List of lakes of Australia facts for kids
Natural freshwater lakes in Australia are rare due to the general absence of glacial and tectonic activity in Australia.
Contents
Types
Most lakes in Australia fall within one of five categories. Excluding lakes and lagoons created by man-made dams for water storage and other purposes, one can identify the following:
- coastal lakes and lagoons including perched lakes;
- natural freshwater inland lakes, often ephemeral and some part of wetland or swamp areas;
- the Main Range containing mainland Australia's five glacial lakes. In Tasmania, due to glaciation, there are a large number of natural freshwater lakes on the central plateau, many of which have been enlarged or modified by hydro-electric developments;
- predominantly dry, salt lakes in the flat desert regions of the country lacking organised drainage; and
- lakes created in volcanic remnants.
List of lakes and lagoons by state and territory
Australian Antarctic Territory
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in the sector of Antarctica claimed by Australia as the Australian Antarctic Territory:
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | |||||||
1 | Braunsteffer Lake | Glacial | Princess Elizabeth Land | 0.0769 | 0.19 | |||
2 | Club Lake | Glacial | ||||||
3 | Collerson Lake | Glacial | ||||||
4 | Dingle Lake | Glacial | 68 | 168 | ||||
5 | Krok Lake | Glacial | ||||||
6 | Station Tarn | Glacial | ||||||
7 | Stinear Lake | Glacial | ||||||
8 | Lake Vereteno | Glacial | ||||||
9 | Lake Zvezda | Glacial |
Australian Capital Territory
In the Australian Capital Territory there are no prominent naturally-formed lakes and lagoons. Artificial lakes include Bendora Dam, Cotter Dam, Corin Dam, Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Ginninderra, Lake Tuggeranong, and Stranger Pond.
New South Wales
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in New South Wales:
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | |||||||
1 | Lake Albina | Glacial | Snowy Mountains |
|
0.66 | 2 | ||
2 | Avoca Lake | Coastal | Central Coast | 70 | 173 | |||
3 | Lake Bathurst | Freshwater ephemeral | Southern Tablelands | 10 | 25 | |||
4 | Blue Lake | Freshwater ephemeral; Glacial |
Snowy Mountains |
|
16 | 40 | ||
5 | Budgewoi Lake | Coastal | Central Coast | 1,400 | 3,459 | |||
6 | Lake Cathie | Coastal | ||||||
7 | Chipping Norton Lake | Freshwater ephemeral | Greater Sydney | |||||
8 | Lake Cootapatamba | Glacial | Snowy Mountains | |||||
9 | Lake Cowal | Freshwater ephemeral | Central West | |||||
10 | Dee Why Lagoon | Coastal lagoon | Northern Beaches | |||||
11 | Lake George | Freshwater ephemeral | Southern Tablelands | |||||
12 | Glenbrook Lagoon | Freshwater ephemeral | Blue Mountains | |||||
13 | Glenrock Lagoon | Coastal lagoon | ||||||
14 | Headley Tarn | Glacial | ||||||
15 | Lake Illawarra | Coastal | Illawarra | |||||
16 | Lake Macquarie | Coastal | Hunter | |||||
17 | Menindee Lakes | Freshwater ephemeral | Far West | |||||
18 | Lake Moore | Freshwater ephemeral | ||||||
19 | Lake Mungo | Saline | Far West | |||||
20 | Lake Munmorah | Coastal | Central Coast | |||||
21 | Myall Lakes | Coastal | Mid North Coast | |||||
22 | Narrabeen Lagoon | Coastal | Northern Beaches | 220 | 544 | |||
23 | Narran Lakes | Freshwater ephemeral | ||||||
24 | Smiths Lake | Coastal | Mid North Coast | |||||
25 | St Georges Basin | Coastal | South Coast / Jervis Bay Territory |
|||||
26 | Tabourie Lake | Coastal | Mid North Coast | |||||
27 | Terrigal Lagoon | Coastal lagoon | Central Coast | |||||
28 | Tuggerah Lake | Coastal | Central Coast | |||||
29 | Lake Urana | Saline | Far West | |||||
30 | Wallaga Lake | Freshwater ephemeral | ||||||
31 | Wallis Lake | Coastal | Mid North Coast | |||||
32 | Wamberal Lagoon | Coastal lagoon | Central Coast | |||||
33 | Wattle Grove Lake | Freshwater ephemeral | ||||||
34 | Willandra Lakes | Saline | Far West | |||||
35 | Lake Wollumboola | Coastal | Mid North Coast | |||||
