Rio Arriba County, New Mexico · Water Quality Report Card
Navajo Lake
Navajo Lake in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 15.1 ft
- Mean depth
- ~80 ft est.
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Navajo Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico with an estimated average depth of about 80 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2018-10-04. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Navajo Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Trophic State Index: 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.1 ft | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~80 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. New Mexico has not published bathymetry for Navajo Lake.
Where to stay near Navajo Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Navajo Lake in Rio Arriba 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 Navajo Lake
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 to Navajo Lake?
Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Navajo Lake — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at New Mexico’s top lakes →
Fishing Navajo Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.171 m/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Location
Nearby Lakes in Rio Arriba County
Explore Navajo Lake across LakeGrade
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at New Mexico's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
New Mexico's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More New Mexico Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in New Mexico
Oligotrophic Lakes in New Mexico
More records, surveys & data sources
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.
Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX6 samples · 2017–2018
Analytical methods
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2018-10-04
Monitoring stations: 1