Fishing at Morgan Lake, San Juan County, New Mexico

• Overview

  Within San Juan County, New Mexico, you have Morgan Lake. The setting is sage and rock on every side. Surface area runs to roughly 1,257 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Some 6.7 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Of the waters listed here in San Juan County, this is the largest. Waterflow sits 4.2 miles from the bank. Albuquerque sits 151 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Morgan Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Fish documented in San Juan County include flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and channel catfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Morgan Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 76°F, with January the cold end at about 31°F. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. On Morgan Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Youngs Lake, 11 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Morgan Lake in particular, ask before you travel.