This is a list of lakes and tarns in North Yorkshire, England. Unlike the nearby Lake District, North Yorkshire does not have many natural lakes due to the porosity of the limestone underneath the surface. The JNCC Special Area of Conservation status for the Craven Limestone Complex lists running and standing Water at only 1%. Upland tarns are common where the underlying stone allows the water to collect. These tarns are usually surrounded by peat, so most have relatively acidic water in comparison to the alkaline nature of water which runs over Limestone common in the area.
Man-made reservoirs and dams, such as at Moss Dam in Swaledale, are not included, as the list focuses only on natural lakes and tarns. The list only covers those within Yorkshire, and sites such as Sunbiggin Tarn, whilst in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, are not included, as that body of water is in the county of Cumbria. Some tarns or lakes may no longer exist; historical documents refer to Giggleswick, Wigglesworth and Swinsty as having tarns - however, these have either dried up or have been drained.
List +List of lakes and tarns in North YorkshireNameLocationCoordinatesHeight AMSLVolumeNotesRefBirkdale TarnKeldBirks TarnBirks FellIn the 1890s, Birks Tarn was described as being "two sheets of water", but would become one big body of water in heavy rains.Blow TarnGreenhowCotter End TarnCotterdaleCoverdale TarnCoverdaleCray TarnOughtershawEshton TarnBell BuskFleet Moss TarnFleet MossFountains Fell TarnFountains FellGallaber Pond (Flash)HellifieldThe flash lake is sandwiched between the A65 road and the railway line north of railway station. It does not appear on mapping from the early 1900s and is listed as a flash lake.Gormire LakeSutton BankGormire has no major inflow, or outflow of water, and is thought to be fed by natural springs.Greensett MossRibbleheadGrey Heugh SlackFylingdales MoorPool is deep and covers an area of . Does not have any inflows of water, and drains to the south-west.Hunters HoleOughtershawLocker TarnCarperbyMalham TarnMalhamdaleMiddle Tongue TarnOughtershawThe name derives from the fact that its straddles "the tongue [of land] of two valleys"Newhouses TarnHorton-in-RibblesdaleAdjacent to the River Ribble. Listed on the lakes portal as "Unnamed Water Body ID 29701" and on OS Mapping as The Tarn. One book source from 1921 describes a tarn "" north of Horton-in-Ribblesdale as "Newhouses Tarn", named after the nearest hamlet.Oughtershaw TarnOughtershawPriest's TarnGrassingtonScarborough MereScarboroughSemerwaterCountersettSlatepit MossRavenseat MoorSouth Grain TarnOughtershawSummer Lodge TarnCrackpotWhitaside TarnCrackpotWiddale Little TarnWiddale FellWoogill TarnNidderdale
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