Mescalero Lake Deep
Otero County, New Mexico104 acresView mapDirections
NMED publishes the water-quality measurements for Mescalero Lake Deep. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Public access
Mescalero Lake Deep in Otero County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Surface area: 104 acres.
Mescalero Lake Deep is a 104-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Otero County, New Mexico. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Otero County, Mescalero Lake Deep ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2024-12-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Mescalero Lake Deep 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 Mescalero Lake Deep
These are the measurements NMED publishes for Mescalero Lake Deep, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 50µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Mescalero Lake Deep
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
104 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by NMED
No bathymetric survey has been published for Mescalero Lake Deep, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Mescalero Lake Deep
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2012–2021).
Phosphorus
Stable+0.13 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.13 µg/L/yr9 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mescalero Lake Deep is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Mescalero North Dam (completed 1974), built primarily for recreation on the Carrizo Creek; earth-type dam, 25 ft tall and 320 ft long.
- Surface area
- 104 ac
- Normal storage
- 430 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,390 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 19.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BIA
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00161 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.18 km)
Nearby Lakes in Otero County
Frequently asked questions about Mescalero Lake Deep
Where is Mescalero Lake Deep?
- Mescalero Lake Deep is a lake in Otero County, New Mexico. Its water-quality measurements are published by NMED and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Mescalero Lake Deep?
- Mescalero Lake Deep in Otero County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Surface area: 104 acres.
Is Mescalero Lake Deep safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Mescalero Lake Deep?
- Public access to Mescalero Lake Deep is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
57 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Mescalero Apache Tribe DRMP (Tribal)
DRMPWQX57 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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.