Newest reservoirs in New Mexico
The year that a reservoir was first filled to the reservoir’s normal elevation – or the year that a natural lake was first dammed – is the determining factor in the age of the body of water. A large reservoir can take more than a year to fill after its dam is first closed. You can find many of the the world’s newest reservoirs on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Many of the world’s oldest reservoirs appear on the last page of that list. Note: For some lakes, the completion year data is unknown, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 10 articles we have published for New Mexico lakes.Thinking about booking a New Mexico lake vacation home rental, cabin or hotel?
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Below are lakes within USA > US Southwest Region > New Mexico > Compared by newest (youngest) reservoirs and the year it was completed. 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  |
Completion year |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Fenton Lake (New Mexico, Northwest New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1991 | 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… |
| Brantley Lake (New Mexico, Southeast New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1988 | 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… |
| Santa Rosa Lake, NM (New Mexico, Northeast New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1981 | 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… |
| Cochiti Lake, NM (New Mexico, North-Central, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1975 | 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… |
| Abiquiu Lake, NM (New Mexico, North-Central, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1963 | Also known as Abiquiu Reservoir Abiquiu Lake, located in Rio Arriba County in North-Central New Mexico, offers recreation areas for swimming, camping, fishing, boating, canoeing, kay… |
| Navajo Lake NM (Colorado, New Mexico, Northwest New Mexico, NM, Southeast Colorado, US Southwest Region, US West Region, USA) |
1963 | 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… |
| Conchas Lake, NM (New Mexico, Northeast New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1940 | 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) |
1938 | 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… |
| El Vado Lake, NM (New Mexico, North-Central, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1935 | 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… |
| Elephant Butte Lake, NM (New Mexico, Southwest New Mexico, NM, US Southwest Region, USA) |
1916 | 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… |