Johnson Tanks is a reservoir in New Mexico, near Otero County.
Johnson Tanks is a reservoir in Otero County, New Mexico, and covers about 1.2 acres, reaches about 3.2 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 2.2 acre-feet.
On a water as small as Johnson Tanks, one weed edge or deeper pocket can hold much of the day’s activity. With little deep water in Johnson Tanks, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.
Use this plain plan on Johnson Tanks: the fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch.
A focused trip to Johnson Tanks begins this way: 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.
Before changing spots on Johnson Tanks, 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.
While fishing Johnson Tanks, 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.
During the first hour on Johnson Tanks, 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.
The first look at Johnson Tanks should cover this: 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.