What is the largest lake in Australia?

The largest lake in Australia is Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, commonly called Lake Eyre. It lies in South Australia and occupies the lowest point on the Australian continent, about 15 metres below sea level.

Lake Eyre is an endorheic basin, meaning water flows into it but does not reach the ocean. Most of the time it is an enormous salt flat or a shallow salt lake because the surrounding region is one of the driest parts of Australia. Rare floods can fill parts of the basin, transforming it temporarily into a major wetland.

The lake is divided into Lake Eyre North and Lake Eyre South, linked by the narrow Goyder Channel. Its rarely seen floodwaters arrive through inland rivers such as the Warburton Creek, often after heavy rain far to the north in Queensland.

The name Kati Thanda recognizes the lake's significance to the Arabana people. “Lake Eyre” honors Edward John Eyre, the nineteenth-century explorer. It is sometimes confused with Lake Torrens or Lake Gairdner, but those are other large South Australian salt lakes.