Colorado Lakes & Reservoirs | List and Map of Bodies of Water

A state like Colorado is known for its big, blue lakes, especially those high in the Rocky Mountains. With its collection of major rivers, many of which are dammed, a large amount of manmade reservoirs, as well as natural lakes exist. It’s home to thousands of big bodies of water.

List of Lakes and Reservoirs in Colorado

Colorado’s lakes are spread all around the state, most open for some form of recreation year round. They are managed by a number of government organizations, some are even private. Some parks listed below contain a reservoir by a different name, such as Jackson Gulch Reservoir in Mancos State Park.

Adobe Creek Reservoir Colorado Aerial View

Adobe Creek Reservoir SWA – Las Animas

Alta Lakes – Telluride

Arapaho National Recreation Area – Granby

Aurora Reservoir – Aurora

Barker Meadow Reservoir – Nederland

Barr Lake State Park – Brighton

Bear Creek Lake Park – Lakewood

Bear Lake – RMNP, Estes Park

Beaver Lake SWA – Marble

Bellaire Lake SWA – Red Feather Lakes

Boyd Lake State Park – Loveland

Brainard Lake Recreation Area – Ward

Buckeye Reservoir – Paradox

Carter Lake Reservoir – Loveland

Chapman Reservoir – Yampa

Chatfield State Park – Littleton

Cheesman Lake – Deckers

Cherry Creek State Park – Aurora

Clear Lake – Georgetown

Continental Reservoir – Creede

Cowdrey Lake State Wildlife Area Colorado

Cowdrey Lake SWA – Cowdrey

Crawford State Park – Crawford

Crystal Creek Reservoir Beach Shoreline Peak Colorado

Crystal Creek Reservoir – Cascade

Curecanti National Recreation Area – Gunnison

Dan Noble SWA – Norwood

Devil’s Thumb Lake – Nederland

Dillon Reservoir Recreation Area – Dillon-Frisco

Dowdy Lake – Red Feather Lakes

Dumont Lake Fall Colors Steamboat Springs CO

Dumont Lake – Steamboat Springs

Echo Lake Mountain Park – Idaho Springs

Eleven Mile State Park – Lake George

Elkhead Reservoir State Park – Craig

Empire Reservoir – Wiggins

Evergreen Lake Park – Evergreen

Fish Creek Reservoir – Steamboat Springs

Fort Collins City Park – Fort Collins

Freeman Reservoir – Craig

Georgetown Lake – Georgetown

Grand Lake – Grand Lake

Green Mountain Reservoir – Heeney

Gross Reservoir – Nederland

Hahns Peak Lake – Clark

Harvey Gap State Park – Rifle

Hermit Lake – Westcliffe

Highline Lake State Park – Loma

Homestake Reservoir – Leadville

Horsetooth Reservoir – Fort Collins

Jackson Lake State Park – Orchard

Jefferson Lake Recreation Area – Jefferson

John Martin Reservoir State Park – Hasty

Kenney Reservoir – Rangely

Keystone Lake – Keystone

Kite Lake – Alma

Lake Estes – Estes Park

Lake Irwin – Crested Butte

Lake Isabel – Rye

Lake John SWA – Walden

Lake Nighthorse – Durango

Lake Of The Clouds – Westcliffe

Lake Pueblo State Park – Pueblo

Lake San Cristobal – Lake City

Lathrop State Park – Walsenburg

Lemon Reservoir – Durango

Little Molas Lake – Silverton

Mancos State Park – Mancos

McIntosh Lake Nature Area – Longmont

McPhee Reservoir West Side Dolores Colorado

McPhee Reservoir Recreation Area – Dolores

Molas Lake – Silverton

Montgomery Reservoir – Alma

Monument Lake – Monument

Monument Lake Resort – Weston

Muddy Pass Lake – Coalmont

Navajo State Park – Arboles

Nee Gronda Reservoir – Eads

Nee Noshe Reservoir – Eads

Crystal Creek Reservoir North Slope Recreation Area Pikes Peak

North Slope Recreation Area – Cascade

North Sterling State Park – Sterling

Palmer Lake Recreation Area – Palmer Lake

Paonia State Park – Somerset

Pearl Lake State Park – Clark

