Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for channel catfish.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,500-acre reservoir near Prewitt. The lake tops out around 90 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The chart traces 13.4 miles of shoreline here. An index of 3.4 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. About 58% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.2 mi with a 1.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Cibola County. For a second option, McGaffey Lake lies 22 mi west.
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring muskellunge concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (41 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| 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 | Old creek channel (45 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (45 ft) |
Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 10 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 early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
9 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 77 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Bluewater Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Bluewater Lake is about 90 ft (27 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 rainbow trout, muskellunge, channel catfish, cutthroat trout on Bluewater Lake.
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow trout, 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 Bluewater 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.
McGaffey Lake 22 mi · Ramah Lake 22 mi · Rio Guadalupe 82 mi · Quemado Lake 83 mi · Tingley Beach 84 mi · Rio Grande (Middle, Albuquerque) 85 mi · Jemez River 87 mi · Fenton Lake 89 mi · Becker Lake 103 mi, AZ · San Juan River 104 mi · Nelson Reservoir 105 mi, AZ · Cochiti Lake 105 mi
See how Bluewater Lake stacks up: best channel catfish lakes in New Mexico · best rainbow trout lakes in New Mexico · best cutthroat trout lakes in New Mexico
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.