Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeRiver depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Rio Chama near Tierra Amarilla. Wild trout water in the New Mexico high country. The river tops out around 10 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 follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rio Chama (below El Vado) maps at 86 acres behind 15.5 miles of shoreline. An index of 11.9 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 4.1 mi end to end and 1.3 mi across at its widest. It sits in Rio Arriba County. El Vado Reservoir sits 6 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 10 ft. Put tributary inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | riffle run (3 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Rio Chama pool (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 1 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 10 ft. tributary inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring brown trout. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | tributary inflow (7 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dawn | riffle run (3 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | tributary inflow (7 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 10 ft | dawn | tributary inflow (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Rio Chama pool, sits near 10 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 Rio Chama (below El Vado) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Rio Chama (below El Vado) is about 10 ft (3 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 on Rio Chama (below El Vado).
tributary inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 7 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 Rio Chama (below El Vado) 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.
El Vado Reservoir 6 mi · Heron Reservoir 10 mi · Trout Lakes 20 mi · Canjilon Lakes 21 mi · Abiquiu Lake 23 mi · Hopewell Lake 29 mi · Rio Chama (Abiquiu Tailwater) 30 mi · Fenton Lake 46 mi · Navajo Reservoir 49 mi, NM/CO · Rio Grande (Pilar / Orilla Verde) 55 mi · Rio Grande (Taos) 55 mi · Jemez River 56 mi
See how Rio Chama (below El Vado) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in New Mexico · best brown trout lakes in New Mexico
More water nearby: Rio Arriba County fishing maps (8 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.