McClure Reservoir, New Mexico: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, this is McClure Reservoir. What surrounds it is rolling hill. Roughly 85 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Bank access stretches around 1.3 miles in total. Of the waters listed here in Santa Fe County, this is the largest. Santa Fe is the closest town at 6 miles. Albuquerque is the closest city, 62 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on McClure Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish documented in Santa Fe County include cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and bluegill. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. McClure Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 60°F on average, January about 26°F. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. On McClure Reservoir the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Nichols Reservoir is 2.6 miles off. Treat access at McClure Reservoir as something to verify.