36 | Wonboyn Lake | Coastal | Mid North Coast | |||||
37 | Lake Woytchugga | Freshwater ephemeral | ||||||
38 | Peery Lake | Freshwater ephemeral | Far West | Ramsar | 5,026 | 12,420 |
Northern Territory
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in the Northern Territory:
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | |||||||
1 | Lake Amadeus | Saline | South-west | 103,200 | 255,013 | |||
2 | Corella Lake | Freshwater ephemeral | ||||||
3 | Lake Mackay | Saline | Great Sandy Desert; Gibson Desert; Tanami Desert |
349,400 | 863,386 | |||
4 | Lake Neale | Saline | South-west | 30,000 | 74,132 | |||
5 | Numby Numby | Sinkhole | Gulf of Carpentaria | |||||
6 | Lake Sylvester | Freshwater ephemeral | Barkly Tableland | 200,000 | 494,211 | |||
7 | Tarrabool Lake | Freshwater ephemeral | Barkly Tableland | Tarrabool Lake – Eva Downs Swamp System Important Bird Area; Register of the National Estate; DIWA |
118,600 | 293,067 | ||
8 | Lake Woods | Freshwater ephemeral | Barkly Tableland | Important Bird Area; Longreach Waterhole Protected Area (part) |
118,600 | 293,067 | ||
9 | Lake Lewis | Saline ephemeral |
Queensland
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Queensland:
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | ||||||||
1 | Lake Awoonga | Freshwater ephemeral | Central | 6,750 | 16,700 | ||||
2 | Lake Barrine | Volcanic | Far North | Atherton Tableland | |||||
3 | Blue Lake | Coastal | South East | North Stradbroke Island | 500 | 1,236 | |||
4 | Boobera Lagoon | Freshwater ephemeral | South West | ||||||
5 | Lake Boomanjin | Perched | Fraser Island | Great Sandy National Park | 200 | 494 | |||
6 | Brown Lake | Coastal | South East | North Stradbroke Island | |||||
7 | Lake Broadwater | Coastal | South East | ||||||
8 | Lake Buchanan | Saline | North | Desert Uplands | 11,700 | 28,911 | |||
9 | Lake Como | Coastal | South East | ||||||
10 | Lake Cooloola | Coastal | Wide-Bay | ||||||
11 | Lake Cooroibah | Coastal | South East | ||||||
12 | Lake Cootharaba | Coastal | Wide-Bay | Great Sandy National Park | |||||
13 | Lake Dunn | Freshwater ephemeral | Central West | ||||||
14 | Lake Eacham | Volcanic | Far North | Atherton Tableland | 42.9 | 106 | |||
15 | Lake Elphinstone | Freshwater ephemeral | Central | ||||||
16 | Lake Euramoo | Volcanic | Far North | Tablelands Region | 4.4 | 11 | |||
17 | Lake Galilee | Saline | Central West | 25,700 | 64,000 | ||||
18 | Lake McKenzie | Perched | Fraser Island | Great Sandy National Park | 150 | 370 | |||
19 | Lake Nuga Nuga | Freshwater ephemeral | Central Highlands | Nuga Nuga National Park | |||||
20 | Lake Weyba | Coastal | South East | 960 | 2.372 | ||||
21 | Lake Wabby | Perched | Fraser Island | Great Sandy National Park | |||||
22 | Lake Yamma Yamma | Saline | South East | Channel Country |
South Australia
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in South Australia:
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | |||||||
1 | Lake Albert | Freshwater | Murray Mallee | Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland Ramsar site; Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Important Bird Area |
||||
2 | Lake Alexandrina | 64,900 | 160,371 | |||||
3 | Lake Blanche | Saline | Far North | Strzelecki Desert Lakes Important Bird Area | ||||
4 | Blue Lake | Volcanic | Limestone Coast | 70 | 173 | |||
5 | Lake Bonney SE | Coastal | Limestone Coast | Canunda National Park | 5,056 | 12,494 | ||
6 | Lake Bonney Riverland | Freshwater | Riverland | |||||
7 | Lake Bumbunga | Saline | Mid North | 1,388 | 3,430 | |||
8 | Lake Cadibarrawirracanna | Saline | Mid North | Woomera Prohibited Area | 6,000 | 14,826 | ||
9 | Lake Callabonna | Saline | Far North | Strzelecki Desert Lakes Important Bird Area | 16,000 | 39,537 | ||
10 | Coongie Lakes | Wetlands | Far North | Ramsar Site; Innamincka Regional Reserve; Malkumba-Coongie Lakes National Park; Strzelecki Regional Reserve |
2,179,000 | 5,384,426 | ||
11 | Lake Dey Dey | Saline | Far North | |||||
