Hunt's on for elusive Gold Coast stonefish

The Gold Coast council will on Tuesday begin the unenviable task of draining a popular swimming hole in their increasingly elevated hunt for a lone yet potentially deadly stonefish.

The two-week exercise to drain Evandale Lake in Surfers Paradise comes more than a month after video revealed the poisonous fish had taken up residence at the site.

A team of SeaWorld divers armed with nets had previously failed to locate the fish.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said council was also keen to upgrade the lake, which was built in the 1970s.

"By the time we're finished it's going to be like new again," he said on Monday.