Somerset Dam

What to expect

Somerset Dam is one of the region’s oldest and largest water storages in South East Queensland.

While it is flatwater paddling, it is a fairly large body of water so conditions can get rough in stormy or windy weather. It has a narrow profile that is never much more than 1 km wide. The lake is approximately 25 km long from the dam wall to the head of the lake at Villeneuve.

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Logistics

There are three main put in spots around the dam. Starting from the dam wall and heading north you have the choice of three boat ramps:

• The Spit
• Kirkleagh
• Westvale Road

When coming from the city, the Warrego (M2) or D'Aguilar (85) highways are the normal options, but you could be used with the scenic and winding road up and over Mount Glorious.

The dam and recreation facilities are open to the public seven days a week at the time of writing, from 5:30am to 6:30pm (September – April) and 6:00am to 5:30pm (May – August).

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Features and facilities

Primary point of truth for the lake should be the official SEQWater published Location maps and guides.

The following is a rough guide about different locations around the lake. Since the lake levels do fluctuate, distances could vary considerably as the water level drops. I have never noticed any taps / water available at the site listed and these are not mentioned by the SEQWater guide.

Location		Features †	Distance ‡
			The Spit	Kirkleagh
	Dam Spillway		2 km	12.7 km
	The Spit		-	11 km
	Kirkleagh		11 km	-
	Westvale Road		21.5 km	10.2 km
	Neurum Rd Bridge, Villeneuve		25.2 km	13.9 km

^† Most of the features were taken from SEQWater published Location maps and guides.
^‡ Distances are approximate only and are based on roughly staying near the shoreline while crossing most of the lakes sidearms. These crossings may be up to 1 km wide.

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Access Restrictions

Access is restricted directly above and below the dam wall.

Refer to the SEQWater Lake Somerset guide for up to date information.

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Map

Explore the key locations in the map below. Most locations will have a photograph that can be seen by clicking on the icon or number in the map itself.

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What to take

Ensure electronic devices and gear have waterproof containers / dry bags if needed.

^* Highly recommended (aka required)
^† You should wear clothing and footwear that you can comfortably swim in.
^‡ These are for self or assisted rescues as there are places that you can't easily swim back to the shore.

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Wildlife

There is a wide variety of birdlife on the lake. Darters, Cormorant (often large flocks), Egrets, Pelicans, Coots, Ducks, Grebes and Swans are common on the water and a large array of other species can be seen along the shoreline.

You could be lucky and see some turtles before they dive into the water, as well as getting a sudden visit by the large and protected Australian Lungfish coming up for air. Native mammals are less frequent, but occasional kangaroos can be seen along the water's edge

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