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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Red River near Questa. Wild trout water in the New Mexico high country. The river tops out around 8 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Red River (Questa) maps at 29 acres behind 8.6 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 11.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 4 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. Taos County claims this one. If the bite dies, Eagle Rock Lake is 3 mi to the east.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 8 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it tributary inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (2 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Red River pool (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 1 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is tributary inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | riffle run (2 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is tributary inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (2 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (2 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | riffle run (2 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Red River pool, around 8 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 Red River (Questa) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Red River (Questa) is about 8 ft (2 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, brown trout, cutthroat trout on Red River (Questa).
tributary inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. 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 Red River (Questa) 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.
Eagle Rock Lake 3 mi · Cabresto Lake 9 mi · Rio Hondo 11 mi · Rio Costilla (Valle Vidal) 20 mi · Rio Grande (Taos) 21 mi · Eagle Nest Lake 24 mi · Cimarron River (Cimarron Canyon) 27 mi · Rio Grande (Pilar / Orilla Verde) 29 mi · Hopewell Lake 34 mi · Canjilon Lakes 41 mi · Coyote Creek 42 mi · Trout Lakes 42 mi
See how Red River (Questa) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in New Mexico · best brown trout lakes in New Mexico · best cutthroat trout lakes in New Mexico
More water nearby: Taos County fishing maps (7 charts). 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.