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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
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Coyote Creek near Guadalupita. 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 7 acres wrapped in 3.8 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 10.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 1.9 mi end to end. It sits in Mora County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mora River (Upper), is 14 mi to the south.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 2 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it tributary inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | 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 | Coyote Creek pool (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 1 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 1 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is tributary inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| 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) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is tributary inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (2 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (2 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | riffle run (2 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Coyote Creek pool, sits near 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 Coyote Creek specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Coyote Creek 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, cutthroat trout on Coyote Creek.
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. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Coyote Creek 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.
Mora River (Upper) 14 mi · Morphy Lake 18 mi · Charette Lakes 24 mi · Eagle Nest Lake 24 mi · Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon) 26 mi · Rio Hondo 31 mi · Rio Grande (Pilar / Orilla Verde) 32 mi · Rio Grande (Taos) 33 mi · Storrie Lake 35 mi · Stewart Lake 36 mi · Springer Lake 36 mi · Pecos River (Upper) 36 mi
See how Coyote Creek stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in New Mexico · best brown trout lakes in New Mexico · best cutthroat trout 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.