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

Types Most lakes in Australia fall within one of five categories. Excluding lakes and lagoons created by artificial dams for water storage and other purposes, one can identify the following: coastal lakes and lagoons including perched lakes; natural freshwater inland lakes, often ephemeral and some part of wetland or swamp areas; the Main Range containing mainland Australia's five glacial lakes. 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; predominantly dry, salt lakes in the flat desert regions of the country lacking organised drainage; and lakes created in volcanic remnants.

List of lakes and lagoons by state and territory

Australian Antarctic Territory

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in the sector of Antarctica claimed by Australia as the Australian Antarctic Territory: Order Name Type Region Designation Area Image Notes ha acre 1 Braunsteffer Lake Glacial Princess Elizabeth Land 0.0769 0.19 2 Club Lake Glacial 3 Collerson Lake Glacial 4 Dingle Lake Glacial 68 168 5 Krok Lake Glacial 6 Station Tarn Glacial 7 Stinear Lake Glacial 8 Lake Vereteno Glacial 9 Lake Zvezda Glacial

Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory there are no prominent naturally-formed lakes and lagoons. Artificial lakes include Bendora Dam, Cotter Dam, Corin Dam, Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Ginninderra, Lake Tuggeranong, and Stranger Pond.

New South Wales

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in New South Wales: Order Name Type Region Designation Area Image Notes ha acre 1 Lake Albina Glacial Snowy Mountains 2 Avoca Lake Coastal Central Coast 3 Lake Bathurst Freshwater ephemeral Southern Tablelands 4 Blue Lake Freshwater ephemeral;Glacial Snowy Mountains 5 Budgewoi Lake Coastal Central Coast 6 Lake Cathie Coastal 7 Chipping Norton Lake Freshwater ephemeral Greater Sydney 8 Lake Cootapatamba Glacial Snowy Mountains 9 Lake Cowal Freshwater ephemeral Central West 10 Dee Why Lagoon Coastal lagoon Northern Beaches 11 Lake George Freshwater ephemeral Southern Tablelands 12 Glenbrook Lagoon Freshwater ephemeral Blue Mountains 13 Glenrock Lagoon Coastal lagoon 14 Headley Tarn Glacial 15 Lake Illawarra Coastal Illawarra 16 Lake Macquarie Coastal Hunter 17 Menindee Lakes Freshwater ephemeral Far West 18 Lake Moore Freshwater ephemeral 19 Lake Mungo Saline Far West 20 Lake Munmorah Coastal Central Coast 21 Myall Lakes Coastal Mid North Coast 22 Narrabeen Lagoon Coastal Northern Beaches 23 Narran Lakes Freshwater ephemeral 24 Smiths Lake Coastal Mid North Coast 25 St Georges Basin Coastal South Coast /Jervis Bay Territory 26 Tabourie Lake Coastal Mid North Coast 27 Terrigal Lagoon Coastal lagoon Central Coast 28 Tuggerah Lake Coastal Central Coast 29 Lake Urana Saline Far West 30 Wallaga Lake Freshwater ephemeral 31 Wallis Lake Coastal Mid North Coast 32 Wamberal Lagoon Coastal lagoon Central Coast 33 Wattle Grove Lake Freshwater ephemeral 34 Willandra Lakes Saline Far West 35 Lake Wollumboola Coastal Mid North Coast 36 Wonboyn Lake Coastal Mid North Coast 37 Lake Woytchugga Freshwater ephemeral 38 Peery Lake Freshwater ephemeral Far West Ramsar 5,026 12,420

Northern Territory

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in the Northern Territory: Order Name Type Region Designation Area Image Notes ha acre 1 Lake Amadeus Saline South-west 2 Corella Lake Freshwater ephemeral 3 Lake Mackay Saline Great Sandy Desert;Gibson Desert;Tanami Desert 4 Lake Neale Saline South-west 5 Numby Numby Sinkhole Gulf of Carpentaria 6 Lake Sylvester Freshwater ephemeral Barkly Tableland 7 Tarrabool Lake Freshwater ephemeral Barkly Tableland Tarrabool Lake – Eva Downs Swamp SystemImportant Bird Area;Register of the National Estate;DIWA 8 Lake Woods Freshwater ephemeral Barkly Tableland Important Bird Area;Longreach Waterhole Protected Area (part) 9 Lake Lewis Saline ephemeral

