Largest lakes & reservoirs in South Island, NZ by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 17 articles we have published for South Island, NZ lakes.
Thinking about booking a South Island, NZ lake vacation home rental, cabin or hotel?
Use our free interactive vacation rental map to search and compare multiple vacation properties at a glance. Enter a lake name, a state or city and then simply click on a listing to compare all similar properties, best rates and availability for your dates.Search results: Sort lakes by surface acreage
Below are lakes within New Zealand > South Island, NZ > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in South Island, NZ, only the 17 South Island, NZ lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Te Anau, New Zealand (Fiordland Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
86,981 ac | Lake Te Anau, located in the southwestern corner of South Island in New Zealand, is situated with rolling hillside country on the eastern side and mag… |
| Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand (Central Otago Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
71,908 ac | Lake Wakatipu on the South Island of New Zealand is fuel for myths, a backdrop for Hollywood movies and a destination for adventure seekers. The depth… |
| Lake Pukaki, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
49,421 ac | Lake Pukaki in the Canterbury region of the South Island is a scenic delight. One of three glacial lakes that lie nearly parallel, the lake gets water… |
| Lake Wanaka, New Zealand (New Zealand, South Island, NZ, Wanaka Region, South Island, NZ) |
47,445 ac | Formed by glaciers thousands of years ago and located on South Island, New Zealand, Lake Wanaka is New Zealand’s fourth largest lake and contains crys… |
| Lake Hawea, New Zealand (Central Otago Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
34,842 ac | Surrounded by towering mountains in Central Otago of New Zealand’s South Island, Lake Hawea is a lake that was formed by glaciers thousands of years a… |
| Lake Tekapo, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
15,360 ac | Lake Tekapo is located in the center of South Island, New Zealand. Known for its intense turquoise hue, the lake stays that color because of “rock flo… |
| Lake Ohau, New Zealand (Marlborough Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
13,344 ac | Lake Ohau, in the Mackenzie Basin of the Waitaki District, South Island is an often overlooked lake and mountain paradise. The smallest of three paral… |
| Lake Coleridge, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
11,614 ac | Nestled snugly between two mountain ranges and surrounded by lush green farming valleys, Lake Coleridge’s clear blue waters are a breathtaking wonder… |
| Lake Brunner, New Zealand (New Zealand, South Island, NZ, West Coast Region, South Island, NZ) |
10,151 ac | Moana Kotuku is what the Maori call Lake Brunner, naming it after the beautiful and rare white herons (kotuku) sometimes seen on the lake’s shores. Th… |
| Lake Kaniere, New Zealand (New Zealand, South Island, NZ, West Coast Region, South Island, NZ) |
5,436 ac | At 5,436 acres, Lake Kaniere is the second largest lake among the West Coast lakes of the South Island of New Zealand. With 12 miles of shoreline and… |
| Lake Waihola, New Zealand (Central Otago Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
2,224 ac | Located on New Zealand’s South Island, Lake Waihola is situated in a quiet region that makes a peaceful retreat. Almost 4 miles long, the lake is very… |
| Lake Heron, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
1,556 ac | Located in the Christchurch/Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, Lake Heron is the largest of the Ashburton lakes at 1556 acres. With… |