Lake Hood
Spanning over 80 hectares, Lake Hood is a made-made recreational lake which offers user an aquatic playground within a 10 minute drive from Ashburton (Hakatere). The Lake, surrounded by picnic areas and walking trails, allows users the opportunity to swim, kayak and sail. The Lake has a separate designated rowing course and water and jet skiing areas.
Information on lake events and lake closures can be found here: Lake Hood activities and events
There is also staged residential development around the Lake, including sections adjacent to the Lake and larger lifestyle blocks in close walking distance to the Lake. Sections located on the canals also provide residents the opportunity to have a jetty to moor boats and kayaks.
Any new jetty installation in Stage 14 of the Lake Hood development requires Council approval before being installed, if the jetty is installed on the lake bed on Council land. Residents must apply for a Licence to Occupy to use Council land by submitting a 'Notification of Owner Decided Unconsented Work' and all associated documented as per the Lake Hood Jetty Guidelines – November 2023.
Before constructing a jetty in Lake Hood, Stage 14 residents must review the Jetty Guidelines- November 2023 and submit a Notice of Unconsented Works Form to Council.
The Notice and all relevant documents can be emailed through to Council or posted to Ashburton District Council, PO Box 94, Ashburton 7740.
Once this information lodged with Council, there is a Fee for a Building Exemption Fee (Link to 24/25 Fees and Charges is here).
A Licence to Occupy will be issued once the relevant documentation has been provided and the fee paid.
Following the cyanobacteria algal bloom in Lake Hood in early 2023, the Lake Hood Water Quality Taskforce was formed to investigate options to improve water quality at the lake. The Taskforce comprises of representatives from Ashburton Aquatic Park Charitable Trust, the Huntingdon Park Property Owners Association, Lake Hood Extension Project and Ashburton District Council.
On the 12th February 2024, the Taskforce held a meeting to update Lake Hood residents on progress. A copy of the presentation can be found here: Lake Hood Water Quality Taskforce Presentation.
Read the April 2024 report from NIWA on lake management options.
Read the April 2024 report from NIWA
Read more: Lake Hood Jumping Platform FAQs
See Lake Hood Q&A – February 2024
Lake Hood News
Lake Hood Water Quality Update: 21 January 2025
Council is undertaking more physical work at Lake Hood to improve water circulation.
Lake Hood water quality update: October 2024
Council has engaged engineering consultants Tonkin and Taylor to help create a future strategy plan for the management of Lake Hood, which has been affected by water quality issues over the past two summers.
Training session for new weed harvester
ACL staff have begun training on a new weed harvester that will operate at Lake Hood this summer.
New channel aims to improve water flow in Lake Hood
Contractors will soon begin building a new channel to divert water from the existing Ashburton River intake channel to the Lake Hood extension, as part of work to improve water flow through the whole lake.