What is the largest natural body of water in Colorado?

With more than 500 surface acres, Grand Lake is the largest and deepest natural body of water in Colorado.



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Only one, Grand Lake, is natural. Farthest downstream is Granby Reservoir, which is Colorado's third largest, capable of holding 539,758 acre-feet of water during runoff of spring and early summer. This compares to Ruedi Reservoir's 102,373 acre-feet and Dillon's 257,304 acre-feet.

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Largest Lakes and Reservoirs in Colorado
  • Navajo Reservoir – Arboles (1,708,600 volume; 15,600 acres) ...
  • Blue Mesa Reservoir – Gunnison (829,500 volume; 9,180 acres) ...
  • John Martin Reservoir – Hasty (603,500 volume; 11,650 acres) ...
  • Lake Granby – Granby (539,758 volume; 7,256 acres)


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The clearest lake in Colorado is Columbine Lake, located in the San Juan National Forest near Silverton. The lake is so clear due to its alpine location, meaning it has a short warm season so natural material such as algae does not grow well in the water.

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The only state in the US with no natural lakes is Maryland. Although Maryland has rivers and other freshwater ponds, no natural body of water is large enough to qualify as a lake.

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The largest reservoir entirely contained in Colorado is Blue Mesa Reservoir, with a capacity of 829,500 acre·ft (1.0 billion m3).

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About 85–90 percent of the Colorado River's discharge originates in melting snowpack from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. The three major upper tributaries of the Colorado – the snow-fed Gunnison, Green, and San Juan – alone deliver almost 9 million acre-feet (11 km3) per year to the main stem.

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Lake Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake by area (31,700 mi2 /82,100 km2).

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At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey.

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Lake Powell Water Levels Since the summer of 2022, water levels in Lake Powell have been steadily declining. Water levels are now at 3,524 feet above sea level, just 24 percent of its full storage capacity. The reservoir reached record low levels in April 2022, dropping to 3,519 feet above sea level.

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Blue Lakes in Colorado's San Juan Wilderness. In fact, these lakes are so blue because of the presence of something floating in the water. As the warmer months hit, glaciers melt, thus filling these pools with their water.

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1. Lake George, New York. With its 109 miles of shoreline and 300+ islands, Lake George has been dubbed the “Queen of the American Lakes.” Lake George, known as the “Queen of American Lakes,” is 32 miles long and widely considered one of the country's most beautiful and cleanest lakes.

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Lake Michigan, the second largest Great Lake (by volume) and fifth largest lake in the world (by surface area), is a globally significant ecosystem. Stretching over 300 miles, it is the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States.

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About the Colorado River There is a Colorado River that flows through Arizona, Utah, and other western states. Ours is the “other” Colorado River—the Texas Colorado River. But here, we just call it the “Colorado River.”

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California — with the largest allocation of water from the river — is the lone holdout. Officials said the state would release its own plan. The Colorado River and its tributaries pass through seven states and into Mexico, serving 40 million people and a $5 billion-a-year agricultural industry.

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