Lakes of the Lake District

The Lakes provide the greatest charm of the Lake District, and indeed its name. These are the shining waters delighting the dale bottoms across the mountain fastness spread across Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands. They have been drawing visitors since the Victorians and it is from these waters that Cumberland and Westmorland are known as "the Lake Counties", or "Lakeland".

Amongst all the lakes, only one is actually named "Lake", namely Bassenthwaite Lake, while the others bear the title "Mere" or "Water", while the little lakes high on fell slopes are known as tarns, from the Norse word ‘’tjørn’’, but now a word thoroughly native.

Major lakes

The largest of the lakes is Windermere, on the border of Lancashire with Westmorland, a lake of 5.7 square miles (3,642 acres), 11 miles long.

The ten largest of the lakes, all but one a square mile and more, are:

Name	County	Area	Volume	Mean depth (ft)	Max. depth (ft)	Surface elev. (ft)
Windermere	Lancashire and Westmorland	5.7 sq miles	69,180 million gal	70 feet	201 feet	128 feet
Ullswater	Cumberland and Westmorland	3.4 sq miles	49,053 million gal	83 feet	207 feet	476 feet
Derwent Water	Cumberland	2.1 sq miles	6,379 million gal	18 feet	72 feet	246 feet
Bassenthwaite Lake	Cumberland	2 sq miles	6,137 million gal	17 feet	62 feet	223 feet
Coniston	Lancashire	1.9 sq miles	24,922 million gal	79 feet	184 feet	143 feet
Haweswater	Westmorland	1.5 sq miles	16,849 million gal	77 feet	187 feet	807 feet
Thirlmere	Cumberland	1.3 sq miles	11,548 million gal	53 feet	151 feet	584 feet
Ennerdale Water	Cumberland	1.2 sq miles	11,702 million gal	58 feet	138 feet	368 feet
Crummock Water	Cumberland	1 sq mile	14,606 million gal	88 feet	144 feet	321 feet
Esthwaite Water	Lancashire	0.4 sq mile	1,407 million gal	21 feet	51 feet	214 feet

Cumberland

Name	OS grid ref	area (acres)	location
Angle Tarn	NY245075		North of Bowfell
Bassenthwaite Lake	NY215295
Blackbeck Tarn	NY202127		On Haystacks
Blea Tarn	NY166010		Near Boot, Eskdale
Blea Tarn	NY291140		On Watendlath fell, north of Ullscarf
Bleaberry Tarn	NY166154		North of Red Pike, near Buttermere
Bowscale Tarn	NY336313		On the slopes of Bowscale Fell
Buttermere	NY183158
Chapelhouse Reservoir	NY260357		Southeast of Uldale
Cogra Moss	NY096195		Between Ennerdale Water and Loweswater
Crummock Water	NY160180
Dalehead Tarn	NY229152		Between Dale Head and High Spy
Derwent Water	NY259210
Devoke Water	SD158969
Dock Tarn	NY273143		East of Rosthwaite, south of Watendlath
Ennerdale Water	NY104154
Floutern Tarn	NY124170		North of Great Borne
Foxes Tarn	NY209064		By Scafell summit
Greendale Tarn	NY147074		By Middle Fell near Wasdale
Harrop Tarn	NY311136		In the Wythburn fells, west of Thirlmere
High House Tarn	NY241093		South of Glaramara
Innominate Tarn	NY198130		On Haystacks
Little Tarn	NY249338		Near Orthwaite, south of Uldale
Low Tarn	NY160092		South of Red Pike; between Yewbarrow and the Seatallan-Haycock ridge
Lowes Water	NY125217
Meadley Reservoir	NY050145		By Flat Fell above Ennerdale
Burnmoor Tarn	NY183043		Between Eskdale and Wasdale
Over Water	NY252350		South of Uldale
Parkgate Tarn	NY117005		Near Eskdale
Red Tarn (Langdale)	NY268037		Between Cold Pike and Pike of Blisco
Scales Tarn	NY329281		Below the summit of Blencathra and Sharp Edge
Scoat Tarn	NY159103		Below Red Pike and Scoat Fell
Siney Tarn	NY162011		North of Eskdale
Sprinkling Tarn	NY228091		Between Scafell Pike and Seathwaite Fell
Styhead Tarn	NY221098		At the head of Styhead Gill at Sty Head Pass, between Scafell Pike and Great Gable
Tarn at Leaves	NY258122		On Rosthwaite Fell
Tewet Tarn	NY305235		Below Low Rigg near St John's in the Vale
Thirlmere	NY313160
Tosh Tarn	NY127052		Southeast of Wast Water near the River Irt
Wast Water	NY162055
Watendlath Tarn	NY275161		South of Watendlath
Woodhow Tarn	NY136042		Southeast of Wast Water near the River Irt

