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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
170-acre reservoir near Clayton. The lake tops out around 25 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Shoreline on the chart totals 2.7 miles. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 79% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.4 mi across. It sits in Union County. If the bite dies, Lake Carl Etling is 30 mi to the northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 11 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring largemouth bass on Clayton Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Clayton Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 21 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 21 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 21 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 Clayton Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Clayton Lake is about 25 ft (8 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 walleye, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie on Clayton Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Clayton 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.
Lake Carl Etling 30 mi, OK · Lake Alice 65 mi · Lake Maloya 66 mi · Maxwell Lake 13 71 mi · Springer Lake 76 mi · Trinidad Reservoir 80 mi, CO · Ute Lake 85 mi · Charette Lakes 88 mi · Canadian River (below Conchas Dam) 94 mi · Conchas Lake 96 mi · Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon) 104 mi · Ryan Pond, West 104 mi, CO
See how Clayton Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best walleye lakes in New Mexico · best crappie lakes in New Mexico · best channel catfish 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.