El Vado Lake



El Vado Lake is a reservoir located in Rio Arriba County, in northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Water is impounded by the earth-filled El Vado Dam, on the Rio Chama, 642 ft long and 175 ft high, completed in 1935. The 3200 acre lake is 5 mi long and over 1 mi wide, and lies at an elevation of 6900 ft. The area was formerly part of the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant. The former town of El Vado, which in 1910 had a population of 1,000, is now beneath the waters of El Vado Lake.

The eastern shore of the lake is the El Vado Lake State Park, featuring over 100 camping and picnic sites, and two improved boat ramps. The lake is a destination for salmon and trout fishing, as well as for boating. Unlike nearby Heron Lake, boat speeds are not restricted. A 5.5 mi hiking trail runs to the north, crosses the Rio Chama Gorge via a pedestrian suspension bridge, and then connects to the Heron Lake State Park.