Reservoir

Conchas Lake

San Miguel County, New Mexico

Conchas Lake is a Canadian River reservoir in Conchas Lake State Park; the NM State Parks management plan gives 16,033 surface acres at capacity (2,694 at minimum pool) and a deepest point of about 158 feet.

Red pins match the numbered boat launches below. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Conchas Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area16,033 acres

Max depth158 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Walleye●●●○○

Points, flats and reefs at low light. Jigs and live bait early, crankbaits and crawler harnesses in summer.

Largemouth Bass●●●○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Smallmouth Bass●●○○○

Rock, gravel and points. Tubes, jerkbaits and drop-shots.

Crappie●●○○○

Brush piles, docks and standing timber. Minnows or small jigs.

Bluegill●●○○○

Weed beds and shallow flats in late spring.

Channel Catfish●●○○○

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and creek mouths in the evening.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Crappie

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

3 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

1North Campground high-water rampsRamp
Two high-water boat ramps adjacent to the North CampgroundDirections ↗
2Cove Campground rampsRamp
Three ramps for lower lake levelsDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See the state agency or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Conchas Lake are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish ↗

Rules change, so confirm current limits with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Cunico's Bait and TackleNearby
223 Conchas Dr., Conchas Dam, NM(505) 617-1722 Directions ↗
Johnson's Bait and TackleNearby
7581 Highway 104, Conchas Dam, NM 88416(575) 403-6407 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Conchas Lake ↗

Local tips

Lake level swings a lot (minimum pool surface is only 2,694 acres), so check which ramps are usable before you go.
The lake reaches about 158 feet deep; fish walleye along the deeper structure.
Use the high-water ramps at North Campground when the lake is full and the Cove ramps when it is low.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Conchas Lake.

Loading reports...

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.