Brooks Tank

Brooks Tank is a reservoir in Chaves County, New Mexico, and covers about 32.6 acres, reaches about 11 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 199.7 acre-feet.

Brooks Tank is compact enough to fish slowly, but a change in weeds or bottom can still split it into separate patterns. With little deep water in Brooks Tank, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.

Fish and Baits

A focused trip to Brooks Tank begins this way: the fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch.

While learning Brooks Tank, begin with one slow bottom presentation and one moving bait, then let bites show whether fish are holding close to cover or roaming open water.

How to Read the Water

For the next pass on Brooks Tank, 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

One way to read Brooks Tank is this: 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

At Brooks Tank, 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.

For a short trip to Brooks Tank, 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.