Middle Lake in Colfax County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Middle Lake lies in Colfax County, in New Mexico. It lies 9,590 feet above sea level. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Colfax County standards. The town to know is Angel Fire, 7.3 miles out. Taos Pueblo follows at 22 miles, then Taos at 23 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Middle Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Colfax County include cutthroat trout, white sucker and rainbow trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Middle Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 56°F and January reads 21°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Middle Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Agua Fria Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Middle Lake for certain.