Updated Jul 2026
New Mexico Lake Water Quality
Water quality grades for 78 monitored lakes across 22 counties.
78 {{stateName}} lakes carry a grade. Most of the input data flows through monitoring run by {{agency}}, which feeds state, federal, and volunteer measurements into the EPA Water Quality Portal. Around 22% of the state's lakes pull an A — 17 top-tier waters. The B and C brackets together hold most of the rest, with the F bracket capturing 5 stressed lakes mostly in the agricultural south of the state.
The state's lakes lean eutrophic: enough nutrient input to support an active algal community, with the trade-offs in clarity and dissolved oxygen that come with it. Quay ranks highest on average county grade (B). Cibola sits lowest. With only 22 counties in the state, the cross-county spread is narrower than the within-county spread for most lakes.
Grade Distribution
How New Mexico’s 78 graded lakes break down from A (excellent) to F.
Top-Graded New Mexico Lakes
The highest water-quality grades in New Mexico — clarity, depth, and A-F grade at a glance.
Navajo Reservoir
San Juan County, New Mexico
See grade for Navajo Reservoir →Nla Lake
San Juan County, New Mexico
See grade for Nla Lake →Navajo Reservoir Canon Bancos Confluence
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
See grade for Navajo Reservoir Canon Bancos Confluence →Navajo Reservoir la Jara Confluence
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
See grade for Navajo Reservoir la Jara Confluence →Navajo Reservoir Negro Canyon
San Juan County, New Mexico
See grade for Navajo Reservoir Negro Canyon →Lake Carlsbad Deep Station
Eddy County, New Mexico
See grade for Lake Carlsbad Deep Station →Ute Reservoir
Quay County, New Mexico
See grade for Ute Reservoir →Conchas Reservoir
San Miguel County, New Mexico
See grade for Conchas Reservoir →Ute Reservoir
Quay County, New Mexico
See grade for Ute Reservoir →Lake Map
Explore New Mexico Lakes
New Mexico reports, fishing & travel
New Mexico Fishing & Recreation
Licenses, regulations, records, and where to fish across New Mexico.
Counties
All 22 New Mexico counties, ranked by average lake water quality. Compare them against every county nationwide in the county rankings, browse the full directory of graded lakes, or pick a different state.
Top 25 Cleanest Lakes
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navajo Reservoir | San Juan | A | 16 ft |
| 2 | Nla Lake | San Juan | A | 14.4 ft |
| 3 | Navajo Reservoir Canon Bancos Confluence | Rio Arriba | A | 9.1 ft |
| 4 | Navajo Reservoir la Jara Confluence | Rio Arriba | A | 13.5 ft |
| 5 | Navajo Reservoir Negro Canyon | San Juan | A | 6.5 ft |
| 6 | Lake Carlsbad Deep Station | Eddy | A | 2.7 ft |
| 7 | Ute Reservoir | Quay | A | 7.5 ft |
| 8 | Conchas Reservoir | San Miguel | A | 8.9 ft |
| 9 | Ute Reservoir | Quay | A | 5.1 ft |
| 10 | Lake Farmington Deep | San Juan | A | 9.8 ft |
| 11 | Lea Lake Overflow | Chaves | A | - |
| 12 | Nla Lake | San Miguel | A | 2.3 ft |
| 13 | Nla Lake | San Miguel | A | 8.2 ft |
| 14 | Nla Lake | Colfax | A | 10.5 ft |
| 15 | Nla Lake | Colfax | A | 8.2 ft |
| 16 | Fenton Lake | Sandoval | A | 7.9 ft |
| 17 | Figure Eight Lake | Chaves | A | 6.9 ft |
| 18 | Navajo Reservoir | Rio Arriba | B | - |
| 19 | Heron Lake Deep Dam | Rio Arriba | B | 3.7 ft |
| 20 | Abiquiu Reservoir | Rio Arriba | B | 3.3 ft |
| 21 | El Vado Reservoir-Shallow | Rio Arriba | B | 3.3 ft |
| 22 | Abiquiu Reservoir Chama R Inlet | Rio Arriba | B | 3.3 ft |
| 23 | El Vado Reservoir | Rio Arriba | B | 2.9 ft |
| 24 | Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep | Lincoln | B | 9 ft |
| 25 | Heron Lake Shallow | Rio Arriba | B | 2.5 ft |
25 Lakes Needing Attention
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alto Lake Inlet | Lincoln | F | - |
| 2 | Monte Verde Lake | Colfax | F | - |
| 3 | Lake Roberts | Grant | F | 5.7 ft |
| 4 | Bluewater Lake | Cibola | F | 2 ft |
| 5 | Six Mile Dam Lake | Eddy | F | 1.6 ft |
| 6 | Quemado Dam Lake | Catron | D | 8 ft |
| 7 | Hopewell Lake | Rio Arriba | D | 3.9 ft |
| 8 | Nla Lake | Colfax | D | 0.3 ft |
| 9 | Nla Lake | San Juan | D | 0.8 ft |
| 10 | Four Mile Reservoir | San Juan | D | - |
| 11 | Grindstone Caynon Reservoir Inlet | Lincoln | D | - |
| 12 | Jal Lake | Lea | D | 3.9 ft |
| 13 | Elephant Butte Reservoir | Sierra | D | 3.4 ft |
| 14 | Caballo Lake | Sierra | D | 1.8 ft |
| 15 | Brantley Reservoir Deep | Eddy | D | 3.9 ft |
| 16 | Burns Lake Deep | Rio Arriba | D | 2.3 ft |
| 17 | Nla Lake | Colfax | D | 4.5 ft |
| 18 | Alto Lake | Lincoln | C | 8.9 ft |
| 19 | Nla Lake | Santa Fe | C | 8.5 ft |
| 20 | Nla Lake | Mora | C | 2.7 ft |
| 21 | Perch Lake | Guadalupe | C | 14.8 ft |
| 22 | Monastery Lake Deep | San Miguel | C | 4.1 ft |
| 23 | Bear Canyon Reservoir Deep | Grant | C | 3.3 ft |
| 24 | Cabresto Lake Deep | Taos | C | 13.1 ft |
| 25 | Sandia Lakes | Sandoval | C | 1.2 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.