Locke Lake

Locke Lake is a lake in San Juan County, New Mexico, and covers about 0.2 acres, reaches about 1.8 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 0.2 acre-feet.

The small size of Locke Lake makes quiet casts and short moves more useful than carrying a pile of tackle. With little deep water in Locke Lake, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.

Fish and Baits

Fish listed for Locke Lake include Green Sunfish.

How to Read the Water

While learning Locke Lake, start where two things meet: weeds and open water, rock and mud, a point and a drop, or clear water and dirty water; fish that edge at more than one depth before leaving it.

Season by Season

The first look at Locke Lake should cover this: in spring, start with warming banks, creek mouths, and shallow cover; summer usually pushes the better bite toward the outside weed edge or a nearby drop; fall can bring bait back to windblown points, while winter calls for smaller moves and a slower pace.

A Simple Tackle Plan

The early check on Locke Lake should stay simple: 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.

Before changing spots on Locke 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.