Jig (Casting & Pitching) Fishing on Navajo Lake
Navajo Lake · New Mexico / Colorado · West
Navajo Lake is a scenic high-elevation reservoir created by the Navajo Dam on the San Juan River, covering approximately 15,000 acres across the New Mexico-Colorado border. The lake features numerous coves, rocky points, submerged timber, and deep channels that create ideal habitat for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Its cooler mountain water and abundant forage make it a consistently productive fishery attracting anglers seeking quality bass fishing.
A lead or tungsten head with a weed guard, skirt, and soft plastic trailer. Fished on the bottom by pitching, casting, or slow-rolling. The jig imitates crawfish and bottom-dwelling forage. More big bass have been caught on jigs than any other lure category — it's the lure that separates serious anglers.
Jig (Casting & Pitching) Setup for Navajo Lake
| Rod | 7'–7'3" medium-heavy casting rod, fast action |
| Reel | 7.1:1 baitcaster |
| Line | 15–20 lb fluorocarbon (cover) or 50 lb braid (heavy grass) |
| Weight | 3/8 oz standard; 1/2–3/4 oz in wind or deep; 1/4 oz finesse |
| Hook | Built-in, typically 4/0–5/0 |
Seasonal Tactics on Navajo Lake
Lake: Spring fishing heats up as water temperatures rise into the 50s-60s, triggering pre-spawn and spawning activity along shallow coves and protected creek arms. Look for bass moving to gravel points and rocky banks where they stage before moving to shallower spawning areas.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Pre-spawn is prime season — pitch brown/green pumpkin jig to 45° bank transitions and rocky points.
Lake: Summer months see bass retreating to deeper structure and shaded areas as water temperatures climb, with early morning and evening topwater action around rocky points and submerged timber being most productive. Deep-water patterns targeting 30-50 feet along main channel ledges and dropoffs yield quality fish.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Football jig on offshore ledges 15–30 feet. Swimming jig around grass edges at dawn.
Lake: Fall cooling water temperatures energize bass as they move into feeding mode, with excellent bite on crankbaits and swimbaits around rocky structure and creek channel ledges. The transition period from summer to winter patterns provides some of the year's most consistent and aggressive fishing.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Swim a jig around baitfish schools near points and flats. Shad trailer colors in fall.
Lake: Winter fishing can be challenging but productive, with bass holding in deeper water around the main dam and deep creek channels where water temperatures remain more stable. Slow presentations like jigging and drop-shotting in 40-60 feet of water produce quality fish during cold months.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Slowest presentation — drag a 3/8 oz football jig on deep hard bottom. Barely move it.
Best Conditions
All seasons, all depths, all cover types; most effective in 50–70°F water; excellent in pre-spawn and when fish are on hard bottom
Match trailer to conditions: craw trailer in cold water (slower fall, bigger profile), swimbait trailer when swimming, chunk trailer for flipping.
More Techniques for Navajo Lake
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