Most of New Mexico’s best lakes are anchored by state parks – with campgrounds, boat ramps, beaches and visitor centers that make a lake trip easy. From the giant Elephant Butte to high-mountain and desert-sinkhole parks, this guide rounds up the top New Mexico state park lakes. Every lake links to a full guide in our New Mexico Lakes Database.
The big reservoir parks
Elephant Butte Lake State Park is the largest and most popular in the state, with miles of beaches and boating on the Rio Grande. Navajo, Conchas, Ute and Caballo state parks round out the big-water destinations.
Mountain & quiet-water parks
Eagle Nest Lake and Heron Lake (no-wake) state parks offer high-country trout, kokanee and stunning scenery, while Fenton Lake and Sugarite Canyon’s Lake Maloya are gorgeous small mountain parks.
Unique parks
Bottomless Lakes State Park near Roswell – the state’s first – protects natural sinkhole lakes you can scuba dive, and Clayton Lake State Park pairs fishing with a dinosaur trackway and a dark-sky observatory.
River & reservoir parks
Cochiti (no-wake sailing), Abiquiu, Santa Rosa, Sumner, Storrie, Brantley, El Vado and Bluewater all anchor state parks with camping and boating.
Planning a state-park lake trip
New Mexico State Parks charge a day-use fee (an annual pass is available), and campsites can be reserved – book ahead for summer weekends and holidays. A New Mexico fishing license is required to fish. Many lakes have fluctuating levels or no-wake rules, so check conditions and boating regulations before you go.
See all the best lakes in New Mexico, browse the full database, or head back to the New Mexico Lakes Database.
