Lakes & Tarns in the Lakes District & Cumbria

There are sixteen lakes in the Lake District, the largest being Windermere. Only one, Bassenthwaite Lake, is officially a lake by name, the others are meres or waters. Illustrated guides to each of the Lake District lakes can be found below.
 
Private powered craft are only allowed on Windermere, Coniston Water, Ullswater and Derwentwater. These are also the only Lake District lakes with regular steamer, ferry or launch services. There is a 10 mph restriction on all of these lakes.
 
There are also many other pieces of water called tarns. Although some tarns are bigger than one of the Lake District lakes, most of the tarns are very small, and some are not even named.

Lakes in the Lake District

Ordered by size, starting with the largest by surface area and descending. Click on the images for each lake page or scroll down to the Map to find lakes near you.
 

an aerial image of Windermere lake, the largest one of the lakes in the Lake District

Windermere

an aerial image of ullswater lake, the second largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Ullswater

an image of a jetty and skiddaw at derwentwater, the third largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Derwentwater

an image of bassenthwaite lake, the fourth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Bassenthwaite Lake

an image of coniston water, the fifth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Coniston Water

an image of haweswater, the sixth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Haweswater

an image of thirlmere, the seventh largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Thirlmere

an image of ennerdale water, the eigth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Ennerdale Water

an image of wastwater, the ninth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Wastwater

an image of crummock water, the tenth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Crummock Water

an image of esthwaite water, the eleventh largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Esthwaite Water

an image of buttermere, the twelth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Buttermere

an image of boats at grasmere, the thirteenth largest of the lakes in the Lake District

Grasmere

an image of loweswater, the third smallest of the lakes in the Lake District

Loweswater

an image of rydal water, the second smallest of the lakes in the Lake District

Rydal Water

an image of elterwater, the smallest of the lakes in the Lake District

Elterwater

Tarns of the Lake District and Cumbria

Some of the Tarns, ordered by size, starting with the largest by surface area, where known, and descending.
 

an image of devoke water

Devoke Water

an image of overwater tarn

Overwater Tarn

an image of brothers water

Brothers Water

an image of tarn hows

Tarn Hows

an image of loughrigg tarn

Loughrigg Tarn

an image of little langdale tarn

Little Langdale Tarn

an image of blea tarn

Blea Tarn (Langdales)

an image of yew tree tarn

Yew Tree Tarn

an image of watendlath tarn

Watendlath Tarn

an image of tindale tarn

Tindale Tarn

an image of talkin tarn

Talkin Tarn

an image of sunbiggin tarn

Sunbiggin Tarn

an image of mockerkin tarn

Mockerkin Tarn

Other Waters

an image of wet sleddale reservoir

Wet Sleddale Reservoir

an image of cogra moss

Cogra Moss

an image of cow green reservoir

Cow Green Reservoir

an image of longlands lake

Longlands Lake

 
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