Natural freshwater lakes in Australia are rare, due to the general absence of glacial and tectonic activity in Australia.

Overview

Most lakes in Australia fall within one of three categories

• coastal lakes and lagoons
• lakes created by man-made dams for water storage
• predominantly dry, salt lakes in the flat desert regions of the country lacking in organised drainage.

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.

A list of the notable lakes in Australia follows.

Coastal lakes and lagoons

• Lake Macquarie
• Tuggerah Lake
• Myall Lakes
• Smith's Lake
• Lake Illawarra
• Narrabeen Lagoon
• Dee Why Lagoon
• Tabourie Lake
• St George's Basin
• Gippsland Lakes in Victoria
• Mallacoota Inlet
• Lake Alexandrina in South Australia
• Lake Bonney

Human-created lakes

• Lake Burragorang in New South Wales
• Lake Eucumbene
• Lake Jindabyne
• Lake Burley Griffin
• Lake Burrinjuck
• Blowering Dam
• Lake Moondarra near Mount Isa
• Carcoar Dam
• Burrendong Dam
• Keepit Dam
• Copeton Dam
• Lake Glenbawn
• Lake Eildon in Victoria (Australia)
• Lake Dartmouth
• Lake Argyle, Western Australia
• Wyangala Dam

Salt lakes

• Lake Amadeus in Northern Territory
• Lake Barlee, Western Australia
• Lake Cadibarrawirracanna
• Lake Disappointment, Western Australia
• Dumbleyung Lake, Western Australia
• Lake Dundas in Western Australia
• Lake Eyre in South Australia
• Lake Frome
• Island Lake
• Lake Lefroy
• Lake Torrens
• Willandra Lakes in New South Wales

Freshwater lakes

• Lake George, New South Wales
• Great Lake, Tasmania
• Lake St Clair, Tasmania
• Lake Pedder, Tasmania
• Lake Gordon, Tasmania