No boats or floating devices are allowed on the lake, but on weekends, holidays, or if the lake has been recently stocked with trout from the nearby hatchery, the shoreline can be quite crowded. Arriving early in the morning is recommended, particularly for those birding by ear.  

Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Clark's Nutcracker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Cassin's Finch, Virginia's Warbler, and Grace's Warbler are species of Conservation Concern that have been reported on multiple lists for this hotspot. Osprey and Belted Kingfisher have also been reported on multiple lists.

Monastery Lake is an oval-shaped lake with a longer axis oriented roughly north-south. The surface area of the lake is 5 to 6 acres, with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at 7,000 feet, it sits 1 mile north of the town of Pecos in a valley cut by the upper Pecos River. The property is owned by the Benedictine Order's Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey, which leases public fishing access to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish through the Open Gate Program. Therefore, although there is no entrance fee, to not be considered trespassing, you must be properly licensed, be accompanied by a properly licensed person, or be license-exempt. Access is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. The dirt parking area is reached by a dirt road leading west off NM-63.