Largest lakes & reservoirs in Colorado by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 49 articles we have published for Colorado lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US West Region > Colorado > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Colorado, only the 49 Colorado lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Navajo Lake NM (Colorado, New Mexico, Northwest New Mexico, NM, Southeast Colorado, US Southwest Region, US West Region, USA) |
159 mi | Also known as Navajo Reservoir Navajo Lake offers a surprising and welcome expanse of water in northwestern New Mexico. The 15,600-acre reservoir stretches north into southwest Colo… |
| Blue Mesa Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
96 mi | Also known as Blue Mesa Lake Beautiful mesas, deep canyons, and steep rocky cliffs surround Blue Mesa Reservoir, the second largest lake entirely in Colorado. The clear, blue, mou… |
| Lake Pueblo, CO (Colorado, Southeast Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
60 mi | Lake Pueblo is located west of Pueblo, Colorado and was formed when the Arkansas River was dammed as a part of the Fryingpan/Arkansas project of the B… |
| McPhee Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
50 mi | In 1776 Spanish priests traveling through the Dolores Valley imagined a project that would bring water to the thirsty crops of the Montezuma Valley. B… |
| Lake Granby, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
40 mi | Also known as Granby Lake Nestled in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains near the headwaters of the Colorado River, Lake Granby is a great place for a mountain getaway.… |
| Lake Dillon, CO (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
27 mi | Also known as Dillon Reservoir Nestled in the middle of some of Summit County’s best skiing, Lake Dillon is the perfect year round getaway. With its rich history, fantastic sport fi… |
| Chatfield Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Denver Area, CO, US West Region, USA) |
26 mi | Also known as Chatfield Lake Standing in fields of prairie clover looking at blue herons on beautiful Chatfield Reservoir, it’s hard to imagine that this spot is just outside the… |
| Horsetooth Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
25 mi | Also known as Horsetooth Lake On the high, arid ridges and plains of Colorado’s Front Range, Horsetooth Reservoir delights the visitor and refreshes the senses. Developed as a stor… |
| John Martin Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southeast Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
22 mi | Standing among the large boulders on the gravel shore watching bald eagles soar over the water, it’s easy to believe that John Martin Reservoir is an… |
| Green Mountain Reservoir (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
19 mi | Thousands of tourists and recreational guests come to the Colorado Rockies each year, never knowing that Green Mountain Reservoir is only a short dist… |
| Wolford Mountain Reservoir (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
15 mi | Also known as Wolford Mountain Lake As one of Colorado’s newest lakes, Wolford Mountain Reservoir is getting a lot of well-deserved attention. The reservoir was created in 1996 when Rits… |
| Adobe Creek Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southeast Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
15 mi | Also known as Blue Lake For the true, unhurried western vacation in Southeastern Colorado, make the trip to Adobe Creek Reservoir. The reservoir, also known as Blue Lake pres… |