Coats Lake is a lake in New Mexico, near Otero County.
Coats Lake is a lake in Otero County, New Mexico, and covers about 0.7 acres, reaches about 2.6 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 1.1 acre-feet.
The small size of Coats Lake makes quiet casts and short moves more useful than carrying a pile of tackle. With little deep water in Coats Lake, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.
Fish listed for Coats Lake include Green Sunfish.
The plan for Coats Lake starts here: make one shallow pass and one deeper pass on the same shoreline; that shows whether fish are tight to cover or using the first break.
For a short trip to Coats Lake, spring runoff can add color and pull fish toward fresh water; green weeds and the first drop become stronger summer targets; in fall, follow bait toward points and shallow flats, while winter rewards a slower search.
When the bite is slow on Coats 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.
A useful start on Coats Lake is simple: 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.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.