Fishing in the Eastern Plains & Lakes

1. Ute Lake (Eastern) (Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, White Bass, Wiper, Striped Bass)

Ute Lake, Quay County

Ute Lake is a 9,700-acre reservoir on the Canadian River near Tucumcari, one of New Mexico's top walleye and wiper fishing destinations with a state park.

2. Conchas Lake (Eastern) (Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, White Bass, Wiper)

Conchas Lake, San Miguel County

Conchas Lake is a 9,600-acre reservoir offering excellent walleye and bass fishing with a state park and marina on the Canadian River.

3. Clayton Lake (Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout)

Clayton Lake, Union County

Clayton Lake is a 170-acre lake near the Oklahoma border offering good walleye and catfish fishing with a state park and campground.

4. Lake Alice (Clayton) (Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Bluegill)

Lake Alice, Union County

Lake Alice near Clayton offers good trout and warmwater fishing in a 20-acre lake.

5. Costilla Reservoir (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Kokanee)

Costilla Reservoir, Taos County

Costilla Reservoir on the eastern edge of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains offers excellent trout and kokanee fishing.

6. Springer Lake (Walleye, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill)

Springer Lake, Colfax County

Springer Lake is a 500-acre irrigation reservoir offering good walleye and catfish fishing.

7. Maxwell Lakes (3) (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Crappie)

Maxwell Lakes, Colfax County

The Maxwell Lakes offer good community fishing in the Maxwell area of Colfax County.

8. Raton Lake (Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Crappie)

Raton Lake, Colfax County

Raton Lake offers good trout and warmwater fishing near the Colorado border.

9. Luna Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Luna Lake, Catron County

Luna Lake offers good high-elevation trout fishing on the Mogollon Rim of western Catron County.

10. Socorro County Lakes (Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish)

Socorro County

Small lakes throughout Socorro County offer good trout and bass fishing in the Plains of San Augustin.

11. Quemado Lake (eastern) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Quemado Lake, Catron County

Quemado Lake is a popular trout lake on the high plains of western Catron County.

12. Blue Hole (Santa Rosa) (Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish)

Blue Hole, Guadalupe County

The Blue Hole is a unique 80-foot-deep artesian spring in Santa Rosa offering crystal-clear trout fishing and scuba diving.

13. Lake Sumner (Walleye, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, White Bass)

Lake Sumner, De Baca County

Lake Sumner is a 1,400-acre reservoir offering good walleye and catfish fishing with a state park.

14. Villanueva Lake (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass)

Villanueva Lake, San Miguel County

Villanueva Lake offers good fishing in the Villanueva State Park on the Pecos River.

15. Lake Arthur (Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Bluegill)

Lake Arthur, Chaves County

Lake Arthur is a small irrigation lake near Roswell offering good warmwater fishing.

16. Bitter Lake (Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Bluegill)

Bitter Lake, Chaves County

Bitter Lake in the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell offers good fishing in a unique aquatic habitat.

17. Bottomless Lakes (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill)

Bottomless Lakes, Chaves County

Bottomless Lakes State Park features a series of deep sinkhole lakes offering unique fishing opportunities near Roswell.

18. Lea Lake (Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Bluegill)

Lea Lake, Chaves County

Lea Lake in Bottomless Lakes State Park offers good fishing with a swimming beach and campground.

19. Dexer Lake (Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill)

Dexter Lake, Chaves County

Dexter Lake offers good community fishing near Roswell.

20. Hagerman Lake (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass)

Hagerman Lake, Chaves County

Hagerman Lake offers good fishing in the Roswell area of eastern New Mexico.

21. Tyler Lake (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass)

Tyler Lake, Chaves County

Tyler Lake offers good fishing in the Pecos River valley near Hagerman.

22. Green Lake (Chaves Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass)

Green Lake, Chaves County

Green Lake offers good fishing in the Roswell area.

23. Park Lake (Roswell) (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass)

Park Lake, Chaves County

Park Lake in Roswell offers good community fishing in a city park setting.

24. Grindstone Lake (Ruidoso) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye)

Grindstone Lake, Lincoln County

Grindstone Lake is a 200-acre reservoir in Ruidoso offering excellent trout and bass fishing with a golf course and picnic areas.

25. Eagle Creek (Ruidoso) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Eagle Creek, Lincoln County

Eagle Creek offers good trout fishing in the Ruidoso area of the Lincoln National Forest.

26. Bonito Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Bonito Lake, Lincoln County

Bonito Lake is a 130-acre lake in the Lincoln National Forest near Ruidoso offering excellent trout fishing.

27. Little Bonito Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Little Bonito Lake, Lincoln County

Little Bonito Lake offers good trout fishing in the Lincoln National Forest.

28. Cienega Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)

Cienega Lake, Lincoln County

Cienega Lake offers good trout fishing in the Capitan Mountains of Lincoln County.

29. Capitan Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Capitan Lake, Lincoln County

Capitan Lake offers good trout fishing in the Capitan Mountains near Smokey Bear's hometown.

30. Alto Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass, Crappie)

Alto Lake, Lincoln County

Alto Lake in the Alto area of Ruidoso offers good fishing in a mountain setting.

31. Mescalero Lake (eastern) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Mescalero Lake, Otero County

Mescalero Lake on the Mescalero Apache Reservation offers good fishing for tribal members and guests.

32. Tularosa Creek (eastern) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Tularosa Creek, Otero County

Tularosa Creek offers good trout fishing in the Sacramento Mountains near Cloudcroft.

33. Sunspot Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)

Sunspot Lake, Otero County

Sunspot Lake offers good high-elevation trout fishing near the National Solar Observatory in the Sacramento Mountains.

34. Sleeping Lady Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)

Sleeping Lady Lake, Otero County

Sleeping Lady Lake offers good trout fishing in the Sacramento Mountains.

35. Karr Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)

Karr Lake, Otero County

Karr Lake offers good trout fishing in the Lincoln National Forest near Cloudcroft.

36. Saddle Lake (Sunspot) (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)

Saddle Lake, Otero County

Saddle Lake offers good high-elevation trout fishing near Sunspot.

37. Wills Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)

Wills Lake, Otero County

Wills Lake offers good trout fishing in the Sacramento Mountains of the Lincoln National Forest.

38. Cox Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)

Cox Lake, Otero County

Cox Lake offers good high-elevation trout fishing in the Lincoln National Forest.

39. Machine Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)

Machine Lake, Otero County

Machine Lake offers good trout fishing at 9,000 feet in the Sacramento Mountains.

40. Rio Peñasco (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)

Rio Peñasco, Otero County

Rio Peñasco offers good trout fishing in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico.