hikes.guideLake District

Home › Waters

The lakes & waters of the Lake District

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

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-longest, 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 Water74.0 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.

Every lake in section, deepest first — Wast Water’s 74m against Elter Water’s 7m.
Cross-section of the seventeen Lake District lakesEach lake drawn to true relative length and depth on a shared waterline, deepest first. Vertical scale exaggerated about 315 times. Lakes whose depth is less firmly sourced fade out towards the floor.20m40m60m74mWast Water, 74 metres deep, 4.8 kilometres long, high confidence74mWast WaterWindermere, 66.7 metres deep, 17 kilometres long, high confidence66.7mWindermereUllswater, 63 metres deep, 14.5 kilometres long, high confidence63mUllswaterHaweswater, 57 metres deep, 6.9 kilometres long, high confidence57mHaweswaterConiston Water, 56 metres deep, 8.7 kilometres long, medium confidence56mConiston WaterThirlmere, 46 metres deep, 5.9 kilometres long, high confidence46mThirlmereEnnerdale Water, 45 metres deep, 4 kilometres long, medium confidence45mEnnerdale WaterCrummock Water, 44 metres deep, 4 kilometres long, medium confidence44mCrummock WaterButtermere, 28 metres deep, 2 kilometres long, medium confidence28mButtermereDerwentwater, 22 metres deep, 4.6 kilometres long, medium confidence22mDerwentwaterGrasmere, 21 metres deep, 1.6 kilometres long, medium confidence21mGrasmereBrothers Water, 20 metres deep, 0.6 kilometres long, low confidence20mBrothers WaterRydal Water, 20 metres deep, 1.2 kilometres long, medium confidence20mRydal WaterBassenthwaite Lake, 19 metres deep, 6.2 kilometres long, medium confidence19mBassenthwaite LakeLoweswater, 16 metres deep, 1.8 kilometres long, medium confidence16mLoweswaterEsthwaite Water, 15 metres deep, 2.5 kilometres long, medium confidence15mEsthwaite WaterElter Water, 7 metres deep, 0.9 kilometres long, low confidence7mElter WaterThe seventeen lakes by depthDepth, to scale · deepest firstWast Water, 74 metres deep, high confidenceWast Water74mWindermere, 66.7 metres deep, high confidenceWindermere66.7mUllswater, 63 metres deep, high confidenceUllswater63mHaweswater, 57 metres deep, high confidenceHaweswater57mConiston Water, 56 metres deep, medium confidenceConiston Water56mThirlmere, 46 metres deep, high confidenceThirlmere46mEnnerdale Water, 45 metres deep, medium confidenceEnnerdale Water45mCrummock Water, 44 metres deep, medium confidenceCrummock Water44mButtermere, 28 metres deep, medium confidenceButtermere28mDerwentwater, 22 metres deep, medium confidenceDerwentwater22mGrasmere, 21 metres deep, medium confidenceGrasmere21mBrothers Water, 20 metres deep, low confidenceBrothers Water20mRydal Water, 20 metres deep, medium confidenceRydal Water20mBassenthwaite Lake, 19 metres deep, medium confidenceBassenthwaite Lake19mLoweswater, 16 metres deep, medium confidenceLoweswater16mEsthwaite Water, 15 metres deep, medium confidenceEsthwaite Water15mElter Water, 7 metres deep, low confidenceElter Water7m

Firm floor depth from a survey we can cite (5 of 17). Faded floor depth less firmly sourced (12 of 17) — drawn softer because we are less sure of it, not because the lake is shallower. Vertical scale exaggerated about 315×; lengths are to scale with each other.

Wast Water74.02.94.8None (non-powered)Yes
Lake Windermere66.714.817.0registration + 10 knotsYes
Ullswater63.08.914.510 mph limitYes
Haweswater57.03.96.9NoneNo swimming (reservoir)
Coniston Water56.04.98.710 mph limitYes
Thirlmere46.03.35.9NoneNo swimming (reservoir)
Ennerdale Water45.03.04.0NoneNo swimming (reservoir)
Crummock Water44.02.54.0None for now: permits suspendedYes
Buttermere28.00.92.0None for now: permits suspendedYes
Derwentwater22.05.54.610 mph limitYes
Grasmere (the lake)21.00.61.6None (non-powered)Yes
Brothers Water20.00.180.6None: no craftYes
Rydal Water20.00.31.2None: no craftYes
Bassenthwaite Lake19.05.36.2None (non-powered)Limited
Loweswater16.00.61.8None (non-powered)Yes
Esthwaite Water15.01.02.5fishery boats onlyLimited
Elterwater, the lake7.00.260.9None (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)

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 National Park Authority — Facts and figures · 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) · National Trust: Boating and fishing in the Buttermere valley · Lake District National Park Authority: Access to the 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 limit: 10 mph, or 10 knots on Windermere), the non-powered lakes (rowing, kayak and paddleboard only), the drinking-water reservoirs where boating is restricted or banned, the private fishery that keeps its own boats for anglers, and the lakes where no boat may go, for now or for good.

