Fishing Report For Heron Lake, NM

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Each Winter, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish stocks both catchable, and fingerling, rainbow trout to maintain a consistent fishery for anglers.

WINTER. When Winter sets in jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, are catching nice limits of rainbows out of 30 to 100 feet of water. These baits work well around the old river channel in the main basin, near the dam, and along deep channel troughs. Trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, are the best approach during the cold-water season. Slowly worked offerings are more likely to attract bites in this cold water.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding areas to shallow, warmer water 5 to 15 feet deep. A good number of rainbows are typically caught from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day. Shallow flats and rocky structure are quick to warm in the afternoon sun. Willow Creek and Los Ojos creek mouths, points, shallow coves, and flats adjacent to deep water are popular in Spring. A wide variety of small spinners, spoons and bait are catching most of the fish.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives rainbow deeper, 20 to 60 feet deep, occasionally deeper. Trolling the main basin with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. In summer trout commonly suspend above the thermocline, above humps, deep channel edges and mid-lake structure. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with fairly heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits in deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers catch them 8 to 25 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, and flats. On deeper rocky structure, humps, and ledges rainbows feed in 15 to 40 feet of water, anywhere baitfish are gathering. Now that these trout have had a full summer to grow, there are some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, spoons, jigs, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits. Later in Autumn, they move into 20 to 50 feet of water.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

WINTER. Ice fishing for kokanee was good last winter, and should be again this year. Now, and when ice fishing later in Winter, kokanee are typically caught from 25 to 80 feet deep. The face of the dam, deep humps, mid-lake troughs, and inlet areas are currently holding decent schools of kokanee salmon. Schools often suspend under the ice in, or just below, the thermocline. On occasion they move deeper. Ice jigs, spoons, PowerBait, ShrimpZ, shoepeg corn and maggots are popular ice fishing baits here.

SPRING. During Spring, kokanee typically move closer to the surface where phytoplankton blooms become more abundant, providing a rich food source. Kokanee will feed heavily on this plankton in 10 to 20 feet of water, until surface temperatures reach the high 50's. Kokanee then stage around 30 to 40 feet deep focusing on schools of baitfish. Look for them in tributary mouths, upper river arms, and warmer, food-rich pockets as they begin to move toward spawning reaches. The Willow Creek channel, and the main basin are usually hot spots in late Spring. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during this period.

SUMMER. Downriggers or leaded line are the two primary methods for catching kokanee here, while trolling. Kokanee school up and hang out in 20 to 60 feet deep, sometimes over even deeper water, usually above some form of structure. The ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's. Identify the depth for that temperature range, and the kokanee will be hanging out in that depth range. In Summer, good numbers of kokanee come from around the thermocline. They are often caught in shallower water, early mornings and evenings around flats and points. Worm harnesses and wedding ring spinner setups are popular when trolled behind a 4" dodger. Locals are tipping these baits with shoepeg white corn, PowerBait, Z-Man Scented ShrimpZ, or live nightcrawlers to helps attract bites. 15 to 30 feet deep is the ideal depth to work in these warmer months. Trolling these baits between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed for these kokes.

FALL. In early Fall, kokanee gather in 8 to 30 feet of water around creeks mouths, as well as 15 to 40 feet deep on points and flats, and ledges along channel breaks. Later they migrate towards spawning grounds, along the shoreline, or upstream around tributaries. In the weeks prior to the spawn, they gathered in sizeable schools near the mouths of these inflows. The spawn typically occurs in mid to late September or early October. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during the spawn. Once late Fall arrives, these schools will move out to deeper structure in the basin, where they are caught in 40 to 50 feet of water, often suspending above structure.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

This lake is home to the state record lake trout, weighing over 3 pounds, and there are plenty of big lakers yet to be caught.

WINTER. Ice fishing for lakers was good last year with quite a few monster lake trout caught. It should be just as good again this year. Favoring water temperatures in the 40's, lake trout are now finding areas to their liking in 40 to 150 feet of water. They will typically stay at these depths throughout the cold months. Learning these areas before the lake ices over can get you into some of the better area for ice fishing. Patient anglers willing to work slowly can catch some nice lake trout through the ice.

SPRING. After ice out, trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, completes the cold-water season in 80 to 160 feet of water, or deeper. Spring weather finds lake trout, along with baitfish, into around 40 to 100 feet of water. Because they are shallow, Spring is an ideal time to catch big lakers. They are caught in areas of the lake which have deep water, next to shallower, feeding spots. Jigs and heavy spoons are catching the majority of these big lakers. Slow trolling with leaded line or downriggers allows small crankbaits and spinners to be worked in deeper water, which also produces some nice fish. Later in Spring they typically drop into deeper water.

SUMMER. Summer heat drives lake trout to hold around the thermocline, generally in 20 to 60 feet deep. Early and late in the day, lakers may feed slightly shallower. Generally, lake trout prefer to stay around the thermocline, throughout Summer. They look for depth variations like ditches, channels, humps, points and ledges, but are often caught in the deeper water around this structure. Heavy spoons and jigs, as well as very slow trolling, with leaded line or downriggers, produce many of the lakers being caught during Summer. In late summer concentrate on channel edges, troughs, and main lake humps.

FALL. Lake trout will be returning to relatively shallow water, as Fall weather cools the shallows first. They spawn in the Fall, and for a few weeks can typically be found 15 to 30 feet deep on points, flats and humps that have a rocky bottom. Lake trout feed on small fish, so lures imitating baitfish, sunfish, perch or small trout are good choices. Cloudy days, early mornings and early evenings are the best time to catch big lakers. Later in Fall they return to 40 to 60 feet deep, or deeper. Spoons, jigged vertically within the target depth can entice bites along depth changes. Trolling at a quick pace with spoons, brightly-colored jerkbaits, and spinners, with a variety of rigging methods to get these lures to run deep. For big lakers, use larger baits.