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El Vado Lake sits in New Mexico and is classified as a reservoir. At around 3,200 acres (about 5 square miles), it is a mid-sized waterbody. If you are planning a trip, El Vado Reservoir, Heron Lake, and Abiquiu Reservoir are also nearby. For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at El Vado Lake.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 4:39 AM MDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (86/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (100/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the southwest. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 39° | 38° | 37° | 36° | 40° | 47° | 55° | 62° | 68° | 71° | 72° | 74° | 73° | 71° | 69° | 62° | 58° | 55° | 53° | 51° | 49° | 47° | 46° | 45° |
| Wind (kts) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gusts (kts) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 4 AM MDT | 39°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 5 AM MDT | 38°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 6 AM MDT | 37°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM MDT | 36°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 8% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM MDT | 40°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM MDT | 47°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM MDT | 55°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM MDT | 62°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM MDT | 68°F | Calm | 0 mph | 7% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM MDT | 71°F | Calm | 1 mph | 7% | 7% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM MDT | 72°F | Calm | 0 mph | 7% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM MDT | 74°F | Calm | 4 mph | 8% | 31% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| Fri, 4 PM MDT | 73°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 5 mph | 8% | 34% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 71°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 7 mph | 8% | 20% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 69°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 8 mph | 7% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 62°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 7 mph | 7% | 12% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 58°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 7 mph | 7% | 12% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 55°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 5 mph | 5% | 16% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 53°F | Calm | 4 mph | 5% | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 51°F | Calm | 4 mph | 5% | 17% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 49°F | Calm | 4 mph | 2% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 47°F | Calm | 4 mph | 2% | 26% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 46°F | Calm | 4 mph | 2% | 22% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM MDT | 45°F | Calm | 1 mph | 3% | 17% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM MDT | 43°F | Calm | 1 mph | 3% | 22% | Mostly Clear |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 36° | 75° | 40° | 71° | 45° | 70° | 45° | 69° | 41° | 64° | 34° | 57° | 30° | 60° |
| Wind | 0 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | SE 0 to 5 mph | S 0 to 10 mph | S 0 to 10 mph | SE 0 to 10 mph | S 0 to 10 mph | S 0 to 10 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | S 0 to 15 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | W 5 to 10 mph | NW 0 to 10 mph | W 0 to 5 mph |
| Gusts | — | 7 mph | 8 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph | 16 mph | 15 mph | 16 mph | 7 mph | 20 mph | 15 mph | 16 mph | 13 mph | 7 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 8% | 7% | 30% | 56% | 36% | 81% | 24% | 20% | 39% | 43% | 18% | 7% | 2% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (80/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the northeast. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 39°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (100/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the northeast. Gusts to 0 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (64/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 0 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Wind 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (97/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the northeast. Gusts to 0 mph. Working against it: Air temperature 39°F. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of NM Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
As a core recreational asset in NM, El Vado Lake draws water enthusiasts for angling, paddling, and watersports throughout the season. Its diverse shoreline features public parks, boat launches, and scenic day-use areas overseen by state and local natural resource agencies. Please respect designated no-wake zones and wildlife preservation areas.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) is required for anglers age 12+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Rainbow Trout, Common Carp. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
High-altitude mountain winter climate (elevation 6,902 ft MSL). Freezing temperatures, potential snowpack or ice cover, and reduced seasonal amenities. Winter safety caution advised.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for El Vado Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 4:39 AM MDT