Clayton Lake
Fishing and stocking
Stocked February to April in 2026: rainbow trout, 3 plants in all. A 148-acre reservoir. The New Mexico state record walleye, 16lb. 9oz., came from this water in 1989.
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The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
State record fish caught here
Certified by New Mexico Game and Fish; weights shown exactly as the agency publishes them. Record book read October 2026.
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 4,001 | completed |
| Apr 28 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,601 | completed |
| Apr 28 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 400 | completed |
When to fish Clayton Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:33-11:33 am and 9:56-11:56 pm | 3:51-4:51 am and 4:06-5:06 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:19 am-12:19 pm and 10:44 pm-12:44 am | 4:57-5:57 am and 4:33-5:33 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 93% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Mountain Time (MDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Apr 28
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · New Mexico fishing forecast
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 3 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Slip bobber and jig | 1/32 oz marabou jig or waxworm suspended at cruising depth |
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE ALICE (Sugarite Canyon) | 65 mi | Oct 13 |
| Lake Maloya | 66 mi | Oct 13 |
| Maxwell Lake 13 | 71 mi | Apr 22 |
| Trinidad Reservoir CO | 80 mi | Oct 16 |
| Ute Lake | 85 mi | Jun 17 |
Follow New Mexico stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule