Largest lakes & reservoirs in Colorado by acres
There is no widely-accepted minimum surface area that defines a lake. What LakeLubbers describes as a lake, you might call a pond. Acreage of a lake (or sometimes square kilometers) is most often measured at the top surface area when the lake is at normal elevation. The surface area can be considerably smaller or larger when lake levels are lower or higher than normal. North America’s Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by this measure.The other measure of a lake’s size is the lake’s water volume. By that measure, the world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia.
You can find many of the world’s largest lakes (acres) on LakeLubbers in the comparison table below. Note: For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Acres" data is unknown or does not apply, so you may see fewer lakes than the total 49 articles we have published for Colorado lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US West Region > Colorado > Compared by surface area in acres. This list does not represent all lakes in Colorado, only the 49 Colorado lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Surface area in acres |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Vallecito Lake, CO (Colorado, Southeast Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
2,720 ac | Also known as Vallecito Reservoir The quest for a reliable source of irrigation water in Colorado’s dry Southwest Region brought Vallecito Lake into being. Twenty-two miles north of Du … |
| Twin Lakes, CO (Colorado, South Central Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
2,440 ac | Also known as Twin Lakes Reservoir In the mid 1800’s gold was discovered in Lake County Colorado, and everything changed. Settlers moved west seeking their fortunes and discovered not o … |
| Green Mountain Reservoir (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
2,125 ac | Thousands of tourists and recreational guests come to the Colorado Rockies each year, never knowing that Green Mountain Reservoir is only a short dist … |
| Horsetooth Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
2,040 ac | Also known as Horsetooth Lake On the high, arid ridges and plains of Colorado’s Front Range, Horsetooth Reservoir delights the visitor and refreshes the senses. Developed as a stor … |
| Neeskah Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Southeast Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1,930 ac | Also known as Upper and Lower Queen Reservoir Set in the golden short grass prairie of southeastern Colorado, Neeskah Reservoir is a small fertile gem of precious water. Along with its sister rese … |
| Turquoise Lake (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1,788 ac | Also known as Turquoise Reservoir One of Colorado’s favorite high-altitude recreational destinations is Turquoise Lake. Located five miles west of vacation playground Leadville, 1,780- … |
| Boyd Lake, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
1,674 ac | Boyd Lake is a modern recreational playground covering over 1,700 acres in Larimer County. Located in the northeastern section of the City of Loveland … |
| Wolford Mountain Reservoir (Colorado, Northwest Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1,550 ac | Also known as Wolford Mountain Lake As one of Colorado’s newest lakes, Wolford Mountain Reservoir is getting a lot of well-deserved attention. The reservoir was created in 1996 when Rits … |
| Chatfield Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Denver Area, CO, US West Region, USA) |
1,479 ac | Also known as Chatfield Lake Standing in fields of prairie clover looking at blue herons on beautiful Chatfield Reservoir, it’s hard to imagine that this spot is just outside the … |
| Shadow Mountain Lake, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
1,346 ac | Set against the backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains in Colorado’s Front Range region, Shadow Mountain Lake is a picture-postcard Colorado getaway … |
| Jumbo Reservoir, CO (Colorado, Northeast Colorado, US West Region, USA) |
1,200 ac | Also known as Julesburg Reservoir Jumbo Reservoir is a 1,200-acre lake located in the northeast corner of Colorado. In the summer of 2006, severe drought drained the reservoir and all … |
| Standley Lake, CO (Colorado, Front Range Region, CO, US West Region, USA) |
1,200 ac | A welcoming oasis on Colorado’s dry Front Range region, Standley Lake draws residents and visitors alike to its shores. Unsung sentinel to the north D … |