Mexican Lake

Mexican Lake is a lake in Navajo County, Arizona and covers about 146.5 acres, reaches about 21.1 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 1,236.7 acre-feet.

Mexican Lake can be broken down in a few passes: shallow cover, the first break, and the deepest useful water.

Fish and Baits

Fish listed for Mexican Lake include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Green Sunfish, and Largemouth Bass.

For black crappie, fish a small jig or minnow around wood, weeds, and sharp little drops; keep line light around small clear-water fish; give shaded water a separate pass on this 146.5-acre lake.

For bluegill, use a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets; test a point before fishing a featureless bank; give shaded water a separate pass on this 146.5-acre lake.

For largemouth bass, work a soft plastic, jig, or spinnerbait around weeds and protected cover; keep a worm ready for a slower check; give shaded water a separate pass on this 146.5-acre lake.

For channel catfish, fish cut bait or a nightcrawler on the bottom along a channel edge or warm flat; match lure size to the fish.

For a short trip to Mexican Lake, other targets listed here include Common Carp; give each one its own bait and depth instead of trying to catch everything with the same rig.

How to Read the Water

At Mexican Lake, use wind as a clue; a light push can carry food toward a bank, but hard wind may muddy it, so look for a clean edge near a point or protected pocket.

Season by Season

When working Mexican Lake, early in the year, protected water and the first warm afternoon can be the best clues; as the water heats up, check deeper edges without assuming every fish is on the bottom; cooling fall water often makes points and firm banks useful again.

A Simple Tackle Plan

Use this plain plan on Mexican Lake: a medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle.

At Mexican Lake, record the wind, water color, productive depth, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.

Mexican Lake FAQs

What is a simple way to start fishing for black crappie at Mexican Lake?

Begin over firm bottom, then fish a small jig or minnow around wood, weeds, and sharp little drops; keep one slow bait ready.

What does the 21.1 feet deepest point mean when fishing Mexican Lake?

Treat 21.1 feet as the deepest point, not the automatic fishing depth; start near cover and move deeper only when bites or bait give a reason.

What is the best reason to change spots at Mexican Lake?

Fish a small bottom change, then move after checking the same useful feature at several depths without finding bait, a clean edge, or a bite; make the next cast parallel to the edge.