Lake Maraetai

{{Short description|Hydro lake on New Zealand's Waikato River}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox body of water

| name= Lake Maraetai

| pushpin_map= North Island

| pushpin_map_alt= Location of Lake Maraetai

| image= File:Lake Maraetai.jpg

| alt= Lake Maraetai from Mangakino

| caption= Lake Maraetai from Mangakino

| location= North Island

| coords= {{coord|-38.3664|175.7858|region:NZ-WKO_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}

| lake_type= Reservoir

| basin_countries= New Zealand

| area= {{convert|4.4|km2|abbr=on}}

| max-depth= {{convert|75|m|abbr=on}}

}}

Lake Maraetai is one of several artificial lakes formed as part of a hydroelectricity scheme on the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand.{{LINZ|30044||2009-03-18}} It is located {{convert|85|km}} southeast of Hamilton, close to the town of Mangakino.

It is a relatively small lake, covering only {{convert|4.4|km2}}, but it is {{convert|75|m}} deep at some points, and the powerhouses (Maraetai I and Maraetai II) at its northern end generate {{convert|360|MW}} of power.

File:Mighty_River_Power_weed_mulcher,_Lake_Maraetai.jpg weed cutter about to be launched to remove hornweed, which has been a problem{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/66077754/null|title=Water weed traps young swimmer|website=Stuff|language=en|access-date=2019-01-12}} since the 1960s{{Cite web|url=http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/assets/PageFiles/15919/TR%202010-24.pdf|title=Environment Waikato Technical Report 2010/24 Assessment of the ecological condition of lakes in the Waikato region using LakeSPI – 2010}}]]