Martin Lake
Huerfano County, Colorado190 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.
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Martin Lake in Huerfano County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Surface area: 190 acres.
- Clarity
- 4.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~17 ft est.
- Area
- 190 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Martin Lake’s letter
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Why Martin 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 Martin Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
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 CDPHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Martin Lake is a 190-acre lake in Huerfano County, Colorado with an estimated average depth of about 17 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2023-07-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Martin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Martin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Martin Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.1 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 17 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.1 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~17 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 190 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Colorado has not published bathymetry for Martin 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
- Lathrop State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Martin Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Martin Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Martin Lake (completed 1910), built primarily for recreation on the Cucharas River-Os; earth-type dam, 29 ft tall and 1,500 ft long.
- Surface area
- 190 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,077 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,076 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF WALSENBURG
All listed purposes: Recreation;Irrigation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO01327 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Martin Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit COARMA26_C · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.19 km)
Graded lakes near Martin Lake
Martin Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Huerfano County
Frequently asked questions about Martin Lake
Where is Martin Lake?
- Martin Lake is a lake in Huerfano County, Colorado. 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 Martin Lake?
- Martin Lake in Huerfano County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.1 µg/L. Surface area: 190 acres.
Is Martin Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Martin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Martin Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Martin Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 17 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 190 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Martin Lake?
- Martin Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lathrop State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Martin Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX6 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk depth measurement
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrogen in Water by Pyrolysis Detection
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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