Lake Van
Fishing and stocking
Stocked monthly January through July in 2026: rainbow trout and channel catfish, 10 plants in all. A 40-acre lake.
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
Channel catfish
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 6 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,499 | completed |
| Jan 21 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,500 | completed |
| Feb 2 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,501 | completed |
| Feb 19 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,499 | completed |
| Mar 2 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,500 | completed |
| Mar 12 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,500 | completed |
| Apr 23 | Channel catfish | catchable | 480 | completed |
| May 21 | Channel catfish | catchable | 360 | completed |
| Jun 30 | Channel catfish | catchable | 315 | completed |
| Jul 9 | Channel catfish | catchable | 174 | completed |
When to fish Lake Van
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:38-11:38 am and 10:01 pm-12:01 am | 3:56-4:56 am and 4:11-5:11 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:24 am-12:24 pm and 10:48 pm-12:48 am | 4:59-5:59 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
- Last stocked Jul 9
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 6 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
| Small crankbaits | trout-pattern cranks trolled or slow-retrieved off points |
For the catfish (channel catfish stocked 4 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Medium-heavy rod | 7 ft medium-heavy, 15 to 20 lb line, sturdy reel |
| Circle hooks on a slip-sinker rig | 2/0 to 5/0 circles on a Carolina rig; let them load up |
| Cut bait and prepared baits | fresh cut shad or chicken liver; scent is everything |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Berrendo Creek | 17 mi | Jun 30 |
| Conoco Pond | 44 mi | Jun 30 |
| Bataan Lake | 54 mi | Jun 30 |
| Chaparral Park Lake | 62 mi | Jun 30 |
| Black River | 68 mi | Mar 16 |
Follow New Mexico stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule