About Lake Eucumbene
Lake Eucumbene (pronounced 'you come been') is a man made lake on the Eucumbene River. The lake was created by damming the river as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
Eucumbene Dam was completed between 1956 and 1958 and the town of Old Adaminaby was inundated by Lake Eucumbene in that year. The reservoir is the largest in the scheme. Several buildings were moved from Old Adaminaby to the new town of Adaminaby, others were demolished or left to be inundated. Adaminaby was one of two towns flooded in the course of the Scheme construction. The other was Jindabyne.
The creation of Lake Eucumbene wasn't without controversy, with the residents of (original) Adaminaby and nearby farms forced to relocate as waters flooded their once thriving town. Lake Eucumbene Local History
Today, Lake Eucumbene is famous for some of the best Rainbow and Brown trout fishing in Australia and is open to fishing year-round. The lake is teeming with fish which can be easily caught by boat or shore based anglers.
The level of Lake Eucumbene fluctuates from year to year and season to season, and is largely the result of irrigation, environmental and electricity generation releases. See the Lake Eucumbene Water Level History.
At an elevation of 1,160m asl, Lake Eucumbene is one of Australia's highest water storages and has a unique alpine climate. Snow at any time of the year is not uncommon. In fact, it snowed on Christmas morning in 2009. Always take warm clothes when you visit Lake Eucumbene!
The Lake Eucumbene region can provide you and your family with an unforgettable holiday experience. Whether you're staying for a day, a week or even longer, you'll be constantly amazed at the changing scenery and beauty of the area.
No other region in Australia can offer the holiday maker so much variety. Whether you like to fish, snow or water ski, bush walk, explore historic sites and caves or simply relax, unwind and smell the fresh mountain air, the Eucumbene region has it all. Things to see and do around the Lake Eucumbene Region.
See more information on Lake Eucumbene at Lake Eucumbene Facts and Figures.
* Original Adaminaby photo from National Library of Australia