Eagle Nest Lake
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout and kokanee water, stocked 12 times in 2026, spread March to October, heaviest in May; 409,246 fish reported. A 1,817-acre reservoir. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live. The New Mexico state record kokanee salmon, 5lb. 0oz., came from this water in 2021.
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The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Kokanee
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 10,024 | completed |
| Mar 19 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 9,240 | completed |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 9,999 | completed |
| Apr 9 | Kokanee | fingerling | 300,495 | completed |
| May 7 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 11,088 | completed |
| May 13 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 15,000 | completed |
| May 20 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 5,031 | completed |
| Jul 14 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 16,416 | completed |
| Jul 15 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 13,450 | completed |
| Sep 29 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 10,000 | completed |
| Oct 14 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 4,161 | completed |
| Oct 15 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 4,342 | completed |
When to fish Eagle Nest Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:42-11:42 am and 10:04 pm-12:04 am | 4:00-5:00 am and 4:14-5:14 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:27 am-12:27 pm and 10:52 pm-12:52 am | 5:05-6:05 am and 4:41-5:41 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
- Stocked 8 days ago (Oct 15)
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · New Mexico fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 11 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 |
For the salmon and steelhead (kokanee stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Beads and egg imitations | drifted under a float where bait rules allow |
| Trolling flies and dodgers | for landlocked salmon in the lakes, early and late in the day |
| Medium spinning rod | 8 to 9 ft with 8 to 12 lb line; big water, big runs |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CIMARRON RIVER (West of Cimarron) | 3.0 mi | Jul 15 |
| Horseshoe Lake | 8.3 mi | Oct 5 |
| Lost Lake | 8.6 mi | Oct 5 |
| Goose Lake | 13 mi | Jun 29 |
| Red River City Ponds | 15 mi | Jul 14 |
Follow New Mexico stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule