What are the largest lakes in Australia?

If you Google 'Australian Facts' search for lakes you will get some info. Here is some of it:
The largest lakes in Australia include Lake Eyre (9500km2), Lake Torrens (5900km2) and Lake Gairdner (4300km2) which are all in South Australia.
The largest artificial lake in Australia is Lake Argyle (700km2) which is in Western Australia.
The Deepest lake in Australia is Lake St Clair.
Cheers.

probably lake Argile would be largest water capacity ?

Mainey . . .

Alan - is this what you're after?

Ranking Region Area (km2 or hectares)[1]

1 Lake Gairdner South Australia 1,092 km2
2 Lake Carnegie Western Australia 571 km2
3 Lake Mackay Western Australia and the Northern Territory 549 km2
4 Lake Torrens South Australia 542 km2
5 Lake Macleod Western Australia 514 km2
6 Lake Eyre (North) South Australia 418 km2
7 Lake Frome South Australia 368 km2
8 Lake Moore Western Australia 346 km2
9 Lake Amadeus the Northern Territory 199 km2
10 Lake Wells Western Australia 190 km2
11 Mongers Lake Western Australia 179 km2
12 Lake Blanche South Australia 171 km2
13 The Coorong South Australia 166 km2
14 Lake Carey Western Australia 158 km2
15 Lake Cowan Western Australia 158 km2
16 Lake Eyre (South) South Australia 146 km2
17 Peera Peera Poolanna Lake South Australia 143 km2
18 Lake Raeside Western Australia 138 km2
19 Lake Argyle Western Australia and the Northern Territory 126 km2
20 Lake Gregory Western Australia 104 km2

The list was a lot longer ...

Viv

Do they have to actually have water in them ? It seems that Lake Mungo has not had any water in for several thousand years but it is still called a lake !

.

Just 'Googled' this,

Largest Lakes and Dams in Australia

Limit to: Whole of Australia | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | NT | ACT |

Choose a type of place: Deserts | Forestry Reserves | Lakes and Dams | Nature Conservation Reserves |
Ranking Region Area (km2 or hectares)[1]
1 Lake Gairdner South Australia 1,092 km2
2 Lake Carnegie Western Australia 571 km2
3 Lake Mackay Western Australia and the Northern Territory 549 km2
4 Lake Torrens South Australia 542 km2
5 Lake Macleod Western Australia 514 km2
6 Lake Eyre (North) South Australia 418 km2
7 Lake Frome South Australia 368 km2
8 Lake Moore Western Australia 346 km2
9 Lake Amadeus the Northern Territory 199 km2
10 Lake Wells Western Australia 190 km2
11 Mongers Lake Western Australia 179 km2
12 Lake Blanche South Australia 171 km2
13 The Coorong South Australia 166 km2
14 Lake Carey Western Australia 158 km2
15 Lake Cowan Western Australia 158 km2
16 Lake Eyre (South) South Australia 146 km2
17 Peera Peera Poolanna Lake South Australia 143 km2
18 Lake Raeside Western Australia 138 km2
19 Lake Argyle Western Australia and the Northern Territory 126 km2
20 Lake Gregory Western Australia 104 km2
21 Lake Rebecca Western Australia 9,848 hectares
22 Island Lagoon South Australia 9,623 hectares
23 Lake Everard South Australia 9,026 hectares
24 Lake Barlee Western Australia 8,370 hectares
25 Lake Noondie Western Australia 7,704 hectares
26 Lake Minigwal Western Australia 7,285 hectares
27 Lake Yamma Yamma (Mackillop) Queensland 6,904 hectares
28 Lake White Western Australia and the Northern Territory 6,506 hectares
29 Lake Dalrymple Queensland 6,420 hectares
30 Bilpa Morea Claypan Queensland 6,207 hectares
31 Lake Marmion Western Australia 5,979 hectares
32 Lake Irwin Western Australia 5,847 hectares
33 Lake Sylvester the Northern Territory 5,728 hectares
34 Lake Lefroy Western Australia 5,717 hectares
35 Lake Alexandrina South Australia 5,651 hectares
36 Lake Macfarlane South Australia 5,207 hectares
37 Lake Dora Western Australia 5,168 hectares
38 Lake Umaroona South Australia 4,877 hectares
39 Lake Gordon Tasmania 4,766 hectares
40 Lake Austin Western Australia 4,600 hectares
41 Lake Way Western Australia 4,580 hectares
42 Tarrabool Lake the Northern Territory 4,346 hectares
43 Lake Woods the Northern Territory 4,253 hectares
44 Lake Burnside (Oneahibunga) Western Australia 4,223 hectares
45 Lake Gregory South Australia 4,217 hectares
46 Lake Eucumbene New South Wales 4,029 hectares
47 Lake Lewis the Northern Territory 3,851 hectares
48 Lake Disappointment Western Australia 3,755 hectares
49 Garnpung Lake New South Wales 3,735 hectares
50 Lake Griselda South Australia 3,514 hectares

Interestingly it shows Lake Eyre as North and South.

Cheers,
Dennis

Hello Folks,

I'd be interested to know how some of these lake areas have been arrived at. Whether its the area of lake full, or the apparent area, taken off satellite, or aerial photos?

For instance, Lake Yamma Yamma in Qld, is supposed to be 6,904 ha. Now I've never been there, but a late friend used to fly around this lake, because he said it was 50 clicks across. "And if you have an engine failure crossing it, 50 kms is a long way to swim" unquote.

Even the Lake Eyre area seems "small". I have flown past it, on way to William Ck, and it just disappears into the distance. Bloody huge.

My comments weren't meant to have a go at any posters, just the info posted.

Bob.

From the shore, Lake Mackay looks big. Very big indeed. I am not surprised it is number three. I was hoping it would be in the top 5.

We should have an honour roll of those who have visited the 10 biggest Australian lakes- like they do for those who have climbed all the mountains over 8000 metres.

Visiting the lakes would be far harder and a lot more fun than visiting a bunch of Himalayan mountains. And you'd look pretty bloody silly driving your heavily modified Patrol up Mt Everest or K2.

Nice thread Alan.

Keep up the good work.

I reckon the lists are dead wrong.

A quick look on Google Earth will reveal that the published list above is way out of wack.

For instance, Lake Carnegie (No 2) is a nothing, comprising mostly large islands and a few streaks of actual lake. And Lake Eyre North and Lake Torrens are much bigger than Lake Gairdner (No 1).

Never trust the Internet I say.