New Mexico has many bodies of water that are excellent for fly-fishing adventures. Dividing these bodies of water into four sections is easy with each division based on the location of the water in relation to the state. These sections are Northeastern, Northwestern, Southwestern and Southeastern.
The fly-fishing bodies of water in the Northeastern section are Cimmaron River, Clayton Lake, Eagles Nest Lake, McAllister Lake, Morphy Lake, Red River, the Rio Grande, Shuree Ponds, Storrie Lake, and Springer Lake. Cimmaron River is a tailwater fishery starting from Eagle Nest Lake, that offers excellent fly-fishing for browns and rainbow trout from May until cutting the flows back in the fall. Brown trout caught on this river average 12 inches with while rainbows will average smaller. The best bait to use on this river during fly-fishing season is large stimulators, zug bugs, double hackle peacocks, elk hair caddis, parachute adams, humpy, pheasant tail, hare’s ear, orange and olive scud and woolly bugger. Clayton Lake, a 176-acre impoundment, located about 15 miles northwest of Clayton, New Mexico offers outstanding fly-fishing for Rainbow trout on gold spinners. Fishing is not allowed on this lake from November through February and only one boat ramp is available. Eagles Nest Lake is a 2000-acre impoundment alongside U.S. 64 northeast of Taos. This lake is good for 14-inch-plus rainbow trout. McAllister Lake, located about 10 miles southeast of Las Vegas, New Mexico is a fertile 100-acre lake that produces fast-growing rainbow trout. Rainbow trout caught on this lake are generally 14-16 inches and occasionally in excess of 20 inches. Season on this lake is March 1st- to October 31st. Morphy Lake, even though a little treacherous to reach, is a highly recommend, regularly stocked lake. This is an isolated and primitive mountain lake located on the edge of the Pecos Wilderness. The Red River offers great fishing with browns and rainbows averaging 8 to 15 inches. These trout can be taken on standard dry flies and nymphs such as Pheasant Tails, Zug Bugs and Olive Woolly Buggers. The Red River is often fished in October to March when other waters are too cold to fish in. The Rio Grande River is basically unpredictable, when the fish are biting it is a fantastic river to fish. Thunderstorms and irrigation during the summer add to this unpredictability, but as mid September through October flows reach normal levels, the water clarity improves along with the fishing. Try dry flies in pocket water and nymphs in deeper runs to catch these trout. Other flies to try are streamers, weighted woolly buggers and night crawlers to catch a mixed bag of browns and rainbow trout. Shuree Ponds, stocked with 15-inch or larger rainbow trout are special waters with one pond reserved for anglers under age 12. Located on the Valle Vidal, these 100,000-acre units of the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico east of Costilla, are open July 1 through December 31. Storrie Lake is an 1100-acre lake located 4 miles north of Las Vegas, New Mexico. To catch trout on this lake use power bait, salmon eggs and spinners. Springer Lake is a 450-acre lake, located about five miles from Springer, New Mexico on Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge where catching rainbow trout in the range of 12 to 24 inches is possible.
The fly-fishing bodies of water found in Northwestern New Mexico include Abiquiu Lake, Animas River, Bluewater Lake, the Brazos River, the Chama River, El Vado Lake, Fenton Lake, Glenwood Ponds, Heron Lake, the Jemez River and the San Juan River. Abiquiu Lake is a 5000-acre lake built on the Chama River watershed. Rainbow trout and brown trout are both available in this lake located about 7 miles north of Abiquiu, New Mexico. Animas River contains many browns and rainbow trout 14-18 inches with some smaller cutthroat. Flies best to use on this river are elk hair caddis, wulffs, humpies, hare’s ears, and muddler minnow. Bluewater Lake is a 2350-acre impoundment located 20 miles southwest of Grants, New Mexico. Bluewater Lake, stocked with rainbow trout, native or cutthroat trout has produced many 9-pound trout. The Brazos River is southeast of Chama, New Mexico and the best months to fly-fish for trout is May to July and again September to October. Flies to use include Humpys, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulators and Woolly Buggers. The Chama River, 35 miles of remote wilderness area, offers trout fishing using small streamers, bead head woolly buggers, copper john barrs and night crawlers to catch brown trout and rainbow trout. El Vado Lake, located 17 miles southwest of Tierra Amarilla is good for year round rainbow and brown trout fishing. Fenton Lake is a small 28-acre lake located west of Los Alamos that offers year round fishing for stocked rainbow trout and natural German brown trout. Glenwood Pond, recently stocked with 9-inch rainbow trout, has had positive fly-fishing results using power bait and salmon eggs. Heron Lake, located in the mountains set among tall pines is a 6000-acre lake that produces 10-to 20 pound lake trout. This lake is located 11 miles west of Tierra Amarilla. Jemez River or streams are great for trout fishing. Worms and power baits as well as salmon eggs, grasshoppers, parachute adams, gold copper john barrs and bead head hares ears work in these waters. The San Juan River, known for its monstrous trout that feed on small flies like midges and beatis., with the average trout caught measuring 17 inches with many measuring over 20 inches caught regularly.
Fly-fishing bodies of water found in Southwestern New Mexico include Gila River, Lake Roberts, Quemado Lake and Snow Lake. Gila River with access outside of Silver City, New Mexico, has mostly stocker rainbow trout, with year round fishing available, even though fishing is at its best in the spring and fall. Lake Roberts, located 40 miles north of Silver City, New Mexico, in Gila National Forest, is surrounded by mountains. This lake provides excellent trout fishing with stocked rainbow trout. Quemado Lake, a 131-acre manmade trout lake, located 20 miles south of Quemado, New Mexico is stocked with rainbow trout in the fall, winter and spring months. Snow Lake a 72-acre body of water, located east of Glenwood provides excellent trout fishing using power baits and salmon eggs.
Southeastern New Mexico fly-fishing bodies of include Bonito Lake, Bonito Creek, Grindstone Lake, Rio Penasco, and Ruidoso River. Bonito Lake and Grindstone Lake both have good trout fishing using spinners, woolly buggers, salmon eggs, power bait and prop flies. Bonito Creek, which feeds Bonito Lake, runs on to Hondo, New Mexico. Catching rainbow and brown trout in the upper part of Bonito Creek in the mountain terrain is possible with catch and release being preferred to sustain a healthy population of trout. Rio Penasco, located 45 minutes east of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, is a 9-mile spring creek, has excellent brown and rainbow trout populations averaging 10-14 inches with the occasional trout reaching 20 inches. Ruidoso River, which begins in the Sacramento Mountains and runs to Hondo, New Mexico, is stocked year round with rainbow and brown trout that are found throughout this river.
New Mexico has fantastic fly-fishing through all of the state. No matter where the angler’s trip leads him, there is a body of water available to try out his fly-fishing techniques, hopefully with very positive results.
