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How many there are, what they’re called, and which is the only true ‘lake’ — with an in-depth guide to each.

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The lakes & waters of the Lake District

The lakes of the Lake District

Thirlmere reservoir ringed by conifer plantation, the Helvellyn ridge beyond
© Lee McCoy

The "lakes" give the Lakes their name, and people often ask how many there are, what they're called, and which is the nicest or most beautiful — an impossible, personal question, but the main ones to know are:

  • Lake Windermere — England's largest natural lake and the heart of the boating scene (and not to be confused with Windermere town or Bowness on its shore).
  • Ullswater — many people's favourite for sheer beauty, with its historic steamers and the Helvellyn backdrop.
  • Derwentwater — the pretty, island-studded "Queen of the Lakes" at Keswick, ringed by crag and woodland.
  • Coniston Water — the third-largest, below the Old Man of Coniston; Donald Campbell and Bluebird, Swallows and Amazons, Ruskin's Brantwood and the Steam Yacht Gondola.
  • Haweswater — the remote eastern reservoir that drowned the village of Mardale; no swimming, but wild, quiet walking country.
  • Bassenthwaite Lake — the only water actually called a "lake", a quiet nature reserve under Skiddaw.
  • Thirlmere — a conifer-ringed reservoir (no swimming) and the gentler, western way up Helvellyn.
  • Ennerdale Water — the remotest lake, the only one with no road alongside it, at the heart of the wild Ennerdale valley.
  • Wast Water — England's deepest lake, under the dramatic Screes; "Britain's Favourite View".
  • Crummock Water — a quiet National Trust lake in the Buttermere valley; Scale Force and a lovely swim.
  • Buttermere, Loweswater and Grasmere among others — each with its own character, from gentle and pastoral to stark and dramatic.

A nice bit of pub-quiz trivia: despite the name, only one of them is officially a "lake" — Bassenthwaite Lake. All the others are "waters", "meres" or "tarns".

The lakes at a glance

The questions people actually ask about the Lake District’s lakes — which is biggest, deepest and longest, and where you can’t swim.

BiggestWindermere14.8 km²DeepestWast Water79.0 mLongestWindermere17.0 kmThe only ‘Lake’Bassenthwaite Lakethe rest are meres & waters
Where you can’t swimHaweswater, Thirlmere, Ennerdale Waterdrinking-water reservoirs

Explore the waters map

  • Lakes & reservoirs
  • Tarns
  • Waterfalls

Every lake & water

In-depth guides to each of the 17 main lakes and reservoirs — getting there, parking, the best walk, boats and the swimming rules.

Compare the lakes

Sortable by any column — tap a heading. Default order is deepest first.

Wast Water79.02.94.8None (non-powered)Yes
Lake Windermere66.714.817.010 mph limitYes
Ullswater63.08.914.5permit + 10 mphYes
Haweswater57.03.96.9NoneNo swimming (reservoir)
Coniston Water56.04.98.7permit + 10 mphYes
Thirlmere46.03.35.9NoneNo swimming (reservoir)
Crummock Water44.02.54.0None (non-powered)Yes
Ennerdale Water42.03.03.8NoneNo swimming (reservoir)
Buttermere28.00.92.0None (non-powered)Yes
Derwentwater22.05.54.6permit + 10 mphYes
Grasmere (the lake)21.00.61.6None (non-powered)Yes
Brothers Water20.00.180.6None (non-powered)Yes
Rydal Water20.00.31.2None (non-powered)Yes
Bassenthwaite Lake19.05.36.2None (non-powered)Limited
Loweswater16.00.61.8None (non-powered)Yes
Esthwaite Water15.01.02.5None (non-powered)Limited
Elter Water7.00.260.9None (non-powered)Limited

Figures are best widely-cited (see our data sources); boating and blue-green-algae status change — check before you go. Download the data (CSV).

Use & cite this data

Our lake figures are compiled into a single sourced dataset you’re welcome to reuse — for research, journalism, or your own planning. Free to use with credit.

Source: The lakes & waters of the Lake District, hikes.guide (waters dataset, 2026).

⇩ Download the data (CSV)

Grab the citation (HTML) — paste to credit the dataset with a link back:

How we compiled it

  • Areas and depths vary slightly between sources (different survey bases/dates) — treat as best widely-cited figures, not survey-exact. Confidence flags the strength.
  • Swimming 'banned' applies to the drinking-water reservoirs (Haweswater, Thirlmere, Ennerdale) per the National Park / United Utilities. 'limited' = nature reserve, private fishery, or recurrent blue-green algae. 'yes' means wild swimming is possible but always cold and unsupervised — this is not a safety endorsement.
  • Boating rules and blue-green algae status change; verify launches/permits and current algae warnings before a visit.
  • Elevation is deliberately omitted (inconsistent across sources) — add later if a single authority is used.

