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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
15-acre reservoir near Roswell. The lake tops out around 90 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 17 acres, worked by 0.7 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Roughly 10% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Chaves County claims this one. Lake Van sits 9 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring rainbow trout on Lea Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. Put Shoreline break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 41 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (41 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (41 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 77 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 Lea Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Lea Lake is about 90 ft (27 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 on Lea Lake.
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 41 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Lea Lake 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.
Lake Van 9 mi · Conoco Lake (Loco Lagoon) 49 mi · Brantley Lake 52 mi · Rio Ruidoso 77 mi · Alto Lake 78 mi · Green Meadow Lake 78 mi · Grindstone Reservoir 78 mi · Bonito Lake 82 mi · Oasis State Park Lake 86 mi · Eunice Lake 87 mi · Sumner Lake 91 mi · Greene Acres Lake 100 mi
See how Lea Lake stacks up: best rainbow 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.