What is the deepest lake in New Zealand?

The deepest lake in New Zealand is Lake Hauroko, which reaches a maximum depth of about 462 metres. The long, narrow lake lies in Fiordland National Park in Southland, on the South Island.

Hauroko is a glacial lake occupying a mountain valley near the Hauroko Fault. Its dark, remote setting and S-shaped outline are typical of Fiordland’s dramatic glacial landscape. The lake drains through the Wairaurāhiri River toward Foveaux Strait, and its surface sits roughly 150 metres above sea level.

The Māori name Hauroko is commonly translated as “soughing of the wind” or “sounding wind.” The lake also contains Mary Island, which has a historically and culturally significant burial site. Traditional Ngāi Tahu accounts connect the lake’s formation with the ancestor Rākaihautū, while geological evidence explains it as a product of glacial and fault activity.

Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wānaka are famous South Island lakes, but neither is deepest. Lake Taupō is New Zealand’s largest lake by surface area, a different record entirely.