French Lake Fishing in Colfax County, New Mexico

• Overview

  Look for French Lake in Colfax County, New Mexico. Height above sea level is 6,378 feet. It runs to roughly 54 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Bank access stretches around 1.1 miles in total. The closest town, Angel Fire, is 23 miles distant. Beyond it, Taos Pueblo at 36 miles and Raton at 37 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on French Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Colfax County names cutthroat trout, white sucker, rainbow trout and brown trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On French Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 31°F in January up to 68°F in July. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. On French Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Vaca Pond, 6.5 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at French Lake for certain.