Lakes / New Mexico / Chaves County / Bitter Lake
Bitter Lake, New Mexico
148.76 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - New Mexico
33.47 degrees N, 104.41 degrees W - Chaves 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 Bitter Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 75% of the 309 lakes counted in New Mexico.
- About 159 miles from Las Cruces, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocklebur Lakes | Chaves | 14 mi | 42.75 acres |
| Sardine Lake | Chaves | 18 mi | 129.24 acres |
| Cockle Burr Lake | Chaves | 18 mi | 71.73 acres |
| Peters Lake | Chaves | 19 mi | 65.73 acres |
| Silman Lake | Chaves | 19 mi | 232.03 acres |
| Lake Van | Chaves | 20 mi | 40.53 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Bitter Lake
How Big Is Bitter Lake?
Bitter Lake covers 148.76 acres in Chaves County, New Mexico.
What Is the Largest Lake in Chaves County?
Red Lake is the largest lake in Chaves County, at 541.92 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 65420141). Verified October 30, 2026.