12 | Lake Dutton | Saline | Far North | |||||
13 | Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre | Saline endorheic | Far North | Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park; Elliot Price Conservation Park |
950,000 | 2,347,501 | ||
14 | Lake Frome | Saline endorheic | Flinders Ranges | Lake Frome Regional Reserve | 259,615 | 641,523 | ||
15 | Lake Gairdner | Saline endorheic | Eyre Peninsula | Lake Gairdner National Park | ||||
16 | Lake Gilles | Saline | Eyre Peninsula | Lake Gilles Conservation Park | ||||
17 | Goyder Lagoon | Ephemeral swamp | Far North | |||||
18 | Lake Gregory | Saline | Far North | |||||
19 | Lake Hart | Saline | ||||||
20 | Lake Hope | Saline ephemeral | Far North | Coongie Lakes wetland Ramsar Site | 3,600 | 8,896 | ||
21 | Lake Miranda | Freshwater ephemeral | ||||||
22 | Seagull Lake | Saline ephemeral | Eyre Peninsula | Sceale Bay Conservation Park | 88 | 217 | ||
23 | Serpentine Lakes | Saline | Great Victoria Desert | Mamungari Conservation Park | 9,700 | 23,969 | ||
24 | Sleaford Mere | Saline endorheic | Eyre Peninsula | Sleaford Mere Conservation Park | 707 | 1,747 | ||
25 | Lake Torrens | Saline ephemeral | Flinders Ranges | Lake Torrens National Park | 574,500 | 1,419,620 | ||
26 | Valley Lake | Volcanic | Limestone Coast | |||||
27 | Watervalley Wetlands | Contiguous wetlands | Murray Mallee | 13,100 | 32,371 |
Tasmania
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Tasmania:
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | |||||||
1 | Lake Beatrice | Freshwater | Western | 55 | 136 | |||
2 | Lake Dora | Freshwater | Western | 48 | 119 | |||
3 | Dove Lake | Cirque freshwater | Central Highlands | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 86 | 213 | ||
4 | Lake Dulverton | Freshwater ephemeral | Southern Midlands | 230 | 568 | |||
5 | Lake Edgar | Fault scarp pond | South West | Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area | 147 | 363 | ||
6 | Lake Fidler | Meromictic | South West | Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area | ||||
7 | Lake Flannigan | Freshwater | King Island | Game reserve (pending as at 2005) | 150 | 371 | ||
8 | Great Lake | Freshwater | Central Highlands | 17,600 | 43,491 | |||
9 | Jocks Lagoon | Dystrophic lake | Central Northern | Ramsar site | 18 | 44 | ||
10 | Little Waterhouse Lake | Freshwater coastal | North East | Ramsar Site | 10 | 25 | ||
11 | Lake Meston | Freshwater | Central Northern | Walls of Jerusalem National Park | ||||
12 | Orielton Lagoon | Dystrophic coastal lagoon | South East Coast | Ramsar Site | 3,334 | 8,240 | ||
13 | Lake Selina | Glacial | West Coast | |||||
14 | Lake St Clair | Freshwater | Central Highlands | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 4,500 | 11,120 | ||
15 | Lake Westwood | Glacial | West Coast | 35 | 86 |
Victoria
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Victoria.
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | |||||||
1 | Lake Batyo Catyo | Freshwater ephemeral | 230 | 568 | ||||
2 | Lake Corangamite | Saline | 23000 | 56834 | ||||
3 | Gippsland Lakes | Coastal | ||||||
4 | Lake Hindmarsh | Freshwater ephemeral | Wimmera | 13500 | 33000 | |||
5 | Mallacoota Inlet | Coastal | ||||||
6 | Murtnaghurt Lagoon | Saline | 81 | 200 | ||||
7 | Lake Victoria | Coastal lake | 139 | 340 | ||||
8 | Lake Tali Karng | Freshwater | Alpine | 14 | 35 | |||
9 | Pink Lake (Victoria) | Saline | Wimmera | 45 | 111 |
Western Australia
The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Western Australia:
Order | Name | Type | Region | Designation | Area | Image | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ha | acre | |||||||
1 | Angove Lake | Freshwater | Great Southern | Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve | 33 | 82 | ||
2 | Lake Anneen | Saline | Mid West | 12,000 | 29,653 | |||
3 | Lake Baghdad | Saline | Rottnest Island | |||||
4 | Lake Ballard | Saline ephemeral | Goldfields-Esperance | 4,900 | 12,108 | |||
