Great white shark filmed near shore in popular NSW fishing and swimming lake

A great white shark has been filmed getting up close and personal with fishers in a coastal NSW lake.

The 2.5-metre animal swam around Murray's Beach at Lake Macquarie for about an hour, sweeping close to the jetty where onlookers watched on two occasions, the Newcastle Herald reported.

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Fisherman Clinton Bamback filmed the shark's movements, clearly getting excited when another watcher started slapping the water off the jetty, drawing the animal in for a closer look.

He said when the shark came close, he saw the splashing was not caused by a food source, and it swam away.

"In my eyes, the shark has heard the splashing and come back to have a look at what was all the commotion, like a bait fish splashing the surface," he said.

He believed the shark had been attracted to the jetty by the bait fish in the water.

He said sharks had swum in the lake for years, but he could not recall hearing of an attack on a human.

CSIRO expert Barry Bruce said the shark appeared to be a juvenile and had not been behaving aggressively.

However, he said it was rare to see a shark in a coastal estuary.

Fishers should avoid the temptation of trying to catch the animal, as great whites are a protected species.

People catching one can face a maximum $22,000 fine and/or up to two years in prison.

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