Mims Lake in Sierra County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mims Lake is a Sierra County water, New Mexico side. Height above sea level is 4,232 feet. The water covers some 92 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Our Sierra County list holds plenty of bigger water. For supplies, Elephant Butte is 2.3 miles out. The big place round here is Las Cruces, 64 miles distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mims Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records collected within a few miles name largemouth bass, blue catfish, bluegill and channel catfish. Reported species tell you what lives around here, nothing more. The shape of Mims Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 40°F to 79°F. The surface stays open the year round. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Time your trip to Mims Lake by conditions rather than dates. Water colour tells you more than the air temperature does.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Elephant Butte Reservoir at 6.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Signs at Mims Lake carry more weight than any list.