munmorah, Bateau Bay, The Entrance, and Long Jetty. Because the estuary is not tidal for most of the year, salinity levels fluctuate considerably — grading from very salty near the ocean entrance to very fresh in the upper reaches — creating a dynamic and diverse aquatic environment that supports an impressive range of species. The lake's muddy foreshores, seagrass meadows, and brackish shallows combine to make it one of the most productive recreational fishing destinations in Australia.