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Navajo Cast
Navajo Lake (NM focus; NM–CO border FLAG) · Mon Sep 21 – Thu Sep 24, 2026 · bank / kayak / boat · times MT
Navajo’s smallmouth factory does not care that the reservoir straddles a state line — fish the NM shoreline hubs and let the rock do the talking.
Midweek outlook
NWS ABQ (pulled Sun Sep 20 evening CT; all clock times below in MT). Late-September Mountain pattern from NWS grid. Monday: 78°F Mostly Sunny (wind E 0 to 5 mph) · Tuesday: 76°F Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms (wind SE 5 to 10 mph) · Wednesday: 68°F Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms (wind SE 0 to 5 mph) · Thursday: 70°F Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms (wind S 0 to 5 mph)
Mon–Thuthrough Thu evening MT
Smallmouth bass (abundant) with largemouth secondary
No named trail event pulled for Mon–Thu.
Monday
- High near 78°FMostly Sunny · 0% precip
- Wind E 0 to 5 mph
- Times local MT — confirm sunrise on site
Tuesday
- High near 76°FMostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms · 58% precip
- Wind SE 5 to 10 mph
- Times local MT — confirm sunrise on site
Wednesday
- High near 68°FChance Showers And Thunderstorms then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms · 64% precip
- Wind SE 0 to 5 mph
- Times local MT — confirm sunrise on site
Thursday
- High near 70°FChance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms · 45% precip
- Wind S 0 to 5 mph
- Times local MT — confirm sunrise on site
Dam & current cheat sheet
USBR Upper Colorado / Navajo Dam — NM-side hub pin. Pool/release thin at gather; re-check USBR Navajo Dam / RISE before launch. Border FLAG: reservoir spans NM–CO — this Cast is NM-shore framing.
STATUS: pool THIN; border FLAG retained.
Generator schedule / pool boards change — re-check before launch.
How to fish it — Bank / Kayak / Boat
Bank
NM park / recreation access; rocky banks and points. License: NM waters — know where you stand vs CO.
Kayak
Excellent rock and pocket water; watch afternoon canyon wind.
Boat
Main-lake rock piles, points, and river arm channel swings. Graph SMB schools.
Ethanol-free fuel near this water
Pure-Gas.org E0 near Bloomfield / Navajo Dam corridor — thin at gather. Verify at pump.
Pure-Gas.org for E0 station identity. Prices change — verify grade and price at the pump.
Lure box — Top / Mid / Bottom
Top
Walking bait on calm mornings over shallow rock.
Mid
Small crank / spinner on points.
Bottom
Tube, ned, dropshot — green pumpkin / smoke; classic SMB box.
Life stage + What's on the menu
Late summer into early fall SMB pattern on clear Western storage water.
What's on the menu: Most likely: crawfish and small baitfish on rock. No invented hatch.
Also hot / also in season
Trout / kokanee context exists on Navajo historically — only mention if targeting; not forced. Northern pike where present — short note.