Navajo Lake, New Mexico Kokanee Salmon Fishing

On the New Mexico side of the 4 corners area, in the high desert, there’s a lake that that has a salmon population. The lake is at an elevation of 6,085 feet, and is in the high desert near the 4 corners area, on the north border of New Mexico, with a bit of it going into Colorado. Navajo lake is more than 25 miles long, and supports a healthy kokanee population. Navajo Lake is probably the most popular, or the second most popular lake in New Mexico for kokanee salmon fishing (the other lake being Heron Lake).

The lake is actually a reservoir, not a natural lake. It’s a man made body of water that came about with the creation of the Navajo dam that brought increased water stability and electricity production to the area.

Where is Navajo Lake

How to Fish for Kokanee in Navajo Lake

The most popular way to fish for kokanee at Navajo Lake is snagging. When snagging, you jerk a big weighted treble hook through the water, trying to hook into the body of a fish. Come opening day of snagging season, the banks are lined with people out trying to catch these kokanee. Kokanee snagging season might be the most popular, but that only accounts for 25% of the year. Kokanee are catchable and more tasty the other parts of the year.

The next most popular way to fish for kokanee at Navajo is trolling with a downrigger. You’ll want to troll at 1.2-1.8 mph with a kokanee rig, and I list the most popular gear below for that. You can also jig for kokanee but trolling is definitely the more popular option. You need to find the kokanee, get on them, and then work that school of kokanee until they move on. Then you find them again.

Navajo Lake is fairly big, and there are a lot more places where you can find kokanee, but these are the most commonly reported areas of success in the forums, social media groups, and fishing reports. If you’ve got a fish finder, you should be able to find schools of kokanee throughout the lake in deeper water, as long as you know what kokanee look like on a fish finder.

Most Common Depth for Finding Kokanee on Navajo Lake

As it gets warmer, kokanee salmon go deeper. They can be hard to find, but depending on the water temperature, you can find Kokanee salmon from 30’ to 60’ with an average being around 40’, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to consistently find them at 40’. Electronics are very important, and especially at LAKE where the water is REALLY deep and kokanee depths can vary so drastically. People time and time again are reporting most success near the dam.

About Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon are sockeye salmon that are landlocked in fresh water. They primarily feed on Zoo plankton and are generally found in larger lakes that can maintain a cool temperature, or have enough depth to maintain a cool temperature. Kokanee are native to many lakes in the western United States and Canada including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho in the United States and British Columbia and Yukon in Canada. Populations of kokanee salmon are also found in Japan and Russia. 

Additionally, kokanee have been introduced to many other lakes in the United States including in those states mentioned above as well as in Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico in the west, as well as in New England, New York and North Carolina in the east. Kokanee have also been introduced to lakes in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada.

Most Popular Kokanee Salmon Rig for Fishing Navajo Lake

I combed through several forums, fishing reports, and social media groups to figure out what most people were reporting having success with. Your most common kokanee trolling setups will probably work, but a little refinement and knowledge from locals never hurts. This is what people are reporting success with.

Snagging Salmon at Navajo Lake

Snagging Kokanee Salmon at Navajo lake is legal in New Mexico and its extremely popular. Navajo lake is where I learned salmon snagging. The fishing is fairly fast and its one of the only times you can effectively fish for kokanee salmon from shore.

The Gear You’ll Need for Kokanee Snagging

The gear for snagging is simple. You need a sturdy pole, stiffer than your usually kokanee pole, strong monofilament line, and the hook. That’s it. 

The hooks were about as big around as a golf ball. They are big trebble hooks that have a weight cast around the shaft of the hook itself. Because the hook and the weight are all one unit, it’s the only thing you’ll need. You’ll need several though. Because the kokanee are spawning along the rocks, you will certainly loose a few hooks. I’d recommend getting the hooks online. Shops around Navajo Lake sell out quick, or get pretty expensive. We ended up buying ours at a small fishing shop close to the lake, and the prices were a bit ridiculous. You’ll save money picking up your hooks before hand. 

Weighted Snagging Treble Hook

Other Fish Found in Navajo Lake

• Brown Trout
• Rainbow Trout
• Northern Pike
• Bluegill
• Crappie
• Catfish
• Smallmouth Bass
• Largemouth Bass

Navajo Lake Photo Gallery