Dutch Lakes in Catron County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Dutch Lakes is listed under Catron County, New Mexico. It sits at 6,677 feet above sea level. At roughly 3 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Our Catron County list holds plenty of bigger water. You are 29 miles from Saint Johns. It is 134 miles to Albuquerque, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Dutch Lakes

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. At Dutch Lakes the water rewards a slow, careful approach. Watch where fish top and note the time of day.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 69°F in July and bottom out at 32°F in January. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Anyone fishing Dutch Lakes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping flags this water as intermittent: it can be dry for part of the year, so check before travelling. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Cheap John Lake is 4.6 miles off. For Dutch Lakes in particular, ask before you travel.