City Reservoir in San Juan County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for City Reservoir in San Juan County, New Mexico. It sits in dry rangeland country. About 3 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Nearest town is Farmington, 1.9 miles off. After that come Upper Fruitland at 6.8 miles and Flora Vista at 7.3 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on City Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Records held for San Juan County cover flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and channel catfish. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat City Reservoir as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 75°F, while January sits near 29°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That is the shape of the year on City Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. BLM - Farmington Field Office covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Meadows Reservoir, 8.8 miles away. For City Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.