Largest lakes & reservoirs in New Mexico 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 10 articles we have published for New Mexico lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Southwest Region > New Mexico > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in New Mexico, only the 10 New Mexico lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Elephant Butte Lake, NM (New Mexico, Southwest New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
200 mi | Also known as The Butte, Elephant Butte Reservoir With limited lake options in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake is a popular destination for water enthusiasts and nature lovers alike in the Land of Enc… |
| 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… |
| Santa Rosa Lake, NM (New Mexico, Northeast New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
60 mi | Santa Rosa Lake is snuggled in the Pecos River Canyon near the town of Santa Rosa along NM 91 in Guadalupe County. It is cradled on one side with acre… |
| Conchas Lake, NM (New Mexico, Northeast New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
52 mi | Conchas Lake stretches 11 miles southwest along the Conchas River, and about 14 miles along the South Canadian River in eastern New Mexico. Located no… |
| Caballo Lake (New Mexico, Southwest New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
24 mi | Also known as Caballo Reservoir One of the little-known treasures in New Mexico’s Southwest region is Caballo Lake. This 11,000-acre reservoir along the Rio Grande River escapes the… |
| Cochiti Lake, NM (New Mexico, North-Central, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
21 mi | Stretching 7 miles long on the Rio Grande River, Cochiti Lake is located in Sandoval County, New Mexico, about 20 miles west of Santa Fe and 60 miles… |
| El Vado Lake, NM (New Mexico, North-Central, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
12 mi | Also known as El Vado Reservoir El Vado Lake, situated in New Mexico’s northern mountains, is located west of Tierra Amarilla in Rio Arriba Counnty. Surrounded by acres of mixed juni… |
| Brantley Lake (New Mexico, Southeast New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
12 mi | Also known as Brantley Reservior No place in Southeast New Mexico represents water recreation like Brantley Lake. The relatively new reservoir has a state park along its shores, compl… |
| Fenton Lake (New Mexico, Northwest New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1 mi | Tucked away in the Jemez Mountains of Northwest New Mexico, little Fenton Lake carries a large part of the recreational opportunities in the area. Les… |