Elephant Butte Lake

Sierra County, New Mexico

Elephant Butte Lake is New Mexico's largest reservoir, on the Rio Grande near Truth or Consequences. It is one of the state's top lakes for bass, stripers, white bass and catfish.

Air temp in Elephant Butte, NM Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Elephant Butte Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area36,500 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline—

Boat motorsUnlimited horsepower

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Smallmouth Bass●●●●○

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

Striped Bass●●●●○

Follow shad schools. Live bait, umbrella rigs and topwater.

White Bass●●●●○

Schools chasing shad in open water, and spring river runs.

Channel Catfish●●●○○

The state rates the catfish population as very good with some large fish.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Striped Bass
White Bass

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

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

Marina Del Sur RampFee
State park main-entry ramp, 10 concrete lanes; debris clearing during low water in 2026; park day-use feeDirections ↗
Rock Canyon RampFee
State park ramp, 4 concrete lanes; moves during low water; park day-use feeDirections ↗
Monticello RampFee
State park ramp off I-25 Exit 89, 6 concrete lanes; park day-use feeDirections ↗
Dam Site RampFee
State park ramp on NM 51 toward Engle; usable only at certain lake levelsDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See New Mexico Game & Fish or the lake manager's website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Elephant Butte 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.

Rock Canyon MarinaNearby
Elephant Butte, NMDirections ↗
Bud's Bait ShopNearby
1155 Hwy 195, Elephant Butte, NM575-297-4376 Directions ↗
Caballo Country Store & RV ParkNearby
14422 Highway 187, Caballo, NM575-248-3703 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Elephant Butte Lake ↗

Local tips

Public ramps are at Dam Site, the state park, Rock Canyon and South Monticello Point.
Water levels change a lot from year to year, so check which ramps are open before you go.
Dam Site Marina and Marina del Sur rent boats and sell tackle.

Angler reports

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

Loading reports...

View on interactive map

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