Middle Fork Lake in Mora County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Middle Fork Lake belongs to Mora County, New Mexico. The surroundings are lake country bush. The water measures roughly 4 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is high ground by New Mexico standards. Chimayo at 23 miles is the nearest place to stop. Then Ranchos de Taos, 26 miles, and La Puebla, 26 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Middle Fork Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Mora County: cutthroat trout, white sucker, brown trout, Gila trout and green sunfish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Middle Fork Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 51°F; by January the average is down near 19°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. From about mid May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Middle Fork Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. North Fork Lake at 1.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Middle Fork Lake carry more weight than any list.