Lake William Hovell is a reservoir on the King River in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located approximately 18 kilometres from Cheshunt via Whitfeld Road. The dam, completed in 1973 and opened in 1971, was built for irrigation and hydroelectricity generation, and is managed by Goulburn-Murray Water. The lake is relatively small, holding around 14,000–15,000 megalitres at capacity, and experiences significant seasonal water level fluctuations — drawing down close to the original river course in summer and filling to capacity or beyond in winter.

For paddlers, the lake itself is well suited to kayaking, with a 5-knot (approximately 8 kph) speed limit and a 10-horsepower engine restriction that keeps motorised traffic minimal. A public boat ramp and basic picnic facilities are available on the western shore. Camping within the foreshore reserves is prohibited, and fires are not permitted in those areas. The water is not suitable for human consumption.

The more technically demanding paddling option is the King River below the dam wall. The put-in is at the parking area immediately below the spillway, where a small hydroelectric power station operates — when it is running, river levels rise. The run to Cheshunt South covers approximately 6.5 kilometres with a gradient of 6 metres per kilometre, rated Grade II average with Grade III rapids. The shuttle is around 4 kilometres on sealed road. A weir approximately 750 metres below the put-in should be scouted at all levels and can be portaged on river left. The river is dam-controlled but frequently flows over the spillway. Levels between 0.9 and 2 metres on the Lake William Hovell gauge are considered runnable; above 1.8 metres the water becomes fast and powerful, while below 1.0 metres the river becomes shallow and technical. The river can rise quickly with rainfall or dam release. The exit at Cheshunt South is a basic camping spot where eddies are small and the current remains swift, so paddlers should allow others to exit before proceeding downstream.

The lake sits within mountain bushland with no nearby highway noise, and the absence of powerboats and jet skis makes it a quiet environment. The surrounding area includes access to Alpine National Park and State Forest.