Great White shark sighted in Australian lake!

A LARGE great white shark has been sighted in a lake on the New South Wales Central Coast, prompting warnings for people to take caution in surrounding waterways.

A commercial fisherman snagged the beast this morning while casting nets off Canton Beach, on the north side of Tuggerah Lake, which opens into the Pacific Ocean at The Entrance.

A police statement said the man was forced to release his nets when the full-grown white shark, estimated to be up to seven metres long, became entangled in them.

NSW Police are working with Wyong Council, Surf Life Saving Australia, coastal patrols and the NSW Fisheries Department to monitor the area.

Police said people should take caution when using the interconnected waterways of Tuggerah Lake, Budgewoi Lake, Lake Munmorah and the Entrance Channel.

No one was injured during today's incident.