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Fishing Heron Reservoir: what the data says
4,510-acre reservoir near Los Ojos. The lake tops out around 222 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 Heron Reservoir
Spring rainbow trout on Heron Reservoir hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| 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) |
Lake Trout fishing at Heron Reservoir
Spring lake trout on Heron Reservoir hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in spring. Best bite is early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Kokanee fishing at Heron Reservoir
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 23 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning. 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 |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Heron Reservoir
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 19 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Yellow Perch fishing at Heron Reservoir
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Common Carp fishing at Heron Reservoir
Spring common carp on Heron Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 204 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 204 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 81 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 76 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 52 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 49 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 38 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 31 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 27 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 23 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 21 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 20 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 19 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 14 ft
Common questions
How deep is Heron Reservoir?
Heron Reservoir is about 222 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 Heron Reservoir?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, common carp, lake trout, kokanee on Heron Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Heron Reservoir?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 20 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 Heron 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.