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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
5,200-acre reservoir near Abiquiu. The lake tops out around 117 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
There are 35.5 miles of drawn shoreline to work — one island included. A development index of 6.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 60% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 5.5 mi long by 3.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. Rio Arriba County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Rio Chama (Abiquiu Tailwater), is 8 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 29 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (29 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (29 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (29 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (29 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (29 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season kokanee use the shallows, holding in 10 to 30 ft. Summer is a 30 to 70 ft game here, winter a 20 to 80 ft one. The chart's best answer is Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 8 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (99 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (99 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (99 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (99 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (99 ft) |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (99 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Abiquiu Lake also holds rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Abiquiu Lake carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 99 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Mexico waters are set by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish — and special regulations can apply to Abiquiu Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Abiquiu Lake is about 117 ft (36 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, largemouth bass, kokanee, channel catfish, crappie, rainbow trout on Abiquiu Lake.
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Abiquiu Lake is regulated by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish. Check the official New Mexico regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Rio Chama (Abiquiu Tailwater) 8 mi · Canjilon Lakes 22 mi · Rio Chama (below El Vado) 23 mi · Trout Lakes 25 mi · El Vado Reservoir 28 mi · Fenton Lake 29 mi · Heron Reservoir 31 mi · Hopewell Lake 34 mi · Jemez River 37 mi · Santa Cruz Lake 39 mi · Rio Guadalupe 40 mi · Rio Grande (Pilar / Orilla Verde) 40 mi
See how Abiquiu Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best walleye lakes in New Mexico · best crappie lakes in New Mexico
More water nearby: Rio Arriba County fishing maps (8 charts). Browse all New Mexico fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.