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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
11-acre lake near Cowles. The lake tops out around 35 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Katherine runs 11 acres with 0.6 miles of edge. Nearly circular (index 1.2), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Roughly 23% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. You'll find it in Santa Fe County. For a second option, Stewart Lake lies 1 mi east.
When the water first warms, cutthroat trout slide up into 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Inlet: 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 trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inlet (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (16 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Inlet (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 9 to 35 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (16 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 35 ft. Inlet is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inlet (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Inlet (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (16 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 7 to 35 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (16 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Lake Katherine carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 30 ft down.
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 Lake Katherine specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Lake Katherine is about 35 ft (11 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 cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Lake Katherine.
Inlet is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For cutthroat 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 Lake Katherine 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.
Stewart Lake 1 mi · Pecos River (Upper) 6 mi · Santa Cruz Lake 13 mi · Monastery Lake 17 mi · Morphy Lake 21 mi · Mora River (Upper) 26 mi · Storrie Lake 31 mi · Rio Grande (Pilar / Orilla Verde) 31 mi · Cochiti Lake 34 mi · Coyote Creek 37 mi · McAllister Lake 39 mi · Rio Grande (Taos) 39 mi
See how Lake Katherine stacks up: best rainbow 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.