LakePowered craftLaunch / cruiseHirePermit
Powered craft — 10 mph limit (10 knots on Windermere)
Lake Windermere10 knots (6 in marked zones)Windermere Lake Cruisesrowing, self-drive motor, kayak & SUPLDNPA boat registration (powered craft)
Ullswater10 mph limitUllswater Steamersrowing, kayak & SUPnone (10 mph byelaw; registration is Windermere only)
Derwentwater10 mph limitKeswick Launchrowing, kayak & SUPnone (10 mph byelaw; registration is Windermere only)
Coniston Water10 mph limitConiston Launch & Steam Yacht Gondola (NT)rowing, motor, kayak & SUP (Coniston Boating Centre)none (10 mph byelaw; registration is Windermere only)
Non-powered only (rowing, kayak & SUP)
Bassenthwaite Lakenon-powered only—limited (local sailing club)boating permit (LDNPA)
Wast Waternon-powered only—noneNational Trust (no facilities)
Loweswaternon-powered only—nonenone: the National Trust does not encourage boating; keep any small non-motorised craft low-key
Grasmere (the lake)non-powered only—rowing boats (Faeryland)operator
Elterwater, the lakenon-powered only—nonelimited access (reedy/shallow)
Reservoirs — boating restricted
Haweswaterno boating (reservoir)—noneUnited Utilities (no water access)
Thirlmereno powered boats (reservoir)—noneUnited Utilities permit (canoe/kayak only)
Ennerdale Waterreservoir: canoes, kayaks and rowing boats; no paddleboards—noneUnited Utilities
Private fishery — fishery boats only
Esthwaite Waterprivate fishery: row and motor boats for fishing—row and motor boats, for fishing (the fishery)private fishery permit
No boats (swimming only)
Crummock Waterno boating for now (permits suspended)—none for nowno craft for now: National Trust permits suspended on Natural England's advice (read 15 Oct 2026)
Buttermereno boating for now (permits suspended)—none for nowno craft for now: National Trust permits suspended on Natural England's advice (read 15 Oct 2026)
Rydal Waterno boating—noneno craft: individual swimming only (National Park table, read 15 Oct 2026)
Brothers Waterno boating—noneno craft: National Park table, read 15 Oct 2026

Powered-boat rules on Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston and Derwentwater, and registration on Windermere, 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’s swimming page also lists Kentmere reservoir, read 15 Oct 2026). 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.

Reported blue-green algae — latest dated reports

Individual dated sightings, not a live feed — always check the official sources below and look before you enter.

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 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 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.

Are you allowed to swim in the lakes?

In most of them, yes; in the three drinking-water reservoirs, no. Of the 17 waters we cover, swimming is banned in Haweswater, Thirlmere and Ennerdale Water, limited in three (Bassenthwaite Lake, a nature reserve; Esthwaite Water, a private fishery; and reedy, shallow Elter Water), and allowed at your own risk in the other 11, from Windermere to Wast Water. On Rydal Water it is individual swimming only, with no boats or boards.

The catch: allowed is not the same as warm. The RNLI treats water below 15 °C as cold, and that is the range our lakes sit in through the summer; cold-water shock, not distance, is the danger. Walk in slowly, never jump, and check the Bloomin’ Algae map before you or a dog go in.

Sources: Lake District National Park - swimming in the Lake District · RNLI - cold water shock · UKCEH - Bloomin' Algae

Do I need a licence to kayak or paddleboard on the lakes?

No licence; what you need depends on the lake. On Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater and Coniston Water kayaks and paddleboards are allowed; a boat with a motor keeps to a 10 mph limit, and on Windermere (10 knots) it also needs the National Park’s registration. Bassenthwaite Lake needs a National Park boating permit. On Buttermere and Crummock Water the National Trust has stopped issuing boating permits, on Natural England’s advice, while the lakes’ protected status is reviewed, so there is no permitted boating there for now. On Loweswater the Trust does not encourage boating and asks that any small, non-motorised craft is kept low-key.

The catch: no paddleboards on the drinking-water reservoirs, Thirlmere, Ennerdale Water and Haweswater, and no craft of any kind on Haweswater, Rydal Water or Brothers Water. Clean, check and dry your board between lakes, and check the owner’s page before you launch: these rules change.

Sources: Lake District National Park - access to the lakes (read 15 Oct 2026) · National Trust - boating and fishing in the Buttermere valley (read 15 Oct 2026) · Lake District National Park - on the water: byelaws and Windermere boat registration (read 15 Oct 2026)

Which lakes can you walk all the way round, and which is easiest?

Five lakes have a mapped lakeshore circuit on this site, and Loweswater is the gentlest of them.

  • Loweswater: 5.9 km with 56 m of ascent, about 1¼–1¾ hours: the least climbing of the five.
  • Grasmere: 5.7 km with 95 m of ascent, about 1¼–1¾ hours.
  • Rydal Water: 6.5 km with 216 m of ascent, about 1½–2¼ hours.
  • Buttermere: 7.4 km with 66 m of ascent, about 1½–2¼ hours.
  • Crummock Water: 13.2 km with 191 m of ascent, about 2¾–4 hours.

The catch: Lee has not walked these five yet, so the figures are measured from the mapped line, and each route page says so. Crummock Water is level but long, and boggy in places along its western shore. The big lakes, Windermere and Ullswater among them, have no full circuit on this site.

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.