126 Lake/ River/ Ponds to Explore in Ireland

Lough Derg or Loch Derg is a lake in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. The lake is about 8.9 square kilometres in size, but is quite shallow, making it dangerous during bad weather. It has stocks of pike, perch and brown trout for angling. It is best known for St Patrick's Purgatory, a site of pilgrimage on Station Island in the lake.

Lough Derravaragh is a lake in County Westmeath, Ireland, north of Mullingar between Castlepollard, Crookedwood and Multyfarnham.This long, shallow lake is best known through its association with the Irish legend of The Children of Lir. Lough Derravaragh is also known as one of Ireland’s most important inland lakes for wintering waterfowl. It is a popular lake for angling and other watersports.

A beautiful lake near the town of Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. The lake is part of the Lough Ennell Special Protection Area. It is 6.5 km long by 2 km wide, with an area of about 12 km2. Lough Ennell has a large area of shallow water with nearly two-thirds of its area being less than 25 feet (8 m) and almost half of it being under 10 ft deep. The lake produced Ireland's largest ever lake brown trout at 26 lbs.

Lough Eske is a small lake in County Donegal in the west of Ulster in Ireland. The lake lies to the northeast of Donegal Town, to which it is connected by the River Eske. The lake is about 900 acres in size and is surrounded to the north, east and west by the Bluestack Mountains, which occupy much of southern County Donegal.

Lough Funshinagh is a lake and Special Area of Conservation in County Roscommon, Ireland, found to the west of Lough Ree. It has been called Ireland's amazing disappearing lake, due to the way it empties quickly - in as little as two days - and unpredictably, sometimes killing thousands of fish.

Lough Gara is a small lake that lies to the south west of the Curlew Mountains in south Co. Sligo. While part of the lake reaches across the border into Co. Roscommon, it is mostly confined to Co. Sligo. The River Boyle, which flows through Co. Roscommon, has its source in Lough Gara. The lake lies south west of the Curlew Mountains with the town of Ballaghaderreen situated almost four miles to the southwest and the town of Boyle positioned just over four miles from its north eastern corner.

Lough Gill is an 8km long limestone lake, which was surrounded by woods and contains about 20 small islands, including the Lake Isle of Innisfree made famous by poet William Butler Yeats. The lake contains about 20 small islands, including the Isle of Innisfree, made famous by William Butler Yeats's poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

This is a freshwater lake which is the uppermost lake on the River Erne. It is located on the border between County Longford and County Cavan, with the largest part of the lake being in County Longford. This is a moraine-dammed lake formed at the end of the last glaciation, and owes its complex indented shape to the underlying drumlin landscape. This results in a large number of bays and inlets on the lake, often connected by narrow channels.

Lough Graney is a little romantic lake to the north-west of the town land of Clonusker. It nestles among the glens and valleys of Cahir. The lake's outlet is the short River Graney, which flows through Lough O'Grady and past the town of Scarriff into the west side of Lough Derg.

Lough Gur is located in the South East of Ireland within the Ballyhoura region. Visitors enjoy the rural unspoilt beauty that is easily accessible 21km’s from Limerick City. The lake is fed from underground springs and is not free-flowing. The lake and the surrounding area is known to be one of Ireland’s most important archaeological sites.

Lough Inagh is a glacial lake, located in the stunning Inagh Valley, Recess, Connemara. The Twelve Bens range lies to the west of the lake, with Derryclare 677 metres and Bencorr 711 metres directly overlooking the lake. The lake is popular with fishermen and boats are available locally. The lake gives views directly into the large deep southerly corrie between Derryclare and Bencorr, as well as the smaller corrie between Bencorr and Bencorr North Top.

Lough Iron is a small lake on the River Inny, in County Westmeath, Ireland. A long and narrow lake, about 4 kilometers in length, it lies downstream from Lough Derravaragh, close to Lough Owel. It is a renowned bird and wildlife sanctuary, and also known for its coarse fishing. The level of the lake has dropped dramatically since the 1960s due to drainage of the Inny; this has led to the development of freshwater marshes on large areas of the lake bed.

A small man-made lough in Kilcoo, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a fishing spot, which is controlled by the Belfast Anglers club. The lake contains pike and perch, as well as small numbers of wild brown trout and eels. An iconic location for a short picnic and also there are so many options for leisure here.

Lough Key is a lake in Ireland. It is in the northwest of County Roscommon, northeast of the town of Boyle. The lough is believed to be named after a mythical figure named Cé. The lake is several kilometres across and contains over thirty wooded islands including Castle Island, Trinity Island, Orchard Island, Stag Island, Bullock Island, and Drumman's Island. Castle Island has had a number of structures built on it over the centuries.

Lough Kinale is a freshwater lake in the north midlands of Ireland. It is located on the borders of Counties Longford, Westmeath and Cavan. Lough Kinale forms part of the River Inny. The lake's inflow is from Lough Sheelin and the outflow is to Lough Derravaragh. The neighbouring Derragh Lough is also connected by a river to Lough Kinale.

A beautiful lake located in the heart of Mayo. The lake itself is home to various species of fish including Brown Trout, while Swans and Ducks are resident on the lakeshore. The Lough Lannagh grounds are also home to an array of wildlife.

Lough Leane is the largest of the three lakes of Killarney. The River Laune flows from the lake into the Dingle Bay to the northwest. It is approximately 19 square kilometres in size. It is also the largest body of fresh water in the region. It has become eutrophic as a result of phosphates from agricultural and domestic pollution entering Lough Leane Reedbed, an important habitat on the edge of Lough Leane.

Lough Lene is situated in North Westmeath between the villages of Castlepollard and Collinstown. It has a rich and varied history. As well as the existence of prehistoric burial sites, Lough Lene also has claims to being the home to Kings and Vikings. The lake is described in Lewis's Topographical as being an irregular oval shape, possibly 3.2 km long by 1.7 km broad.

Lough MacNean is a large freshwater lake on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is in two parts. Lower Lough MacNean, the smaller eastern lake, is wholly within County Fermanagh. Upper Lough MacNean, the larger western lake, is split between Fermanagh, County Cavan and County Leitrim . On the strip of land between the two lakes are the villages of Belcoo and Blacklion. A river runs between the villages, linking the eastern and western lakes.

Lough Macnean is a large freshwater lake on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is in two parts. Lower Lough MacNean, the smaller eastern lake, is wholly within County Fermanagh. Upper Lough MacNean, the larger western lake, is split between Fermanagh, County Cavan and County Leitrim . On the strip of land between the two lakes are the villages of Belcoo and Blacklion. A river runs between the villages, linking the eastern and western lakes.