Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 18 kilometres to the east of Rotorua, and five kilometres to the west of the mountain.

Lake Tarawera's outflow is at its north end, into the Tarawera River, which flows northeast into the Bay of Plenty. The lake's surface area is 39 km².

The lake was substantially affected by the eruption of Mount Tarawera on June 10, 1886. The eruption killed over 150 people, and buried the Maori village of Te Wairoa on the south shore of the lake.