Queensland

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Queensland: Order Name Type Region Designation Area Image Notes ha acre 1 Lake Awoonga Freshwater ephemeral Central 6,750 16,700 2 Lake Barrine Volcanic Far North Atherton Tableland 3 Blue Lake Coastal South East North Stradbroke Island 500 1,236 4 Boobera Lagoon Freshwater ephemeral South West 5 Lake Boomanjin Perched K'gari Great Sandy National Park 200 494 6 Brown Lake Coastal South East North Stradbroke Island 7 Lake Broadwater Coastal South East 8 Lake Buchanan Saline North Desert Uplands 11,700 28,911 9 Lake Como Coastal South East 10 Lake Cooloola Coastal Wide-Bay 11 Lake Cooroibah Coastal South East 12 Lake Cootharaba Coastal Wide-Bay Great Sandy National Park 13 Lake Dunn Freshwater ephemeral Central West 14 Lake Eacham Volcanic Far North Atherton Tableland 42.9 106 15 Lake Elphinstone Freshwater ephemeral Central 16 Lake Euramoo Volcanic Far North Tablelands Region 4.4 11 17 Lake Galilee Saline Central West 25,700 64,000 18 Lake McKenzie Perched K'gari Great Sandy National Park 150 370 19 Lake Nuga Nuga Freshwater ephemeral Central Highlands Nuga Nuga National Park 20 Lake Weyba Coastal South East 960 2.372 21 Lake Wabby Perched K'gari Great Sandy National Park 22 Lake Yamma Yamma Saline South East Channel Country

South Australia

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in South Australia: Order Name Type Region Designation Area Image Notes ha acre 1 Lake Albert Freshwater Murray Mallee Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland Ramsar site;Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Important Bird Area 2 Lake Alexandrina 3 Lake Blanche Saline Far North Strzelecki Desert Lakes Important Bird Area 4 Blue Lake Volcanic Limestone Coast 5 Lake Bonney SE Coastal Limestone Coast Canunda National Park 6 Lake Bonney Riverland Freshwater Riverland 7 Lake Bumbunga Saline Mid North 8 Lake Cadibarrawirracanna Saline Mid North Woomera Prohibited Area 9 Lake Callabonna Saline Far North Strzelecki Desert Lakes Important Bird Area 10 Coongie Lakes Wetlands Far North Ramsar Site;Innamincka Regional Reserve;Malkumba-Coongie Lakes National Park;Strzelecki Regional Reserve 11 Lake Dey Dey Saline Far North 12 Lake Dutton Saline Far North 13 Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre Saline endorheic Far North Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park;Elliot Price Conservation Park 14 Lake Frome Saline endorheic Flinders Ranges Lake Frome Regional Reserve 15 Lake Gairdner Saline endorheic Eyre Peninsula Lake Gairdner National Park 16Lake GillesSalineEyre PeninsulaLake Gilles Conservation Park 17 Goyder Lagoon Ephemeral swamp Far North 18 Lake Gregory Saline Far North 19 Lake Hart Saline 20 Lake Hope Saline ephemeral Far North Coongie Lakes wetland Ramsar Site 21 Lake Miranda Freshwater ephemeral 22 Seagull Lake Saline ephemeral Eyre Peninsula Sceale Bay Conservation Park 23 Serpentine Lakes Saline Great Victoria Desert Mamungari Conservation Park 24 Sleaford Mere Saline endorheic Eyre Peninsula Sleaford Mere Conservation Park 25 Lake Torrens Saline ephemeral Flinders Ranges Lake Torrens National Park 26 Valley Lake Volcanic Limestone Coast 27 Watervalley Wetlands Contiguous wetlands Murray Mallee

Tasmania

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Tasmania: Order Name Type Region Designation Area Image Notes ha acre 1 Lake Beatrice Freshwater Western 2 Lake Dora Freshwater Western 3 Dove Lake Cirque freshwater Central Highlands Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 4 Lake Dulverton Freshwater ephemeral Southern Midlands 5 Lake Edgar Fault scarp pond South West Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area 6 Lake Fidler Meromictic South West Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area 7 Lake Flannigan Freshwater King Island Game reserve (pending as at 2005) 8 Great Lake Freshwater Central Highlands 9 Jocks Lagoon Dystrophic lake Central Northern Ramsar site 10 Little Waterhouse Lake Freshwater coastal North East Ramsar Site 11 Lake Meston Freshwater Central Northern Walls of Jerusalem National Park 12 Orielton Lagoon Dystrophic coastal lagoon South East Coast Ramsar Site 13 Lake Selina Glacial West Coast 14 Lake St Clair Freshwater Central Highlands Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 15 Lake Westwood Glacial West Coast

Victoria

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Victoria. Order Name Type Region Designation Area Image Notes ha acre 1 Lake Batyo Catyo Freshwater ephemeral 230 568 2 Lake Corangamite Saline 23000 56834 3 Gippsland Lakes Coastal 4 Lake Hindmarsh Freshwater ephemeral Wimmera 13500 33000 5 Mallacoota Inlet Coastal 6 Murtnaghurt Lagoon Saline 81 200 7 Lake Victoria Coastal lake 139 340 8 Lake Tali Karng Freshwater Alpine 14 35 9 Pink Lake (Victoria) Saline Wimmera 45 111

Western Australia

The following is a list of prominent natural lakes and lagoons in Western Australia: