Navajo Lake State Park

State Park On The Second Largest Reservoir In New Mexico, Behind The 1962 Navajo Dam On The San Juan River; The Tailwater Below The Dam Is A Nationally Known Quality Water Trout Fishery · Navajo Dam, New Mexico

Navajo Dam went in on the San Juan River in 1962 and backed up the second largest reservoir in New Mexico, stretching north into Colorado with about 150 miles of shoreline. The lake itself is a good large-water reservoir - houseboats, bass, kokanee salmon, two developed campgrounds on opposite shores - but it is not why anglers outside the state know the name. That is the four miles of river immediately below the dam, where water released from the bottom of the reservoir runs cold and clear all year and holds an extraordinary density of large rainbow and brown trout. The top stretch is quality water, catch and release, barbless artificial flies only, and it is fished hard by people who have flown in for it. The surrounding country is high mesa and pinyon at 6,000 feet on the edge of the Navajo Nation. The two developed campgrounds sit on opposite shores and are a long drive apart around the lake, so pick the right one before arriving, and check the water level before towing a boat - it swings hard between years.

1448 NM Highway 511, Navajo Dam, Navajo Dam, New Mexico, 87419, United States

Open all year, day and night, with a day-use fee collected at the entrance stations. The visitor centre keeps daytime hours. Campgrounds at Pine and Sims Mesa operate year round with reduced services in winter, part reservable and part first come first served. Boat ramps depend on the water level. The San Juan quality water below the dam is open to fishing year round under special tackle and bag rules that are strictly enforced.

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