Fishing at Cherry Valley Lake, Mora County, New Mexico

• Overview

  You will find Cherry Valley Lake in Mora County, New Mexico. Height above sea level is 6,224 feet. About 306 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The shoreline runs about 3.4 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Of the waters listed here in Mora County, this is the largest. Las Vegas sits 25 miles from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Albuquerque is 113 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Cherry Valley Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Mora County include cutthroat trout, white sucker, brown trout, Gila trout and green sunfish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Cherry Valley Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 32°F and July at about 69°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Whether it freezes depends on the year. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That shapes the year on Cherry Valley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Phoenix Lake sits 8.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Cherry Valley Lake.