Loch McNess is a 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...

 lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 located near Yanchep.

It is part of a chain of lakes

Wanneroo wetlands

Wanneroo wetlands are the lakes and swamps that occur on the Swan Coastal Plain of PerthWanneroo wetlands are the lakes and swamps that occur on the Swan Coastal Plain of Perth...

 in the northern part of the coastal plain

Swan Coastal Plain

The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's...

 of Perth, Western Australia

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

.

It is part of the Yanchep National Park

Yanchep National Park

Yanchep is a national park in Western Australia , north of Perth. The park is noted for its caves, native bush and koala colonies. It also offers cultural educational programmes offered in partnership with the local Nyoongar aboriginal people....

 and water from the lake is being used to refill the underground lakes in some nearby caves .

Fauna

Galaxiidae (fish) and Gilgies (freshwater crayfish) are endemic to the region. Introduced species include mosquitofish ( Gambusia )

History

The lake is also known as Wagardu Lark by the Nyoongar aboriginals

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....

  and along with the caves is of significant cultural importance

Since European colonisation

Colonisation

Colonization occurs whenever any one or more species populate an area. The term, which is derived from the Latin colere, "to inhabit, cultivate, frequent, practice, tend, guard, respect", originally related to humans. However, 19th century biogeographers dominated the term to describe the...

of the area and specifically with the building of Glouster Lodge on its shores in the '30s it has traditionally been used for boating outings. It is still possible to hire a dingy to row on the lake.