What is the Ocean Viewing Index (OVI) for Lake Wakatipu?

OVI is a 0-100 composite score combining sea color, water clarity, visibility, sea conditions, sunlight and water quality to help you decide if the sea is worth seeing today.

When is the best time to visit Lake Wakatipu for sea views?

Start with the current and 7-day OVI forecast for Lake Wakatipu, then choose a daylight period that also fits your plan. If you want tide pools, exposed shore, or a tide-dependent walk, check the local high and low tide times as well.

Should I use tide times or OVI for a visit to Lake Wakatipu?

Use tide times when your visit depends on water level, such as a sandbar, tide pool, or exposed rocks. Use OVI to compare likely sightseeing conditions including sea appearance, visibility, sea state, and lighting. For a coastal trip, read both together.

Lake Wakatipu Tides & Ocean Viewing Index

Otago, New ZealandPacific/Auckland

Ocean View Index

77Good

Next tide

05:19Low Tide

Sunrise / Sunset

17:35 – 07:24

Local time

13:19

Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown is a scenic alpine lake resort, ringed by the towering Southern Alps.

Ocean Viewing Index

Updated · Oct 25, 2026 00:19

Reference time: local noon · 13:29 (Pacific/Auckland)

Estimated

Good

Good conditions. Worth a visit.

Sub-Index Breakdown

Six dimensions feed the overall Ocean Viewing Index.

Sea Color
Clear blue-green · hue
79.4
Clarity
Very clear (below 1.5 NTU) · NTU
100
Visibility
15+ m horizontal · m
100
Sea State
Beaufort
—
Lighting
Low / harsh light · lux
49.5
Water Quality
index
—

Weather Forecast

7-day marine weather forecast from Open-Meteo model.

TodayOct 25

Light Rain

18°13°

1.6 m/s

5.1mm

MonOct 26

Rain

17°5°

2.2 m/s

34.8mm

TueOct 27

Light Rain

11°6°

2.0 m/s

1.0mm

WedOct 28

Rain

10°5°

1.3 m/s

15.7mm

ThuOct 29

Light Rain

10°5°

1.9 m/s

5.5mm

FriOct 30

Light Rain

13°7°

2.1 m/s

1.0mm

SatOct 31

Light Rain

15°7°

1.3 m/s

0.1mm

Visibility: 33 km·Cloud: 92%

48-Hour Hourly Forecast

Hour-by-hour marine weather for the next 48 hours.

Now18°4—

01:0019°4—

02:0018°4—

03:0018°4—

04:0017°3—

05:0017°3—

06:0016°1—

07:0016°1—

08:0015°1—

09:0015°1—

10:0014°1—

11:0013°1—

12:0013°1—

13:0013°10.2

14:0013°10.2

15:0013°10.3

16:0013°10.5

17:0013°10.6

18:0013°10.8

19:0014°10.6

20:0015°10.6

21:0016°10.6

22:0017°21.2

23:0017°30.6

00:0018°20.3

01:0018°20.5

02:0017°21.3

03:0016°53.2

04:0015°35.9

05:0015°16.2

06:0015°16.9

07:0015°16.0

08:0014°24.7

09:0014°11.6

10:0011°41.8

11:006°31.9

12:007°30.3

13:007°20.1

14:007°2—

15:006°2—

16:006°2—

17:005°2—

18:005°10.2

19:006°20.3

20:007°20.1

21:008°30.1

22:008°30.1

23:0010°3—

7-Day OVI Trend

Forecast ocean viewing conditions for the coming week.

Best on Tue: Viewing conditions are Excellent; aim for the golden hour just after sunrise or before sunset. Great for snorkeling and photography.

High & Low Tides Today

Times and heights of today's high and low water.

Spring TideCoefficient: 112.9 / 120Higher coefficient means larger tide range; 120 is the largest spring, 20 the smallest neap.

Time	Type	Height
05:19	Low	-0.63 m
10:19	High	0.84 m
17:19	Low	-1.12 m
23:19	High	1.01 m

Fishing & Surf Forecast

Solunar feeding times and today's surf rating.

70Very Good0FlatView full forecast

48-Hour OVI Trend

Hour-by-hour ocean viewing outlook for the next 48 hours, dampened by rainfall.

Today's Tide Summary

A quick look at the day's high and low water.

Low Tide

05:19

-0.63 m

High Tide

10:19

0.84 m

Low Tide

17:19

-1.12 m

High Tide

23:19

1.01 m

Best Months to Visit

Average Ocean Viewing Index by month over the past year.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Based on historical climatology (Pitarch 2021)

Nearby Beaches

Other beaches closest to Lake Wakatipu.

173 km away

St Clair Beach

Otago, New Zealand

364 km away

Sumner Beach

Canterbury, New Zealand

648 km away

Oriental Bay

Wellington, New Zealand

916 km away

Marine Parade

Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

Frequently asked questions

What is the Ocean Viewing Index (OVI) for Lake Wakatipu?: OVI is a 0-100 composite score combining sea color, water clarity, visibility, sea conditions, sunlight and water quality to help you decide if the sea is worth seeing today.
When is the best time to visit Lake Wakatipu for sea views?: Start with the current and 7-day OVI forecast for Lake Wakatipu, then choose a daylight period that also fits your plan. If you want tide pools, exposed shore, or a tide-dependent walk, check the local high and low tide times as well.
Should I use tide times or OVI for a visit to Lake Wakatipu?: Use tide times when your visit depends on water level, such as a sandbar, tide pool, or exposed rocks. Use OVI to compare likely sightseeing conditions including sea appearance, visibility, sea state, and lighting. For a coastal trip, read both together.

Essential Information

Coordinates: -45.0312°, 168.6595°
Timezone: Pacific/Auckland
Region & Country: Otago, New Zealand

Data sources

Tides: UHSLC / FES2022b · Weather: NOAA GFS · Sea color: NASA MODIS/VIIRS