Pinewood Reservoir – Loveland

Platoro Reservoir – Del Norte

Poudre Lake – RMNP, Estes Park

Priest Lake – Telluride

Ptarmigan Lake – Buena Vista

Quail Lake Park – Colorado Springs

Ramona Lake – Red Feather Lakes

Rampart Reservoirs Boulder Shoreline Woodland Park Colorado

Rampart Reservoir Recreation Area – Woodland Park

Ridgway State Park – Ridgway

Rifle Gap State Park – Rifle

Rio Grande Reservoir – Creede

Riverside Reservoir – Kersey

Road Canyon Reservoir SWA – Creede

Penrose-Rosemont Reservoir Fishing Trout

Rosemont Reservoir SWA – Colorado Springs

Ruedi Reservoir – Basalt

Russell Lakes National Natural Landmark Colorado

Russell Lakes SWA – Saguache

Saint Vrain State Park – Firestone

San Luis Lakes SWA – Mosca

Sanchez Reservoir Costilla County Colorado

Sanchez Reservoir SWA – San Luis

Santa Maria Reservoir – Creede

Skaguay Reservoir Victor Colorado Pikes Peak

Skaguay Reservoir SWA – Victor

Sloan’s Lake Park – Denver

Smith Reservoir State Wildlife Area Blanca

Smith Reservoir SWA – Blanca

South Catamount Reservoir – Cascade

South Republican (Bonny Lake) SWA – Idalia

Spinney Mountain State Park – Lake George

Stagecoach State Park – Oak Creek

Standley Lake Regional Park – Westminster

State Forest State Park – Walden

Steamboat Lake State Park – Clark

Stillwater Reservoir from North Derby Trail near Yampa Colorado

Stillwater Reservoir – Yampa

Strontia Springs Reservoir – Littleton

Summit Lake National Natural Landmark Colorado

Summit Lake Park & Natural Landmark – Idaho Springs

Sweitzer Lake State Park – Delta

Sylvan Lake State Park – Eagle

Tarryall Reservoir State Wildlife Area, CO

Tarryall Reservoir SWA – Jefferson

Taylor Park Reservoir Gunnison County Colorado

Taylor Park Reservoir – Almont

Trappers Lake – Meeker

Trinidad Lake State Park – Trinidad

Turquoise Lake – Leadville

Twin Lakes Reservoir – Twin Lakes

Two Buttes Reservoir in Baca County, Colorado

Two Buttes Reservoir SWA – Springfield

Vallecito Lake – Bayfield

Vega State Park – Collbran

Walden Reservoir – Walden

Wellington Lake – Deckers

West Lake Campground Red Feather Lakes Colorado

West Lake SWA – Red Feather Lakes

Williams Fork Reservoir Grand County Colorado

Williams Fork Reservoir – Parshall

Windy Gap Reservoir – Granby

Wolford Mountain Reservoir – Kremmling

Guide to Lakes and Reservoirs in Colorado

Sunrise, Lake Chatfield, CO — Sunrise, Lake Chatfield. Photo: Michael Levine-Clark

Although the many dammed reservoirs come at a great cost to the environment, they store drinking water and create recreation for its human inhabitants. They sure are pretty to look at. Who knows what Colorado’s riparian environments would look like if we didn’t dam most of our major rivers

How many lakes are there in Colorado?

There are more than 4,000 lakes and reservoirs in Colorado. The largest that’s completely in state is the Blue Mesa Reservoir. The Navajo Reservoir only has a little bit in Colorado, but combined with the majority in New Mexico, it’s the largest lake.

What are the largest lakes in Colorado?

These are the largest lakes and reservoirs in Colorado by volume of water. The volumes listed are from Wikipedia. You can view a full Wikipedia table of the largest lakes, which includes the county they reside in, inflow river, any dam built, and other useful information.

List of Lakes and Reservoirs in Colorado

Guide to Lakes and Reservoirs in Colorado

How many lakes are there in Colorado?

What are the largest lakes in Colorado?

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