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Rating depth structure for channel catfish.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
130-acre reservoir near Quemado. The lake tops out around 55 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 112 acres, worked by 2.6 miles of shoreline. With a 1.8 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 42% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.9 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. Catron County claims this one. If the bite dies, Luna Lake is 40 mi to the southwest.
Spring rainbow trout on Quemado 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 Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 25 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 | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for muskellunge tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 25 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 17 to 55 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. Time it for after dark and early morning. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 17 to 55 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (47 ft) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 47 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Quemado Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Quemado Lake is about 55 ft (17 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, muskellunge, brown trout, channel catfish on Quemado Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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 Quemado 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.
Luna Lake 40 mi, AZ · Nelson Reservoir 40 mi, AZ · Becker Lake 47 mi, AZ · Snow Lake 49 mi · Little Colorado River (Greer) 53 mi, AZ · River Reservoir 55 mi, AZ · Big Lake 56 mi, AZ · West Fork Black River 58 mi, AZ · Carnero Lake 59 mi, AZ · Lee Valley Lake 59 mi, AZ · San Francisco River (Glenwood) 60 mi · Black River 62 mi, AZ
See how Quemado Lake stacks up: best channel catfish lakes in New Mexico · best rainbow trout lakes in New Mexico · best brown 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.