Sources: Lake District Guide — lakes by size / facts · Lake District Guide — deepest lakes · Swimming in the Lake District / reservoir safety · Water and boating activities in the Lake District (10 mph byelaw; boat registration) · National Trust — Lake District (boat hire at Trust lakes).

Spot an error? Request a correction — every figure is sourced and dated, and genuine mistakes are fixed promptly.

Independence: hikes.guide is wholly independent and not affiliated with the Lake District National Park Authority, United Utilities, the National Trust or any boat operator; official bodies are linked as primary sources, not sponsors.

Review cadence: boating rules and bathing-water status are reviewed each spring, at the start of the season.

Boating & launches

Where you can take a boat, who runs the passenger launches, what you can hire and the permits — grouped by the distinction that matters: the four lakes open to powered craft (under a strict 10 mph limit), the non-powered lakes (rowing, kayak and paddleboard only), and the drinking-water reservoirs where boating is restricted or banned.

LakePowered craftLaunch / cruiseHirePermit
Powered craft — 10 mph limit
Lake Windermere10 mph limitWindermere Lake Cruisesrowing, self-drive motor, kayak & SUPLDNPA boat registration (powered craft)
Ullswater10 mph limitUllswater Steamersrowing, kayak & SUPLDNPA boat registration (powered craft)
Derwentwater10 mph limitKeswick Launchrowing, kayak & SUPLDNPA boat registration (powered craft)
Coniston Water10 mph limitConiston Launch & Steam Yacht Gondola (NT)rowing, motor, kayak & SUP (Coniston Boating Centre)LDNPA boat registration (powered craft)
Non-powered only (rowing, kayak & SUP)
Bassenthwaite Lakenon-powered only—limited (local sailing club)access limited (National Nature Reserve)
Wast Waternon-powered only—noneNational Trust (no facilities)
Crummock Waternon-powered only—rowing boats (National Trust)National Trust
Esthwaite Waternon-powered only—electric & fishing boats (Esthwaite fishery)private fishery permit
Buttermerenon-powered only—rowing boats (Gatesgarth / NT)landowner / National Trust
Loweswaternon-powered only—rowing boats (National Trust)National Trust
Grasmere (the lake)non-powered only—rowing boats (Faeryland)operator
Rydal Waternon-powered only—nonenone needed
Elter Waternon-powered only—nonelimited access (reedy/shallow)
Brothers Waternon-powered only—noneNational Trust (no facilities)
Reservoirs — boating restricted
Haweswaterno boating (reservoir)—noneUnited Utilities (no water access)
Thirlmereno powered boats (reservoir)—noneUnited Utilities permit (canoe/kayak only)
Ennerdale Waterno boating (reservoir)—noneUnited Utilities

Powered-boat rules and registration on Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston and Derwentwater are set by the Lake District National Park Authority; reservoir access by United Utilities. Operators and permits change — check before you travel.

Wild swimming & water quality

Three of the waters here are drinking-water reservoirs where swimming is banned — Haweswater, Thirlmere and Ennerdale Water (the National Park also lists Kentmere reservoir). Everywhere else, wild swimming is at your own risk.

Before you get in (this is always true)

  • Cold-water shock is the real danger — even in summer the water stays cold and shelves steeply. Never jump in; walk in slowly to let your body adjust.
  • No lifeguards, and help is far off. Don’t swim alone or after alcohol; wear a bright hat and consider a tow-float and a paddleboard or kayak as support.
  • Currents, weed, cold deep water and boat traffic catch people out even close to shore. Know your limits and your exit.
  • Blue-green algae can be toxic to people and dogs. If the water looks like pea soup or has a scummy bloom, keep out, keep pets out, and report it.

Check conditions before you go — official sources

We don’t fake a live feed — for current conditions, go straight to the bodies that monitor them:

Bathing-water & water quality

Windermere has four Environment-Agency-designated bathing waters (Fell Foot, Millerground, Rayrigg Meadow and Lakeside), each classified annually — check the current rating on the official Swimfo profile (recent classifications have been Excellent). Water quality is a genuine concern: the Environment Agency reported in December 2023 that around 52% of the phosphorus entering Windermere’s north basin comes from sewage (storm overflows, treatment works and septic tanks) and about 48% from land run-off; the multi-agency Love Windermere partnership is working to reduce it. We note this factually so you can plan — check the live sources above, especially around heavy rain.

