T J Lake Fishing Guide, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

• Overview

  T J Lake is set in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. The water measures roughly 2 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The closest town, Chama, is 8.2 miles away. For a city, Albuquerque is 134 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on T J Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Records held for Rio Arriba County cover white sucker, cutthroat trout and brown trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. T J Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 55°F on average, January about 18°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid May. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. T J Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Native Lake sits 0.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at T J Lake as something to verify.