Highland Lakes


 * "Great Lake" redirects here. See Great Lakes for North America's five large lakes.

Named as The Land of One Thousand Lakes and Tasmania's Heartland, one of the state's least traversed scenic regions holds a plethora of alpine and subalpine lakes, tarns, and the Highland Lakes ' biggest draw – fishing spots.

Many smaller westerly lakes are protected by the Central Plateau Conservation Area, while many of the eastern lakes (but not Great Lake) are protected by the Great Western Tiers Conservation Area, both of which are part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The mountainous landscapes are also a huge draw – many lookouts along A5 (Lake Hwy) aren't just lookouts of lakes, but are also lookouts of the impressive mountainous views. Often during the winter, much of the area gets covered in snow (up to the road shoulder at times), which although isn't unique for Tasmania, it is a location where you don't need to extensively drive on poor narrow roads.

For fishing ethusiasts, a trip to the region isn't complete without going trout fishing or angling. See &sect; Do for detailed information – the lakes don't freeze during winter, but do be prepared to embrace the extreme cold (but do note that A5 may be closed if snow covers the road).

Understand
"It’s hard not to be awed viewing Tassie from up here."

- Jan Hawkins



Get in
Like most other regions of Australia's most car-centric state, you will need some form of private transport on road to visit the Highland Lakes. Before you visit, you should also check if the roads are open as they can be closed during winter if snow covers the road.

The main highway through the region is the Lake Highway (A5). This highway connects the Highland Lakes with the Bass Hwy (Hwy 1) in Deloraine from the north and the Midland Hwy in Melton-Mowbray in the south (which is about 45 km north of Hobart's northern suburbs). While the road may have been previously inferior in quality for an A-route, the road has mostly been up-to-standard ever since the highway was fully sealed in 2019 (some maps may still have the road marked as unsealed; if this is the case, it's out-of-date), but the road up some mountainous passes can be very windy and narrow (without a shoulder), though this road is being progressively upgraded and may in the future be a genuine Hobart–Devonport shortcut.

Marlborough Highway (B11) is a shorter highway connecting the region with the Lyell Highway (A10) in Bronte Park, connecting Derwent Bridge and Queenstown.

If you're travelling from Launceston, use B51 which starts in nearby Longford. The road then winds its way up to the Highland Lakes via Cressy and Poatina where the region approximately borders.

By car
This is basically the only feasible means of getting around the Highland Lakes. Remember, the roads can get narrow, slippery when icy, and if there's no speed limit, then it's probably 100 km/h – remember these three general principles and you'll be fine.

By boat
There are boat ramps at various parts of different lakes, but getting around the region by boat is otherwise not a feasible option.

Fishing
This is by far the biggest draw of the Highland Lakes, which the ABC claims, draws tourists from all around the world. Before you go fishing, make you know which types of fish you can catch – this can be found on the Fishing Tasmania or Inland Fisheries Service website.

Go next
Road options from the Highland Lakes are fairly limited, but you have the few following options:
 * Lake St Clair to the southwest via B11 and A10, which is Australia's deepest lake and also home to the end of the Overland Track.
 * Hobart to the southeast via A5, the state capital
 * Deloraine to the north via A5, which serves as a gateway to many other jewels of the Tasmanian Wilderness, including Cradle Mountain, Mole Creek Karst National Park, and Walls of Jerusalem National Park.
 * From Poatina in the northeastern part of the Highland Lakes, Cressy and Longford are two small towns found via B51, with the latter containing the Brickendon and Woolmers Estates, two convict-built UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and then eventually via Launceston via the freeway.