Santa Fe County Lake Quality
New Mexico, 7 lakes — no lake here has enough monitoring data for a grade
Santa Fe County has 7 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. No lake in Santa Fe County has enough sampling behind it for an A–F grade yet. The 7 monitored lakes below carry whatever clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a measurements exist.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow, under 50 feet, which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed.
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Quick Answers for Santa Fe County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Santa Cruz Lake — or check the official New Mexico fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Santa Fe County
7 lakes · 0 graded, 7 not rated0 graded lakes · 7 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRSanta Cruz LakeSanta Fe | NR | 6.3 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRGalisteo LakeSanta Fe | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRNichols ReservoirSanta Fe | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRMcClure ReservoirSanta Fe | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRK and R ReservoirSanta Fe | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRWhite LakesSanta Fe | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRBig LakeSanta Fe | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
Lake Match
Which lake suits how you actually use one?
Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in New Mexico
See how Santa Fe County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.