This is information to help you plan, not an endorsement of swimming at any particular spot.

Walk right around a lake

Some of the best low-level days in the Lakes are a full lap of the water. These are the genuine lakeshore circuits, each with its own walk:

  • Buttermere — the classic ~4.5-mile lap, mostly level, with a rock tunnel
  • Grasmere — an easy circuit in Wordsworth country
  • Rydal Water — a short loop past Rydal Cave
  • Loweswater — a quiet, gentle full circuit
  • Crummock Water — a lakeshore walk under Mellbreak
  • Elterwater — riverside to Skelwith Force
  • Derwentwater — the Friar’s Crag shore — hop the launch to skip the road sections

After the easiest, flattest options with honest pushchair and young-kids flags? See our easy & family walks.

Waterfalls

The waterfalls and forces — the short walks to reach them, when they run best after rain, and how to get there.

See our full Lake District waterfalls guide → — which is highest, easiest to reach and most powerful, with a map.

How the lakes formed

The pattern is no accident. During the last Ice Age, a great dome of ice sat over the central fells and flowed outward in every direction. Those glaciers gouged the valleys deeper and straighter as they went, and when the ice melted the valleys filled — which is why the big lakes radiate like spokes from the middle: Windermere and Coniston to the south, Wast Water and Ennerdale to the west, Derwentwater and Ullswater to the north and east. Higher up, smaller glaciers scooped armchair hollows — corries — now cradling the mountain tarns. And the quirk of names? Only Bassenthwaite Lake is actually called a ‘lake’; the rest are ‘meres’ and ‘waters’.

dome

Frequently asked questions about the Lake District’s lakes

How many lakes are in the Lake District?

Here’s the catch that makes it a great pub-quiz question: only one body of water in the Lake District is officially called a ‘lake’ — Bassenthwaite Lake. Every other one is a ‘water’, a ‘mere’ or a ‘tarn’. The main lakes are usually counted as 16; we cover 17 here, adding smaller waters like Elter Water. On top of those there are hundreds of small mountain tarns scattered across the fells.

Sources: Lake District National Park - facts & figures · Wikipedia - List of lakes of the Lake District

What are the names of the lakes in the Lake District?

The main waters, biggest first, are: Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite Lake, Coniston Water, Haweswater, Thirlmere, Ennerdale Water, Wast Water, Crummock Water, Buttermere, Loweswater, Grasmere, Rydal Water, Brothers Water, Esthwaite Water and Elter Water. We have a full guide to each — see all the lakes & waters below.

Which is the only one officially called a 'lake'?

Bassenthwaite Lake, a quiet, shallow nature reserve under Skiddaw near Keswick. Every other named water uses ‘water’ (Derwentwater, Coniston Water), ‘mere’ (Windermere, Buttermere — ‘mere’ already means lake) or ‘tarn’ for the small ones — so ‘Lake Windermere’ technically says ‘lake’ twice.

What is the largest lake in the Lake District?

Windermere — at about 10.5 miles long it is the largest natural lake in England, and the centre of the boating scene. Ullswater is the second largest, and Coniston Water the third.

Which is the deepest lake in the Lake District?

Wast Water is the deepest, at about 74 m (243 ft) — the deepest lake in England, its bed dropping well below sea level beneath the dramatic Wastwater Screes. Its head-of-valley view of Great Gable and the Scafells was once voted ‘Britain’s Favourite View’.

Sources: Wikipedia - Wast Water

What are the 16 lakes in the Lake District?

‘The 16 lakes’ is the list usually given for the main bodies of water: Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite Lake, Coniston Water, Haweswater, Thirlmere, Ennerdale Water, Wast Water, Crummock Water, Buttermere, Loweswater, Grasmere, Rydal Water, Brothers Water and Esthwaite Water. The exact 16 vary slightly between sources — we add Elter Water to make 17. See the full list with a guide to each below.

Which lakes can you swim in, and which are reservoirs?

Two of the main waters are drinking-water reservoirs with no swimming: Haweswater and Thirlmere. Most of the others are popular for wild swimming — Crummock Water, Buttermere, Derwentwater and Coniston Water among them — though there’s no swimming in the private fishery at Esthwaite Water. Always check the individual lake’s guide for the rules, cold-water safety and where to get in.

Which is the prettiest lake in the Lake District?

It’s personal, but the crowd favourites are Ullswater (sweeping and steamer-served, with Helvellyn behind), Buttermere (a perfect, ringed-by-fells circuit), Derwentwater (island-studded above Keswick) and Wast Water (stark and dramatic). For an easy, beautiful lakeside walk to judge for yourself, see our easy & family walks.