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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
93-acre lake near Chimayo. The lake tops out around 55 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 93 acres, worked by 2.6 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.9) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 43% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi, about 0.4 mi across. Santa Fe County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Katherine, is 13 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Inlet: 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 | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inlet (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Inlet (6 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) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Santa Cruz Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 14 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Inlet (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Inlet first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Inlet (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) |
Spring crappie on Santa Cruz Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The chart marks 7 structure features on Santa Cruz Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 47 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 Santa Cruz Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Santa Cruz 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, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie on Santa Cruz Lake.
Inlet 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 Santa Cruz 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 Katherine 13 mi · Stewart Lake 15 mi · Pecos River (Upper) 19 mi · Rio Grande (Pilar / Orilla Verde) 22 mi · Morphy Lake 29 mi · Monastery Lake 29 mi · Rio Chama (Abiquiu Tailwater) 31 mi · Rio Grande (Taos) 31 mi · Cochiti Lake 32 mi · Mora River (Upper) 34 mi · Abiquiu Lake 39 mi · Coyote Creek 41 mi
See how Santa Cruz Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Mexico · best crappie lakes in New Mexico · best channel catfish 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.