The ecosystem services of high natural mountain lakes may be threatened in the future due to global change, but indicators for assessing ecosystem services are potentially lacking. In this study, we propose multiple indicators based on limnological, spatial and socio-economic data. Quantitative results for eight ecosystem services indicate varying levels across 15 study lakes in the European Alps. Based on various socio-ecological variables, we identified four groups of lakes, which differed in ecosystem services such as water, recreation, representation, research, and education. Other ecosystem services, including habitat, aesthetic, and existence, were rather independent from the socio-ecological context. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the ecosystem services of mountain lakes and support sustainable development by proposing group-specific management strategies