Fence Lake in Cibola County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Fence Lake is a Cibola County water, New Mexico side. The land about it is mixed woodland. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. The nearest place of any size is Black Rock, 32 miles away. Zuni Pueblo is 32 miles and Saint Johns 42 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Fence Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Cibola County records list bluehead sucker, green sunfish, muskellunge, Rio Grande sucker and rainbow trout among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Fence Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 30°F to 69°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That is the shape of the year on Fence Lake. Warm spells bring fish up, cold snaps push them down.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Chaparral Lake at 4.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Fence Lake carry more weight than any list.