Snow Lake
Catron County, New Mexico539 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)
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Snow Lake in Catron County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.4 µg/L. Surface area: 539 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~12 ft est.
- Area
- 539 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 14.4 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Snow Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Snow Lake in Catron 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 Snow 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 whole trip? See where to stay at New Mexico’s top lakes →
Watch Snow Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Snow 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 Snow 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.
Snow Lake is a 539-acre lake in Catron County, New Mexico with an estimated average depth of about 12 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 2019-10-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Snow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Snow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Snow Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 14.4 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.4 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 539 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 Snow 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
- Snow LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Snow Lake
- Dipping Vat0.9 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Snow Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Snow Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Snow Lake Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the Snow Creek; earth-type dam, 92 ft tall and 325 ft long.
- Surface area
- 539 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 90 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00058 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Snow 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 NM-2504_40 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Catron County
Frequently asked questions about Snow Lake
Where is Snow Lake?
- Snow Lake is a lake in Catron 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 Snow Lake?
- Snow Lake in Catron County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.4 µg/L. Surface area: 539 acres.
Is Snow Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Snow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Snow Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Snow Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 12 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 539 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Snow Lake?
- Snow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Snow Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Snow Lake?
- Snow Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Dipping Vat. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Snow Lake across LakeQuality
4 thermal springs within 17.3 mi, nearest The Meadows Warm Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at New Mexico's top lakes, each with its grade
New Mexico's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More New Mexico Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in New Mexico
Eutrophic Lakes in New Mexico
Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX5 samples · 2014–2019
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles