Pinos Lake is a reservoir in New Mexico, near McKinley County.
Pinos Lake is a reservoir in McKinley County, New Mexico, and covers about 3.5 acres, reaches about 4.7 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 9.1 acre-feet.
The small size of Pinos Lake makes quiet casts and short moves more useful than carrying a pile of tackle. With little deep water in Pinos Lake, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.
Fish listed for Pinos Lake include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, and Green Sunfish.
Start the bluegill search on Pinos Lake by trying to use a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets.
To begin with channel catfish on Pinos Lake, fish cut bait or a nightcrawler on the bottom along a channel edge or warm flat.
When the bite is slow on Pinos 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.
During the first hour on Pinos Lake, shallow water is worth a careful look in spring and again during fall; bright summer days favor shade, weeds, or deeper breaks; under ice, a small depth change can be more useful than a long move.
For a first pass on Pinos 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.
Before moving far on Pinos 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.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.