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Fishing Lake Van: what the data says
32-acre lake near Dexter. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Van
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 5 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Inlet: a inflow / creek mouth around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Van
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Inlet, a inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Van
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Van
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lake Van
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 17 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Inlet: inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Van?
Lake Van is about 20 ft (6 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.
What fish are in Lake Van?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, rainbow trout on Lake Van.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Van?
Inlet is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 6 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 Lake Van?
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.
Nearby waters
Lea Lake · Brantley Lake · Conoco Lake (Loco Lagoon) · Green Meadow Lake · Rio Ruidoso · Alto Lake
See how Lake Van stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best crappie lakes in New Mexico · best bluegill lakes in New Mexico · best channel catfish lakes in New Mexico
Browse all New Mexico fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.