Fishing Rock Lake in Guadalupe County, New Mexico

• Overview

  Guadalupe County in New Mexico is where Rock Lake sits. It sits at 4,583 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Santa Rosa lies 2.3 miles from the water. Beyond it, Tucumcari at 56 miles and Las Vegas at 57 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Rock Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Guadalupe County names green sunfish, white sucker and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Rock Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 38°F in January to roughly 77°F in July. The surface stays open the year round. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Plan around that when you fish Rock Lake. A settled week fishes better than a changeable one.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Part of this sits inside or beside State Game Commission Land, so read the notices. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Post Lake is 0.3 miles distant. Treat access at Rock Lake as something to verify.