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Lake Rotomā

With a name that means ‘lake of exceptionally clear water,’ it’s no surprise Lake Rotomā has the best water quality of all the Rotorua lakes with water clarity of around 11 metres. This stunning, sparkling treasure is popular for picnics and play time, although the clarity of the water makes fly fishing more challenging – there’s a higher level of skill required to consistently catch fish!

The lake is home to rainbow trout as well as new hybrid dubbed ‘tiger trout,’ which has distinct tiger-like stripes. Rich in Māori history, four buoys near the centre of the lake mark a submerged pa (Māori village) site.

Out of the water, the one kilometre Rotomā Bridle Track (located about 40 kilometres northeast of Rotorua) is well known for its magnificent views of native bush, including towering rimu and tawa, and an understory of leafy hīnau, pukatea, fern and kohekohe.

While Lake Rotomā is the cleanest of the Te Arawa Lakes, an action plan is being implemented with a key action being sewerage reticulation (scheduled to be completed in 2018-2019). Phosphorus levels have also increased over recent years, and the phosphorus removed by reticulation is being evaluated to determine whether further reduction in phosphorus will be required from land use.