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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
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Cimarron River near Eagle Nest. Wild trout water in the New Mexico high country. The river tops out around 8 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 92 acres, worked by 16.6 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 12.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 6.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.6 mi at the beam. Colfax County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Eagle Nest Lake, is 5 mi to the west.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. The chart's best answer is tributary inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (2 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Cimarron River pool (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 8 ft. Spring brown trout concentrate at tributary inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | riffle run (2 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Cimarron River pool at roughly 8 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 Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon) is about 8 ft (2 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, brown trout on Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon).
tributary inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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 Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon) 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.
Eagle Nest Lake 5 mi · Rio Hondo 19 mi · Cabresto Lake 23 mi · Rio Costilla (Valle Vidal) 23 mi · Eagle Rock Lake 25 mi · Coyote Creek 26 mi · Red River (Questa) 27 mi · Springer Lake 30 mi · Charette Lakes 32 mi · Maxwell Lake 13 33 mi · Rio Grande (Taos) 34 mi · Rio Grande (Pilar / Orilla Verde) 39 mi
See how Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in New Mexico · best brown trout lakes in New Mexico
More water nearby: Colfax 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.