Largest lakes & reservoirs in New Zealand by water volume
The estimated volume of water that a lake contains is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. By this measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Siberia’s Lake Baikal.Water Volume can be measured in acre-feet, in cubic miles, or in cubic kilometers. One acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre (43,560 square feet) to a depth of one foot. One cubic mile equals 3,379,200 acre-feet. One cubic kilometer equals 810,713 acre-feet. 1 acre-foot is equal to 325,851 US gallons. Siberia’s Lake Baikal contains about 6,276,367,740,000,000 gallons of freshwater – nearly 1 million gallons for every living person on earth.
The other – and more widely used – measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s surface acreage. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is North America’s Lake Superior.
Note: In the United States, an acre foot is a unit of volume used to refer to large-scale bodies of water. It is defined by the volume of water needed to cover 1 acre of surface area to a depth of 1 foot.
You can find many of the the world’s largest lakes (by water volume) on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, the water volume data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 31 articles we have published for New Zealand lakes.
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Below are lakes within New Zealand > Compared by water volume. This list does not represent all lakes in New Zealand, only the 31 New Zealand lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Water vol. in ac-ft |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Taupo, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Taupo Region, North Island, NZ) |
48,642,792 ac-ft | If you are making your first visit to New Zealand, Lake Taupo in the Taupo Region of the North Island is an excellent first choice. New Zealand’s larg… |
| Lake Pukaki, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
3,777,924 ac-ft | 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 Ohau, New Zealand (Marlborough Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
3,259,067 ac-ft | 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 Tarawera, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
1,843,318 ac-ft | Lake Tarawera in the Rotorua District of the Bay of Plenty Region is a highly prized vacation lake. This deep and clear volcanic lake lies in the Okat… |
| Lake Brunner, New Zealand (New Zealand, South Island, NZ, West Coast Region, South Island, NZ) |
1,833,023 ac-ft | 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 Rotorua, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
705,321 ac-ft | What greeting will you hear when you come to Lake Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island? Kia ora!! Kia ora means ‘Be healthy’ or ‘well’ in the Maori l… |
| Lake Tekapo, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
490,000 ac-ft | 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 Rotoma, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
347,423 ac-ft | Lake Rotoma is a remarkable lake. The lake is the easternmost in a chain of three lakes northeast of Lake Rotorua. Here in the Rotorua Region of the B… |
| Lake Okareka, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
51,556 ac-ft | One of four small crater lakes lying between Lake Tarawera and Lake Rotorua in the Rotorua District of the Bay of Plenty, Lake Okareka has always been… |
| Lake Rotoehu, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
49,454 ac-ft | For the truly traditional New Zealand holiday, one must spend a week or two at Lake Rotoehu! Located in the Rotorua District of the Bay of Plenty Regi… |
| Lake Ferry, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Wairarapa Region, North Island, NZ) |
7,297 ac-ft | (Also known as Lake Onoke) Lake Ferry, also known as Lake Onoke, sits at the southern tip of New Zealand’s North Island. The waves of the Tasman Sea crash against a narrow grave… |
| Lake Waihola, New Zealand (Central Otago Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
5,909 ac-ft | 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… |