El Vado Lake
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout water; 10 stockings on the 2026 record, spread May to October, heaviest in July.
New Mexico · see it on the national map
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,000 | completed |
| Jun 10 | Rainbow trout | fingerling | 16,029 | completed |
| Jul 2 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 4,881 | completed |
| Jul 16 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,864 | completed |
| Jul 20 | Rainbow trout | fingerling | 27,104 | completed |
| Jul 22 | Rainbow trout | fingerling | 25,695 | completed |
| Jul 23 | Rainbow trout | fingerling | 50,677 | completed |
| Oct 6 | Rainbow trout | fingerling | 21,120 | completed |
| Oct 7 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,608 | completed |
| Oct 8 | Rainbow trout | fingerling | 22,988 | completed |
When to fish El Vado Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:47-11:47 am and 10:10 pm-12:10 am | 4:06-5:06 am and 4:20-5:20 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:34 am-12:34 pm and 10:58 pm-12:58 am | 5:12-6:12 am and 4:47-5:47 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 15 days ago (Oct 8)
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 10 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LAGUNA DEL CAMPO (Burns Lake) | 12 mi | Sep 16 |
| Brazos Lodge Pond | 19 mi | May 29 |
| NUTRIAS LAKES (aka Trout Lakes) | 20 mi | Oct 6 |
| Canjilon Lakes | 23 mi | Sep 21 |
| Placer Creek | 28 mi | Jun 29 |
Follow New Mexico stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule