Lake Ōkataina (also spelled Okataina; mi, Te Moana i kataina ā Te Rangitakaroro or ) is the northernmost and largest of four smaller

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

s lying between

Lake Rotorua Lake Rotorua ( mi, Te Rotorua nui ā Kahumatamomoe) is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8 km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera ...

and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty Region of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake), Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), and Lake Ōkareka. All lie within the Ōkataina caldera, along its western edge. Unlike many other lakes in the region, Lake Ōkataina is completely encircled by native forest. It also has no inlets or outlets. Perhaps as a result, over the past 30 years, the level of the lake has risen and fallen in a range of about 5 metres. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of laughter" for ''Ōkataina''. The lake can be accessed by road via Hinehopu on the southern shores of Lake Rotoiti. At the end of the road there is a large sandy beach, a massive grassed area and the privately owned Okataina Lodge. Due to changes in the surface level of the lake, the lodge jetty has at times been either completely submerged or left high and dry. The area around the lodge is heavily populated by tammar wallabies introduced from Australia in the 19th century.

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Lake Okataina A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

Okataina Volcanic Centre Lakes of the Bay of Plenty Region VEI-6 volcanoes Volcanic crater lakes Taupō Volcanic Zone {{BayofPlenty-geo-stub