Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,200-acre reservoir near Pena Blanca. The lake tops out around 90 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Cochiti Lake runs 1,132 acres with 16.6 miles of edge, with a single island in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 54% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.2 mi with a 1.6-mi widest point. You'll find it in Sandoval County. The nearest mapped water is Jemez River, 22 mi to the west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (41 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 23 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rio Grande inflow (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (41 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Rio Grande inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rio Grande inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (41 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
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 Rio Grande 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 | Rio Grande inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Rio Grande 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) |
Spring white bass on Cochiti Lake hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Rio Grande inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 8 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rio Grande inflow (8 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (45 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Large jigging spoon |
10 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 Cochiti Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Cochiti 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 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, white bass, northern pike on Cochiti Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Cochiti 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.
Jemez River 22 mi · Rio Guadalupe 26 mi · Fenton Lake 29 mi · Santa Cruz Lake 32 mi · Lake Katherine 34 mi · Stewart Lake 35 mi · Monastery Lake 36 mi · Pecos River (Upper) 37 mi · Rio Chama (Abiquiu Tailwater) 40 mi · Tingley Beach 44 mi · Abiquiu Lake 44 mi · Rio Grande (Middle, Albuquerque) 50 mi
See how Cochiti Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best walleye lakes in New Mexico · best white bass 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.