Willow Creek boat ramp, Heron Lake, New Mexico, NMSC

Heron Lake, in northern New Mexico not far from the Colorado border, is a "no wake lake"; motors are restricted to trolling speed except in special circumstances. Wake is defined as any white white visible off the bow or sides of a boat. The lake now has about 7 square miles of surface area, and about 9 square miles when full. The marina is located within the protected, almost landlocked confines of Willow Creek Cove near the northeastern end of the lake and adjacent to the mouth of Willow Creek, which fills the lake with water from the San Juan-Chama Project.

Close-up view of the end of the Willow Creek boat ramp, showing part of a turn-around, courtesty dock, and Heron Lake Marina in background.

Willow Creek boat ramp with a lake level of about 7,154 feet above sea level -- about 30 feet below maximum elevation and about 29 feet of water under most of the marina.

Courtesy dock and marina.

Zoom view of Willow Creek boat ramp courtesy dock with the New Mexico Sailing Club's marina in the background.

Pull-through parking spaces at the top of the Willow Creek boat ramp at Heron Lake State Park. On one of the busiest days of the year, 10 of the 20 pull-through spaces and most of the regular parking spaces were vacant. The mast-up storage lot beyond is about 1/3 occupied. It is operated by Heron Lake State Park, whereas the marina is owned and operated by the New Mexico Sailing Club. NMSC members take half-week turns serving as "dock masters" during the marina season, which runs usually from early May until mid October.