Lakes / New Mexico / Sierra County / Big Salt Lake
Big Salt Lake, New Mexico
743.54 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - New Mexico
33.08 degrees N, 106.37 degrees W - Sierra County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its USGS National Hydrography Dataset coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
How Big Salt Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 92% of the 309 lakes counted in New Mexico.
- About 58 miles from Las Cruces, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Lucero | Doña Ana | 25 mi | 3,325.54 acres |
| Cedar Lake | Sierra | 39 mi | 40.53 acres |
| Engle Lake | Sierra | 40 mi | 41.76 acres |
| Mescalero Lake | Otero | 42 mi | 105.39 acres |
| Bonito Lake | Lincoln | 45 mi | 41.93 acres |
| Elephant Butte Reservoir | Sierra | 48 mi | 10,908.51 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Big Salt Lake
How Big Is Big Salt Lake?
Big Salt Lake covers 743.54 acres in Sierra County, New Mexico.
What Is the Largest Lake in Sierra County?
Elephant Butte Reservoir is the largest lake in Sierra County, at 10,908.51 acres.
Largest Lakes in New Mexico
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navajo Reservoir | San Juan | 15,363.3 acres | - |
| 2 | Elephant Butte Reservoir | Sierra | 10,908.51 acres | - |
| 3 | Ute Reservoir | Quay | 5,446.35 acres | - |
| 4 | Caballo Reservoir | Sierra | 4,617.43 acres | - |
| 5 | Heron Reservoir | Rio Arriba | 4,497.07 acres | - |
All 309 New Mexico lakes ranked by surface area
Sources: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (The National Map) lake data (ID 50226361). Verified October 30, 2026.