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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
4,000-acre reservoir near Carlsbad. The lake tops out around 40 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Shoreline on the chart totals 28.9 miles — one island included. A development index of 4.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 71% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 4.6 mi, about 2.9 mi across. You'll find it in Eddy County. For a second option, Conoco Lake (Loco Lagoon) lies 40 mi northeast.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put North Seven Rivers inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | North Seven Rivers inflow (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Spring channel catfish concentrate at North Seven Rivers inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | North Seven Rivers inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it North Seven Rivers inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | North Seven Rivers inflow (4 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 34 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Brantley Lake carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 34 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 Brantley Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Brantley Lake is about 40 ft (12 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 largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, white bass, crappie, bluegill on Brantley Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For largemouth 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 Brantley 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.
Conoco Lake (Loco Lagoon) 40 mi · Lake Van 43 mi · Lea Lake 52 mi · Eunice Lake 67 mi · Green Meadow Lake 72 mi · Jal Lake 77 mi · Rio Ruidoso 91 mi · Grindstone Reservoir 92 mi · Alto Lake 94 mi · Bonito Lake 99 mi · Balmorhea Lake 118 mi, TX · Oasis State Park Lake 131 mi
See how Brantley Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best walleye lakes in New Mexico · best white bass lakes in New Mexico · best crappie 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.