The 15 Largest Lakes Found in Colorado

Some states boast to have tens of thousands of lakes within their borders. Colorado doesn't have ten thousand of them, but many are surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and it makes our lakes and reservoirs much nicer to look at.

Colorado is home to thousands of lakes and reservoirs state-wide. The largest one in the state sits on the Western slope not far from the Curecanti Recreation Area just past Montrose.

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How Many Lakes/Reservoirs are in Colorado?

In total, Colorado has nearly 4000 lakes and reservoirs. About half of these bodies of water are lakes, and about 2000 of them are reservoirs. Many of these lakes and reservoirs are approved for swimming, fishing, small watercraft, and fishing activities

Colorado's Smallest Reservoir

The three smallest water storage reservoirs in Colorado are all in the Denver area. They include the Strontia Springs, the Ralston Reservoir, and the Marston Forebay. The capacity of Strontia Springs is just 7,863 acre-feet but this little reservoir actually has 80% of Denver's drinking water flowing through it.

Which Lake/Reservoir is Colorado's Largest One?

Colorado's Blue Mesa Reservoir holds the largest amount of water of any reservoir in the state. While the water level can get pretty low late in the year this reservoir holds 940,800 acre-feet of water. Blue Mesa Reservoir was built in 1966 to help generate hydroelectric power.

Scroll on to see each of Colorado's Top 15 largest lakes and reservoirs.