Lake Rotoiti lies in the North Island of New Zealand. Rotoiti is a Maori word meaning little lake. The Ohau Channel connects the lake to the larger Lake Rotorua. Lake Rotoiti covers an area of 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) and is 225 feet (69 meters) deep. The Kaituna River flows from the lake into the Bay of Plenty. The road from Rotorua to Tauranga follows the lake's western shore, and the road from Rotorua to Whakatane follows part of its southern shore.