New Mexico Fly Fishing Guides

Fly Fishing In New Mexico

New Mexico is a gorgeous state, with a varied landscape. Although much of it consists of desert and mesas, there are also vast expanses of dense forests, along with rugged snow-capped mountains. The state has plenty of waters to fish, including lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams, and large rivers like the Rio Grande, the Pecos, the Canadian, the Gila, and the San Juan. Many New Mexico fly fishing guides are available.

Fly Fishing For Bass In New Mexico

Bass fishing is extremely popular in the state, and New Mexico contains some large fish. The state record largemouth bass tipped the scales at 15 pounds, 13 ounces and was pulled from Bill Evans Lake. The record smallie, caught in Navajo Lake, weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Many New Mexico lakes provide great fly fishing for bass. Some of the best are Elephant Butte Reservoir, Cochiti Reservoir, Brantley Lake, Santa Rosa Lake, Conchas Lake, Sumner Lake, Ute Lake, Caballo Lake, and Red Bluff Reservoir. You’ll find plenty of flyfishing guides in New Mexico to help.

Fly Fishing For Walleye In New Mexico

Walleye fishing is also very good in the state, and it’s especially enjoyable with a fly rod. The state record walleye weighed a respectable 16 pounds, 9 ounces and came from Clayton Lake. Other lakes that offer great walleye action include Conchas Lake, Caballo Lake, Sumner Lake, Brantley Lake, Ute Lake, and Abiquiu Reservoir.

Fly Fishing In New Mexico

Fly Fishing For Trout In New Mexico

New Mexico provides some great trout fishing for brook trout, brown trout, lake trout, and rainbow trout. Anglers in the state will also have the opportunity to catch native trout like the Gila and the Rio Grande cutthroat. The 5-pound record brookie was caught in Hidden Lake, while the state record brown came from the Chama River and weighed 20 pounds, 4 ounces. The state record ‘bow weighed in at 31 pounds, 12 ounces and was caught in Santa Cruz Lake, and the record cutthroat trout came from Latir Lakes and weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces. Another real bruiser of the bunch was the lake trout produced by Heron Lake. This fish tipped the scales at 31 pounds, 6 ounces.

Lakes in New Mexico that provide excellent trout fishing include Eagle Nest Lake, El Vado Lake, Clayton Lake, Manzano Lake, Jackson Lake, and Caballo Lake, along with the lakes already mentioned above.

New Mexico trout streams include Nabor Creek, the Cimarron River, Doctor Creek, Rio de las Vacas, the Pecos River, Rio Cebolla, Rio Costilla, the San Antonio River, the San Juan River, the Gallinas River, the Red River, the Rio Grande, the Brazos River, El rito Creek, the Chama River, Rio Pueblo, the Animas River, and the Los Pinos River. Numerous fly fishing guides in New Mexico are knowledgeable with the local trout and the local waters.

Fly Fishing For Salmon In New Mexico

Salmon fly fishing aficionados will be happy with what they find in New Mexico. Both Coho and kokanee salmon can be found here. The larger lakes with good salmon numbers include Heron Lake, Navajo Lake, Eagle Nest Lake, and El Vado Lake.