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.
Guide to Lakes and Reservoirs in Colorado

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.
- Navajo Reservoir
- Blue Mesa Reservoir
- John Martin Reservoir
- Lake Granby
- McPhee Reservoir
- Lake Pueblo
- Dillon Reservoir
- Horsetooth Reservoir
- Green Mountain Reservoir
- Twin Lakes Reservoir
- Sanchez Reservoir
- Turquoise Lake
- Vallecito Reservoir
- Lake Nighthorse
- Morrow Point Reservoir
- Carter Lake Reservoir
- Taylor Park Reservoir
- Ruedi Reservoir
- Nee Gronda Reservoir
- Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir
- Williams Fork Reservoir
- Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Nee Noshe Reservoir
- Ridgway Reservoir
- Cheesman Lake
- North Sterling Reservoir
- Adobe Creek Reservoir
- Wolford Mountain Reservoir
- Riverside Reservoir
- Platoro Reservoir
- Spinney Mountain Reservoir
- Rio Grande Reservoir
- Boyd Lake
- Two Buttes Reservoir
- Santa Maria Reservoir
- Homestake Reservoir
- Gross Reservoir
- Lemon Reservoir
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