Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at El Vado Reservoir
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing El Vado Reservoir: what the data says
3,082-acre reservoir near Tierra Amarilla. The lake tops out around 140 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at El Vado Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at El Vado Reservoir
Spring brown trout on El Vado Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Kokanee fishing at El Vado Reservoir
Spring kokanee on El Vado Reservoir hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 130 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 129 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 58 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 23 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 22 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 13 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 11 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 5 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is El Vado Reservoir?
El Vado Reservoir is about 140 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in El Vado Reservoir?
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee on El Vado Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on El Vado Reservoir?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 11 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.
When is the best time to fish El Vado Reservoir?
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.