Fishing Vanderwagen Reservoir Number Two in McKinley County, New Mexico

• Overview

  Look for Vanderwagen Reservoir Number Two in McKinley County, New Mexico. It sits in open valley country. About 9 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Black Rock is the closest town at 15 miles. For a city, Albuquerque is 119 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter. Nothing about the approach is difficult in dry weather.

• Where to Fish on Vanderwagen Reservoir Number Two

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. County-wide records name bluehead sucker, green sunfish and muskellunge. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Vanderwagen Reservoir Number Two the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 28°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. It sets the rhythm of the year at Vanderwagen Reservoir Number Two.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Vanderwagen Reservoir Number One, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Vanderwagen Reservoir Number Two may have changed since it was mapped.