Lake Sumner Fishing Guides
A Pecos River reservoir in the De Baca County canyon country above Fort Sumner, drawing four thousand three hundred and ninety square miles of eastern New Mexico, with walleye and white bass the draw.
Guides on the Lake Sumner
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About the Lake Sumner
Lake Sumner impounds the Pecos River in De Baca County, in the low canyon and mesa country of eastern New Mexico above the village of Fort Sumner. Four thousand three hundred and ninety square miles of the upper Pecos basin drain to it, a very large catchment for a reservoir of this size, which is why the lake responds so sharply to conditions far upstream in the mountains. The gauge reads stage, and on an irrigation storage reservoir in a dry state that single number is the most important thing an angler can check before hitching up.
Water level here is not a detail, it is the fishery. Sumner is operated for irrigation delivery down the Pecos, and it draws down hard through a dry summer. Ramps that are usable in May can be well above the waterline by August in a low year. The shoreline is rock, sand and low bluff with very little timber, so the structure that holds fish is points, submerged ledges and the old river channel rather than wood.
Walleye are the signature fish and the reason the lake has a following well beyond the local area. White bass are abundant and school heavily, which makes for fast fishing when a school is found. Largemouth and smallmouth bass both hold on the rocky shoreline, channel catfish are plentiful, and crappie, bluegill, drum and carp fill out the list.
Sumner Lake State Park sits on the reservoir and provides the developed access, camping and ramps. Wind is a serious factor on this open eastern plains water and can come up quickly in the afternoon, so plan around mornings and watch the forecast rather than the surface.
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Access
Sumner Lake State Park - the developed park on the reservoir, with camping, ramps and shoreline access.
Fort Sumner - the De Baca County seat downstream, with fuel, food, lodging and tackle.
Pecos River below the dam - the tailwater reach downstream, with its own separate fishing.
Santa Rosa - the town to the north on Interstate 40, with full services.
Santa Rosa Lake - another Pecos reservoir upstream with its own state park and ramps.
Bosque Redondo Memorial - a historic site at Fort Sumner worth a stop on a slow afternoon.
Clovis - the nearest city of size to the east, with marine supply and guides.
Seasons
Spring: the best window of the year, with walleye spawning shallow and white bass schooling hard.
Summer: fish deep and early, and check the current lake level before travelling because drawdown can close ramps.
Fall: cooling water brings walleye and bass back onto the points and the fishing picks up again.
Winter: cold, windy and lightly fished, with walleye still catchable for anglers willing to work slowly.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Lake Sumner?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass on the Lake Sumner in New Mexico.
Where can you access the Lake Sumner?
Sumner Lake State Park - the developed park on the reservoir, with camping, ramps and shoreline access. Fort Sumner - the De Baca County seat downstream, with fuel, food, lodging and tackle. Pecos River below the dam - the tailwater reach downstream, with its own separate fishing. Santa Rosa - the town to the north on Interstate 40, with full services. Santa Rosa Lake - another Pecos reservoir upstream with its own state park and ramps. Bosque Redondo Memorial - a historic site at Fort Sumner worth a stop on a slow afternoon. Clovis - the nearest city of size to the east, with marine supply an...
When is the best time to fish the Lake Sumner?
Spring: the best window of the year, with walleye spawning shallow and white bass schooling hard. Summer: fish deep and early, and check the current lake level before travelling because drawdown can close ramps. Fall: cooling water brings walleye and bass back onto the points and the fishing picks up again. Winter: cold, windy and lightly fished, with walleye still catchable for anglers willing to work slowly.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lake Sumner?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New Mexico agency site: https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/fishing/