Lakes and Boating

Roto me te Whakaeke Poti

The Queenstown Lakes District has an abundance of stunning waterways, from pristine lakes to braided rivers. Whether you're jet skiing, kayaking, sailing or paddleboarding, being safe and protecting our waterways is key to having fun on the water.   

There are three main lakes in our district – Lake Whakatipu, Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea. These are all popular spots for boating, swimming and other water sports.  

Quick links

Lake Whakatipu

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Lake Wānaka

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Lake Hāwea

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Clutha River

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Harbourmaster

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Flooding

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Marine pests and reporting pollution

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Navigation Safety Bylaw 2025

The Queenstown Lakes District has a Navigation Safety Bylaw that governs the waterways within our district. Please consider reading the bylaw before heading out onto the water.

Speed uplifts and special events

If you are planning to head out on the water in an area that requires an exemption under the Navigation Safety Bylaw 2025 or you want to hold an event on the water, please fill out our Event Water Safety Application form and submit it to

harbourmasterwaterways@qldc.govt.nz 

Lake Whakatipu

Lake Whakatipu is New Zealand's third largest lake, being 80 kilometres long and covering 293 square kilometres. It has an average depth of 300 metres for over half its length, with temperatures ranging from 8 - 10 degrees celsius.

Lake Wānaka

Lake Wānaka is New Zealand's fourth largest lake, covering 180 square kilometres. The lake is 45.5 kilometres long, 11.6 kilometres across at its widest, and up to 300 metres deep. Water temperature ranges from 8 - 10 degrees celsius.

Lake Hāwea

Lake Hāwea is 35 kilometres long and separated from Lake Wānaka by a narrow isthmus. Although narrow, Lake Hāwea plummets to a depth of 392 metres.

Clutha River

The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast 338 kilometres through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, 75 kilometres south west of Dunedin. 

QLDC Harbourmaster

For issues in regards to non-compliance of waterways rules such as not wearing life jackets, please contact the Queenstown Harbourmaster:

  • For all urgent enquiries, please phone us on 03 441 0499.

  • For all non-urgent enquires lodge a Request for Service on the QLDC website at www.qldc.govt.nz/contact-us.

services@qldc.govt.nz

For Emergencies, always call 111.

For enquires in regards to Waterways Regulatory Services or to discuss matters such as proposed events taking place on lakes and rivers in our district that require Harbourmaster approval, please contact QLDC.

Flooding

Want to check the lake level? Click here for the latest information.

Lagarosiphon, marine pest management and reporting pollution

Lagarosiphon is a pest plant present in some of Otago's waterways. You can help prevent its spread by checking your fishing and boating gear to make sure you don't take it away with you. 

View a map of areas currently included in a Lagarosiphon management programme.  

  • Any person leaving the waters of Lakes Wanaka or from the Clutha River/Mata-Au and the Kawarau River must immediately remove and safely dispose of all fragments of lagarosiphon from boats, equipment and all other items in their possession. 

  • Anyone in Otago must destroy and safely dispose of all lagarosiphon from any pond or aquarium on their land. 

The goal of the pest plan is to:

  • reduce the amount of lagarosiphon in Lake Wanaka and the Kawarau River through progressive containment over the next 10 years

  • prevent lagarosiphon establishing in Lake Wakatipu, and

  • prevent lagarosiphon establishing in lakes, and rivers and tributaries where it is not already present.

     

For more information on how you can help visit: Lagarosiphon (orc.govt.nz). 

To report pollution in our district or on our waterways please visit our Pollution Response webpage.