Cumberland / Westmorland

Name	OS grid ref	area (acres)	location
Three Tarns	NY248060		Between Bowfell and Crinkle Crags
Ullswater	NY440204

Lancashire

Name	OS grid ref	area (acres)	location
Beacon Tarn	SD274900		In the Blawith fells, west of Coniston Water
Bigland Tarn	SD356828		Near Haverthwaite
Blelham Tarn	NY365005		West of Windermere
Blind Tarn	SD262967		On the east side of the ridge south of Dow Crag
Boretree Tarn	SD354873		West of the southern end of Windermere
Coniston Water	SD301941		In the Furness Fells
Esthwaite Water	SD361962
Goat's Water	SD266977		West of the Old Man of Coniston
Heights Tarn	SD401884
High Dam Tarn	SD361887		West of the southern end of Windermere
Levers Water	SD279992		On the east side of the Coniston Fells
Low Water	SD274982		North slope of the Old Man of Coniston
Moss Eccles Tarn	SD372968		Between Windermere and Esthwaite Water
Seathwaite Tarn	SD254988		West of the Coniston fells
Simpson Ground Reservoir	SD394863		East of Staveley-in-Cartmel
Sow How Tarn	SD400879
Stickle Tarn	NY287077		Below Pavey Ark in the Langdale Pikes
Tarn Hows	NY331000
Three Dubs Tarn	SD378973		Between Windermere and Esthwaite Water
Wise Een Tarn	SD370975		Between Windermere and Esthwaite Water
Yew Tree Tarn	NY322005		Between Holme Fell and Tarn Hows

Lancashire / Westmorland

Name	OS grid ref	area (acres)	location
Elter Water	NY333042		The very northernmost point of Lancashire
Helton Tarn		SD419849	On the River Winster NW of Witherslack
Windermere	SD395989

Westmorland

Name	OS grid ref	area (acres)	location
Alcock Tarn	NY349079		East of Grasmere, below Heron Pike
Angle Tarn	NY417143		East of Patterdale, by Angletarn Pikes
Blea Tarn	NY293044		Between Pike of Blisco and Lingmoor Fell
Blea Water	NY449107		Below High Street
Brothers Water	NY402127
Codale Tarn	NY299088		East of High Raise and the Langdale Pikes
Easedale Tarn	NY308088		West of Grasmere
Grasmere	NY340063
Grisedale Tarn	NY349121		Between Fairfield and Dollywaggon Pike
Gurnal Dubs	SD503991		West of Garnett Bridge
Haweswater	NY479139
Hayeswater	NY431121
Kentmere Reservoir	NY445081
Knipe Tarn	SD426943		Southeast of Bowness-on-Windermere
Lanty's Tarn	NY383162		West of Patterdale NY383162
Lingmoor Tarn	NY301051		On Lingmoor Fell
Little Langdale Tarn	NY309031
Littlewater Tarn	NY509169		Near Bampton
Loughrigg Tarn	NY345044		Below Loughrigg
Potter Tarn	SD494989		West of Garnett Bridge
Red Tarn (Helvellyn)	NY348152		Below the summit of Helvellyn
Rydal Water	NY356062
Schoolknott Tarn	SD428972		Southeast of the town of Windermere
Skeggles Water	NY479033		Between Kentmere and Longsleddale
Small Water	NY455100		Between Mardale Ill Bell and Harter Fell
Wet Sleddale Reservoir	NY548115