Eagle Nest Lake
Colfax County, New Mexico2,496 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 81 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Eagle Nest Lake in Colfax County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Surface area: 2496 acres.
- Clarity
- 8.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~81 ft est.
- Area
- 2,496 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.6 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Eagle Nest Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Eagle Nest Lake in Colfax 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 Eagle Nest Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Eagle Nest Lake → · more New Mexico lake trips
Watch Eagle Nest Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Eagle Nest Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Eagle Nest Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NMED and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Eagle Nest Lake is a 2,496-acre lake in Colfax County, New Mexico with an estimated average depth of about 81 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2016-11-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Eagle Nest Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water2,496 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Eagle Nest Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Eagle Nest Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 07205500 (EAGLE NEST LAKE NR EAGLE NEST, NM). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Eagle Nest Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~81 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 2,496 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. New Mexico has not published bathymetry for Eagle Nest Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Eagle Nest State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Eagle Nest Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Eagle Nest Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Eagle Nest Dam (completed 1918), built primarily for irrigation on the Cimarron River; arch-type dam, 142 ft tall and 400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,496 ac
- Normal storage
- 81,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 98,400 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 184.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH
All listed purposes: Irrigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00351 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Eagle Nest Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NM-2306.B_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Colfax County
Frequently asked questions about Eagle Nest Lake
Where is Eagle Nest Lake?
- Eagle Nest Lake is a lake in Colfax County, New Mexico. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Eagle Nest Lake?
- Eagle Nest Lake in Colfax County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Surface area: 2496 acres.
Is Eagle Nest Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Eagle Nest Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Eagle Nest Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Eagle Nest Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 81 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 2496 acres.
What is the water level at Eagle Nest Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Eagle Nest Lake is 8160.37 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 07205500. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Eagle Nest Lake?
- Eagle Nest Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Eagle Nest State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Eagle Nest Lake across LakeQuality
More New Mexico Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in New Mexico
Mesotrophic Lakes in New Mexico
Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX10 samples · 2015–2016
Analytical methods
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory