The Esk River is a river in the state of New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is a tributary of the Clarence River

Clarence River (New South Wales)

The Clarence River is situated in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The river originates on the watershed that marks the Queensland border. After flowing south and northeast for 394 km it then empties into the Pacific Ocean at Iluka/Yamba. On its journey it passes through the towns of...

 and is located in the Bundjalung National Park

Bundjalung National Park

Bundjalung National Park is on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia, 554 km north-east of Sydney. It protects an area of coastal plain, heathland and solitary beaches between the towns of Iluka and Evans Head....

 near the coastal fishing village of Iluka

Iluka, New South Wales

Iluka is a small village at the mouth of the Clarence River in New South Wales, Australia. It is situated directly across the river from the resort town of Yamba. At the 2006 census, Iluka had a population of 1,739 people. The town's name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning 'near the sea'.It...

 . It is an increasingly popular kayak fishing location that is home to a variety of species such as bream

Yellowfin bream

Surf bream, Acanthopagrus australis, is a species of marine and freshwater fish of the porgy family, Sparidae...

, flathead

Dusky Flathead

The dusky flathead is a large predatory fish and the largest member of the Platycephalidae family...

 and whiting

Sand whiting

The sand whiting, Sillago ciliata, is a common species of coastal marine fish of the family Sillaginidae, the smelt-whitings...

 in its lower brackish areas and has a good population of Australian bass

Australian bass

Australian bass are a small to medium sized, primarily freshwater native fish found in coastal rivers and streams along the east coast of Australia. They are a member of the Percichthyidae family and, currently, the Macquaria genus. Australian bass are an iconic, highly predatory native fish...

  in its freshwater

Freshwater

Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

reaches. It is considered the largest untouched coastal river system on the north coast .