EL RITO CREEK (nr Santa Rosa)
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout water; 20 stockings on the 2026 record, spread January to October, heaviest in February.
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The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 7 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 49 | completed |
| Jan 13 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Jan 21 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Feb 2 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 51 | completed |
| Feb 11 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Feb 18 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 52 | completed |
| Feb 26 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Mar 2 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 49 | completed |
| Mar 10 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Mar 17 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Apr 21 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 51 | completed |
| May 4 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| May 18 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 104 | completed |
| Jun 3 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 51 | completed |
| Jun 16 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Jun 29 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Jul 14 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 51 | completed |
| Sep 14 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Oct 1 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 51 | completed |
| Oct 16 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 51 | completed |
When to fish EL RITO CREEK (nr Santa Rosa)
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:39-11:39 am and 10:02 pm-12:02 am | 3:57-4:57 am and 4:12-5:12 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:25 am-12:25 pm and 10:49 pm-12:49 am | 5:02-6:02 am and 4:40-5:40 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 7 days ago (Oct 16)
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 20 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Perch Lake (Guadalupe County) | 1.1 mi | Jun 30 |
| Blue Hole Park Pond | 1.2 mi | Oct 16 |
| Santa Rosa Lake | 7.3 mi | May 24 |
| GALLINAS RIVER (nr Las Vegas) | 22 mi | May 28 |
| Lake Sumner | 27 mi | Apr 10 |
Follow New Mexico stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule