Lake Statistical Information
Some of the general statistics relating to the Rotorua lakes.
| Lake | Catchment area (ha) |
Lake area |
Max Depth (m) |
Mean Depth (m) |
Long axis (km) |
Altitude (m above sea level) |
| Ōkāreka | 1,958 | 334 | 33.5 | 20 | 2.8 | 355 |
| Ōkaro | 389 | 30 | 18 | 12.5 | 0.7 | 423 |
| Ōkataina | 5,982 | 1,173 | 78.5 | 34 | 6.2 | 311 |
| Rerewhakaaitu | 5,292 | 517 | 15.8 | 7 | 3.8 | 438 |
| Rotoehu | 4,916 | 790 | 13.5 | 8.16 | 4.6 | 295 |
| Rotoiti | 12,370 | 3,370 | 125 | 31.5 | 15 | 279 |
| Rotokakahi (Green Lake) | 1,971 | 433 | 32 | 17.5 | 4.3 | 394 |
| Rotomā | 2,782 | 1,112 | 83 | 36.9 | 5.2 | 313 |
| Rotomahana | 8,325 | 902 | 125 | 60 | 6.2 | 335 |
| Rotorua | 52,054 | 8,047 | 44.8 | 11 | 12.1 | 280 |
| Tarawera | 14,313 | 4,115 | 87.5 | 50 | 11.4 | 299 |
| Tikitapu (Blue Lake) | 622 | 144 | 27.5 | 18 | 1.6 | 417 |
General statistics on the age and hydrography of the Rotorua lakes
| Lake | Age (years) | Hydrology |
| Ōkāreka | 19,000 | Likely subsurface flow to Waitangi Stream, supplemented by surface outflow pipe. Waitangi Stream flows into Lake Tarawera |
| Ōkaro | 800 | Small stream outlet to Lake Rotomahana. |
| Ōkataina | 7,000 | No surface outlets, several small streams entering the lake. Subsurface drainage to Lake Tarawera. |
| Rerewhakaaitu | 700 | Normally no surface outflow. During high lake levels a drain takes overflow to the Mangaharakeke Stream (tributary of the Rangitaiki River). Subsurface drainage to Lake Rotomahana. |
| Rotoehu | 850 | Sinkholes in northern lake arms drain northwards to springs. |
| Rotoiti | 8,500 | Outflow is Kaituna River. Moderately large and deep lake. Distinct eastern and western basins. Inflow from Ōhau Channel has an overflow to the Kaituna and underflow to the eastern basin, depending on the water temperature. |
| Rotokakahi (Green Lake) | 13,300 | Surface outflow via Te Wairoa Stream to Lake Tarawera. |
| Rotomā | 8,500 | No surface outflow. Subsurface drainage to Lake Rotoiti. Lake level fluctuates over a range of 4.2 metres due to rainfall variations. Deep lake. |
| Rotomahana | 111 | Deepest of Rotorua Lakes. Subsurface drainage to Lake Tarawera. |
| Rotorua | 140,000 (caldera formation) | Surface outflow to Lake Rotoiti through Ōhau Channel. A shallow lake with a northeast-southwest shallow channel. |
| Tarawera | 5,000 | Large, deep lake. Surface outflow is Tarawera River. |
| Tikitapu | 13,300 | No surface outflows. Very low dissolved ions due to small size of catchment (low reactive silica concentrations) inhibit growth in diatoms. Subsurface drainage to Lake Tarawera. |
Catchment statistics
The percentage of catchment land cover (2003) for each lake is:
| Lake | Pasture | Indigenous forest/scrub |
Exotic forest | Urban | Other |
| Ōkāreka | 37.8 | 51.6 | 7.6 | 2.9 | - |
| Ōkaro | 90.6 | 2.1 | 6.3 | - | - |
| Ōkataina | 7.8 | 84.1 | 7.8 | - | - |
| Rerewhakaaitu | 75.3 | 7.2 | 15.2 | - | 2.3 |
| Rotoehu | 34.2 | 33.4 | 32.0 | 0.4 | - |
| Rotoiti | 15.9 | 36.4 | 46.2 | 1.5 | - |
| Rotokakahi (Green Lake) | 26.3 | 16.6 | 57.1 | - | - |
| Rotomā | 23.4 | 46.0 | 26.7 | - |
3.9 |
| Rotomahana | 43.2 | 39.7 | 16.3 | - | - |
| Rotorua | 51.8 | 25.1 | 14.3 | 8.1 | - |
| Tarawera | 19.7 | 62.4 | 16.0 | - | 1.9 |
| Tikitapu | 7.0 | 74.3 | 17.9 | 0.8 | - |