Largest lakes & reservoirs in South 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 17 articles we have published for South Island, NZ lakes.
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Below are lakes within New Zealand > South Island, NZ > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. 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  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Te Anau, New Zealand (Fiordland Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
323 mi | 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 Pukaki, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
46 mi | 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) |
28 mi | 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… |
| Nelson Lakes (Nelson Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
14 mi | Also known as Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotoroa, Lake Angelus, Lake Constance, Blue Lake The Nelson Lakes in New Zealand’s Tasman District are some of the most famous yet most remote in the country. Nelson Lakes National Park, located at t… |
| Lake Rotoiti, New Zealand (Marlborough Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
14 mi | Lake Rotoiti, in the Tasman Region of New Zealand is a favorite spot for vacations and holidays. Located within the Nelson Lakes National Park, the de… |
| Lake Kaniere, New Zealand (New Zealand, South Island, NZ, West Coast Region, South Island, NZ) |
12 mi | 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 Heron, New Zealand (Christchurch - Canterbury Region, South Island, NZ, New Zealand, South Island, NZ) |
12 mi | 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… |
| Lake Matheson (New Zealand, South Island, NZ, West Coast Region, South Island, NZ) |
1 mi | The only way to approach Lake Matheson on the south island of New Zealand is on foot. Visitors to the South Westland lake park their cars, then start… |