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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Canadian River near Conchas Dam. Smallmouth, catfish and carp on a warmwater desert river. The river tops out around 15 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 161 acres wrapped in 21 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 11.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Figure 4.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.2 mi at the beam. It sits in San Miguel County. If the bite dies, Conchas Lake is 3 mi to the west.
Spring channel catfish on Canadian River (below Conchas Dam) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put tributary inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 11 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | tributary inflow (11 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Canadian River pool (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Canadian River pool (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Canadian River pool (15 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass in 2 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: tributary inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 11 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (11 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | channel drop (9 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Canadian River pool (15 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Canadian River pool (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is riffle run — rock pile, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | riffle run (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | channel drop (9 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, common carp slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it backwater slack: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | backwater slack (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | backwater slack (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | backwater slack (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Canadian River pool (15 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Canadian River pool at roughly 15 ft.
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 Canadian River (below Conchas Dam) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Canadian River (below Conchas Dam) is about 15 ft (5 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 channel catfish, white bass, smallmouth bass, common carp on Canadian River (below Conchas Dam).
tributary inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For channel catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark 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 Canadian River (below Conchas Dam) 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.
Conchas Lake 3 mi · Ute Lake 37 mi · Santa Rosa Lake 38 mi · Park Lake 44 mi · Perch Lake 44 mi · Sumner Lake 54 mi · McAllister Lake 59 mi · Storrie Lake 64 mi · Charette Lakes 66 mi · Springer Lake 76 mi · Mora River (Upper) 77 mi · Morphy Lake 80 mi
See how Canadian River (below Conchas Dam) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best white bass lakes in New Mexico · best channel catfish lakes in New Mexico · best common carp lakes in New Mexico
More water nearby: San Miguel County fishing maps (6 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.