Butchers Dam

Butchers Dam is a lake 5 kilometres southwest of Alexandra, Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. The lake, on the eastern side of Alexandra-Fruitlands Road of New Zealand State Highway 8, is named for its concrete dam. It used to be an important water supply for Alexandra, but is now mostly used for irrigation purposes. Its construction began in 1935 and was completed in 1937 as a water reservoir for Alexandra during the Great Depression. The 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) Butchers Dam Loop Track passes by the lake's shores. There is a historic hut on the north coast of Butchers Dam. In the winter, the lake freezes over and is good for ice skating. Butchers Dam is a popular site for local fishing for its proximity to Alexandra, and is open for fishing activities all year round. The most common catches in Butchers Dam are brown trout and rainbow trout.

The small Butchers Creek, which is both the inflow and outflow of the lake, feeds the Clutha River less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) downstream.