Fishing Youngs Lake in San Juan County, New Mexico

• Overview

  Out in San Juan County, New Mexico, sits Youngs Lake. Everything around it is open dry country. The water covers some 42 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Kirtland sits 6.9 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Albuquerque, 154 miles distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Youngs Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Open biodiversity records for San Juan County list flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker, channel catfish, common carp and largemouth bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Youngs Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 75°F, while January sits near 30°F. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Time your trip to Youngs Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Fourmile Reservoir is 3.5 miles distant. Confirm access to Youngs Lake locally before you travel.