Last week, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority said a good season for prawns between Cape York, Queensland and Cape Londonderry, Western Australia would mean "an abundant supply of Australian banana and tiger prawns on the market".

Lake Illawarra commercial fishermen have confirmed that lake prawns will be in shops.

Fisherman Mark Maone said while it was difficult to predict a season, prawns and other fish would be available.

"There has been a little bit of king prawns up and down the channel which are small to medium sized," he said. "Recently, we have seen a lot of blue swimmer crab in the area, but there has been a decrease in the size of prawns over the past 10 years after the channel was built, but no reduction in school prawns."

Sixth generation Lake Illawarra fisherman Scott Massey said the wide channel saw the prawns leave the lake earlier in their life cycle, which meant large king prawns were hard to come by.

"The channel used to be three metres deep but now it's six. This creates a big suck out to sea which pulls the prawns out earlier, not giving them time to grow and get bigger in the lake.

"But we have had another great year of crabs and there will be good catches of small to medium sized king prawns this season, I can guarantee it."

Another member of the Massey family, Russell said there had been an "explosion" of crabs and flathead in the lake.