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Best channel catfish lakes in New Mexico

45 New Mexico waters hold channel catfish, 2 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Elephant Butte Lake — 171 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
2. Navajo Reservoir — 333 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
3. Ute Lake — 88 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
4. Abiquiu Lake — 117 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
5. Brantley Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
6. Santa Rosa Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
7. Bluewater Lake — 90 ft max · Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge, Cutthroat TroutWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Conchas Lake — 105 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
9. Caballo Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. Sumner Lake — 65 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
11. Cochiti Lake — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
12. Rio Grande (Middle, Albuquerque) — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Common CarpWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
13. Storrie Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. Gila River (Cliff-Gila Valley) — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Common CarpWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. Springer Lake — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, Yellow PerchWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
16. Ramah Lake — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
17. Maxwell Lake 13 — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
18. Clayton Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
19. McAllister Lake — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
20. Lake Roberts — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
21. Santa Cruz Lake — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Bill Evans Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
23. Grindstone Reservoir — 45 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
24. Lake Van — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
25. San Francisco River (Glenwood) — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common CarpWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

…plus 20 more New Mexico waters holding channel catfish.

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When to fish channel catfish in New Mexico

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

Also in New Mexico: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes

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