Heron Lake

Heron Lake sits at about 7,200 feet near Chama, a Reclamation reservoir that stores San Juan–Chama Project water piped under the Continental Divide. Boats must keep to trolling speed, which keeps it quiet and makes it one of the best lakes in the state for a float tube or a small sailboat. It holds lake trout, including the state record of 31 pounds, along with kokanee and rainbows.

Rainbows cruise the coves and points after ice-off and again in fall, and leeches and chironomids work along the drop-offs. Lake trout come shallow in fall and early spring and take big streamers fished deep. The Willow Creek arm, where kokanee spawn, closes to kokanee from October 1 to November 10, then opens for snagging. Heron runs very low in dry years, so check the storage before a trip.