5 | Lake Barlee | Saline | Mid West | 198,000 | 489,269 | |||
6 | Bibra Lake | Freshwater | Perth | Beeliar Regional Park | ||||
7 | Lake Boonderoo | Freshwater | Goldfields-Esperance | 2,500 | 6,178 | |||
8 | Booragoon Lake | Freshwater | Perth | Beeliar Regional Park | ||||
9 | Boyd Lagoon | Saline lagoon | Gibson Desert | 870 | 2,150 | |||
10 | Lake Breaden | Saline | Gibson Desert | 2,600 | 6,425 | |||
11 | Lake Bryde-East Lake Bryde | Freshwater wetland | Great Southern | Lake Bryde Nature Reserve | 1,900 | 4,695 | ||
12 | Lake Burnside | Saline | Gibson Desert | 42,000 | 103,784 | |||
13 | Lake Carey | Saline | Goldfields-Esperance | |||||
14 | Lake Carnegie | Ephemeral | Goldfields-Esperance | 571,400 | 1,411,960 | |||
16 | Lake Dora | Saline | Pilbara | |||||
17 | Dumbleyung Lake | Saline | Great Southern | Dumbleyung Lake Nature Reserve | 5,200 | 12,849 | ||
18 | Lake Dundas | Saline | Goldfields-Esperance | |||||
19 | Forrestdale Lake | Brackish seasonal groundwater | Perth | Forrestdale Lake Nature Reserve; Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes Ramsar Site |
245 | 605 | ||
20 | Lake Gore | Seasonal freshwater | Goldfields-Esperance | Lake Gore Nature Reserve; Lake Gore Ramsar Site |
740 | 1,829 | ||
21 | Lake Gregory | Seasonal freshwater | Kimberley | Paraku Indigenous Protected Area | ||||
22 | Herdsman Lake | Freshwater | Perth | Herdsman Lake Regional Park | 300 | 741 | ||
23 | Lake Hillier | Saline | Goldfields-Esperance | Recherche Archipelago Nature Reserve | 1.5 | 4 | ||
24 | Hutt Lagoon | Saline | Mid West | |||||
25 | Lake Jasper | Freshwater | South West | 4,500 | 11,120 | |||
26 | Lake Joondalup | Freshwater | Perth | Yellagonga Regional Park | ||||
27 | Jualbup Lake | Freshwater | Perth | Shenton Park | ||||
15 | Kumpupintil Lake | Saline endorheic | Pilbara | 33,000 | 81,545 | |||
28 | Lake Lefroy | Saline ephemeral | Goldfields-Esperance | |||||
29 | Lake Mackay | Saline | Great Sandy Desert | 349,400 | 863,386 | |||
30 | Lake McLarty | Freshwater | South West | Lake McLarty Nature Reserve; Peel-Yalgorup System Ramsar site |
||||
31 | Lake Macleod | Freshwater | Gascoyne | 150,000 | 370,658 | |||
32 | Loch McNess | Freshwater | Perth | Yanchep National Park | ||||
33 | Lake Magenta | Saline ephemeral | Wheatbelt | Lake Magenta Nature Reserve | 11,000 | 27,182 | ||
34 | Lake Maitland | Dry saline | Mid West | |||||
35 | Lake Monger | Freshwater | Perth | Lake Monger Reserve | 70 | 173 | ||
36 | Lake Monginup | Freshwater | Goldfields-Esperance | Lake Monginup Nature Reserve | 32 | 79 | ||
37 | Lake Muir | Freshwater | South West | Muir-Byenup System Ramsar Site | 4 | 10 | ||
38 | Lake Nabberu | Saline | Mid West | 18,000 | 44,479 | |||
39 | Lake Newell | Goldfields-Esperance | 2,600 | 6,425 | ||||
40 | North Lake | Freshwater | Perth | Beeliar Regional Park | ||||
41 | Perry Lakes | Freshwater | Perth | Perry Lakes Reserve | 12.6 | 31 | ||
42 | Perth Wetlands | Wetlands | Perth | Herdsman Lake Regional Park | ||||
43 | Pink Lake | Saline | Goldfields-Esperance | 99 | 245 | |||
44 | Lake Seppings | Freshwater | South West | Lake Seppings Nature Reserve | ||||
45 | Serpentine Lakes | Saline | Great Victoria Desert | Mamungari Conservation Park | 9,700 | 23,969 | ||
46 | Lake Shaster | Hypersaline | Goldfields-Esperance | Lake Shaster Nature Reserve | 479 | 1,184 | ||
47 | Lake Thetis | Saline | Mid West | |||||
48 | Thomsons Lake | Brackish seasonal groundwater | Perth | Thomsons Lake Nature Reserve; Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes Ramsar Site |
538 | 1,329 | ||
49 | Toolibin Lake | Perched freshwater | Wheatbelt | Toolibin Lake Nature Reserve; Toolibin Lake Ramsar Site |
300 | 741 | ||
50 | Lake Warden | Saline | Goldfields-Esperance | Lake Warden Nature Reserve | 59 | 146 | ||
51 | Lake Way | Dry saline | Mid-West | 46,000 | 113,668 | |||
52 | Lake Wooleen | Intermittent freshwater | Mid-West | 5,500 | 13,591 |
See also
- List of reservoirs and dams in Australia
- List of lagoons of Australia