New Mexico offers surprisingly diverse fishing from the Rocky Mountain peaks of the north to the warm reservoirs of the south. The Rio Grande provides excellent brown and rainbow trout fishing, the Gila National Forest offers remote wilderness trout streams, and large reservoirs like Elephant Butte and Navajo Lake provide outstanding bass, walleye, and catfish fishing in a high-desert setting.
Fishing Regulations
- Free Gila Trout Fishing Permit required for Black Canyon, Gilita, Mineral, Mogollon, Sapillo creeks, West Fork Gila River, Whitewater and Willow creeks.
- Trotlines limited to 25 hooks, one per angler, and only in listed river reaches/lakes.
- Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for warmwater species.
- Any trout with red slash marks below the jaw is considered a cutthroat.
13 species limits are shown per spot in the CatchTales app.
Pick a region below to explore its fishing spots.
Central NM & Albuquerque
Rio Grande, Cochiti Lake, Abiquiu Lake, Jemez River
40 spots
Southwestern NM & Gila
Gila River, Gila Trout Recovery Waters, Bill Evans Lake, Lake Roberts
40 spots
Eastern Plains & Lakes
Ute Lake, Conchas Lake, Clayton Lake, Lake Alice
40 spots
Northern Mountains & Rio Grande
Rio Grande, Red River, Pecos River, Eagle Nest Lake
40 spots
Pecos River & Southeast
Pecos River, Santa Rosa Lake, Brantley Lake, Lake Carlsbad
38 spots
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