Lakes / New Mexico / Chaves County / Lake Van
Lake Van, New Mexico
40.53 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - New Mexico
33.19 degrees N, 104.36 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 Lake Van Stacks Up
- Larger than 31% of the 309 lakes counted in New Mexico.
- About 153 miles from Las Cruces, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Tolliver | Chaves | 6.8 mi | 32.87 acres |
| Cockle Burr Lake | Chaves | 8.5 mi | 71.73 acres |
| Prichard Lake | Chaves | 9.4 mi | 26.69 acres |
| Peters Lake | Chaves | 9.5 mi | 65.73 acres |
| Buffalo Lake | Chaves | 13 mi | 195.16 acres |
| Juan Lake | Chaves | 17 mi | 90.19 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Lake Van
How Big Is Lake Van?
Lake Van covers 40.53 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 65421385). Verified October 30, 2026.