Santa Cruz Reservoir
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout water; 7 stockings on the 2026 record, monthly March through May, heaviest in March.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,121 | completed |
| Mar 5 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,610 | completed |
| Mar 16 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 300 | completed |
| Mar 16 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,660 | completed |
| Apr 22 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,568 | completed |
| Apr 22 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 300 | completed |
| May 5 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,503 | completed |
When to fish Santa Cruz Reservoir
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:44-11:44 am and 10:07 pm-12:07 am | 4:02-5:02 am and 4:17-5:17 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:30 am-12:30 pm and 10:55 pm-12:55 am | 5:07-6:07 am and 4:44-5:44 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 May 5
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 7 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Small crankbaits | trout-pattern cranks trolled or slow-retrieved off points |
| 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 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Lake (Aka Lake Hazel) | 16 mi | Oct 5 |
| Holy Ghost Creek | 18 mi | Sep 21 |
| Rio Pueblo | 23 mi | Oct 5 |
| Morphy Reservoir | 29 mi | Jul 16 |
| Monastery Lake | 29 mi | Oct 13 |
Follow New Mexico stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule