Battered and fried over a campfire, roasted whole on sticks, baked in hobo packets on hot coals—no matter how it’s fixed, freshly caught fish can be the highlight of a meal enjoyed after a day of successful fishing, that is, if the catch is properly cared for before cooking.
Lakes in New Mexico
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The state and national parks of New Mexico alone contain almost 20 lakes of interest to water lovers. The largest and most popular is Elephant Butte, which offers fishing and other water sports year round. The second largest? Navajo Lake. It too is popular with boaters and anglers, and has a full-service marina. Campgrounds and hiking trails are nearby, as is the San Juan River, a great spot for trout fishing. Other lakes of note in New Mexico include three unique bodies of water known as the Bottomless Lakes. Lea Lake is the deepest at 90 feet - and the only one where swimming is allowed. Devil's Inkwell, a murky lake filled with algae and rainbow trout, is 32-feet deep. The third "bottomless" lake, Lazy Lagoon, is surrounded by odiferous mud flats; nevertheless, it's popular with birdwatchers. In addition to swimming, fishing and birding, visitors to the area may camp, picnic, sail or hunt for "Pecos diamonds", the sparkling quartz crystals that are found throughout the area. |
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Featured lakes in New Mexico |
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Caballo Reservoir is located in Sierra County. This is the fourth largest reservoir in New Mexico. It is located wholly within Caballo Lake State Park. Recreation activities on this lake include boating, swimming, fishing and water skiing. |
Conchas Lake, a 25-mile long reservoir, is located by Conchas Lake State Park on the Canadian River in northeastern New Mexico. Nearby towns include Hooverville and Conchas. Boating, waterskiing, picnicking, camping and fishing are popular at the lake. It has nine boat ramps that are open to the public. Fish species include channel catfish, largemouth bass, and walleye. The lake is also known for its irregular shoreline which has many coves, beaches, and canyons featuring prehistoric rock formations that contain interesting fossils. |
After a three-year environmental-impact study that concluded in January 2011, the Ute Reservoir is slated to become part of a rural water project in eastern New Mexico. The project would pipe water from the Ute into the cities of Clovis, Elida, Grady, Melrose, Portales, and Texico as well as the Cannon Air Force Base and rural areas of Curry and Roosevelt counties. The reservoir is popular with boaters. |
Popular New Mexico lakes
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