Wooleen lake comprises of two lakes joined by a neck and is a 5,500 hectares (13,500 acres) land-system.

The lake receives water 1 in 4 years, fills 1 in 10 and overfills 1 in 30.

Wooleen lake is a fresh water lake, created by a fault line. The fault is thought to have occurred about 60,000 years ago cutting the Roderick River off from the Murchison River. The water from the Roderick River then pooled up against the fault line creating the lake before finding a gap to flow back out to the Murchison River.

It attracts thousands of birds, including key migratory species, when full for nesting. A full list of Wooleen birds can be found here.

When the lake receives water thousands of species emerge from the ground including frogs, turtles, fish, crustaceans and many more. While these species have water they all lay their eggs on the lake bed where they will lay dormant until the next rains arrive and hatch out. The lake becomes a wealth of life when full.

The lake is listed as a nationally important wetland, even through it appears dry most of the time.

(NOTE:The lake is usually dry. Please enquire if you intend to make a trip especially for the lake)

Wooleen Lake at dusk