Largest lakes & reservoirs in North Island, NZ by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 14 articles we have published for North Island, NZ lakes.
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Below are lakes within New Zealand > North Island, NZ > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in North Island, NZ, only the 14 North Island, NZ lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Taupo, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Taupo Region, North Island, NZ) |
95 mi | 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 Rotorua, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
25 mi | 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 Tarawera, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
23 mi | 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 Rotoehu, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
15 mi | 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 Maraetai, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Taupo Region, North Island, NZ) |
13 mi | Also known as Maraetai Reservoir Lake Maraetai in the Taupo Region of New Zealand’s North Island is a little-known vacationer’s dream. The 1013 acre reservoir just 33 miles north of L… |
| Lake Rotoma, New Zealand (New Zealand, North Island, NZ, Rotorua Region, North Island, NZ) |
13 mi | 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) |
7 mi | 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… |