Alto Lake Inlet
Lincoln County, New Mexico15 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from NMED for this lake.
- Limited data
Alto Lake Inlet in Lincoln County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Surface area: 15.4 acres.
Alto Lake Inlet is a 15-acre lake in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2024-05-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Alto Lake Inlet is safe to swim in today is a call for the New Mexico Environment Department and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Alto Lake Inlet
These are the measurements NMED publishes for Alto Lake Inlet, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data.
Ask about Alto Lake Inlet
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
15 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Alto Lake Inlet, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Alto Lake Inlet
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Alto Lake Inlet in Lincoln County, New Mexico — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Alto Lake Inlet
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at New Mexico’s top lakes →
Follow Alto Lake Inlet’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Alto Lake Inlet
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2012–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Chlorophyll-a
0 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Alto Lake Inlet is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Alto Lake Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for water supply on the Eagle Creek; earth-type dam, 54 ft tall and 362 ft long.
- Surface area
- 15.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 299.7 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 449 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 13 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- VILLAGE OF RUIDOSO
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00180 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.42 km)
Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Alto Lake Inlet
Where is Alto Lake Inlet?
- Alto Lake Inlet is a lake in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Its water-quality measurements are published by NMED and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Alto Lake Inlet?
- Alto Lake Inlet in Lincoln County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Surface area: 15.4 acres.
Is Alto Lake Inlet safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Alto Lake Inlet across LakeQuality
More lakes in New Mexico
Other Lakes in New Mexico
Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX2 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.