Fishing Blue Lake in Colfax County, New Mexico

• Overview

  Blue Lake sits in Colfax County, out in New Mexico. It sits in lake country bush country. This is a pocket water of some 11 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It sits higher than most water we list in New Mexico. Arroyo Seco sits 10 miles from the bank. Albuquerque sits 123 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Blue Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Colfax County include cutthroat trout, white sucker and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The shape of Blue Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 52°F for July and 19°F for January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid May. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That shapes the year on Blue Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Star Lake, 0.7 miles away. Confirm access to Blue Lake locally before you travel.