Fenton Lake
Sandoval County, New Mexico32 acresView mapDirections
NMED publishes the water-quality measurements for Fenton Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Fenton Lake in Sandoval County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L. Surface area: 32 acres.
Fenton Lake is a 32-acre lake in Sandoval County, New Mexico. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2022-04-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Fenton Lake covers about 32 acres in Sandoval County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Fenton Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Fenton Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fenton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fenton Lake 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 Fenton Lake
These are the measurements NMED publishes for Fenton Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.4 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.4µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Fenton Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
32 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by NMED
No bathymetric survey has been published for Fenton Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Fenton Lake State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fenton Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fenton Lake in Sandoval 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 Fenton Lake
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 Fenton Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Fenton Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2013–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Chlorophyll-a
0 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fenton Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fenton Lake Dam (completed 1946), built primarily for recreation on the Rio Cebolla; earth-type dam, 41 ft tall and 362 ft long.
- Surface area
- 32 ac
- Normal storage
- 256 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 721 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 47 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00177 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Fenton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NM-2106.B_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Sandoval County
Frequently asked questions about Fenton Lake
Where is Fenton Lake?
- Fenton Lake is a lake in Sandoval County, New Mexico. Its water-quality measurements are published by NMED and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fenton Lake?
- Fenton Lake in Sandoval County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.4 µg/L. Surface area: 32 acres.
Is Fenton Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Fenton Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Fenton Lake?
- Fenton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fenton Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fenton Lake?
- Fenton Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by New Mexico's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Fenton Lake across LakeQuality
2 documented falls within 7.6 mi, nearest Soda Dam
4 thermal springs within 6.6 mi, nearest Spence Hot Springs
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at New Mexico's top lakes, each with its readings
New Mexico's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in New Mexico
Other Lakes in New Mexico
Mesotrophic Lakes in New Mexico
Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX16 samples · 2013–2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory