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United States · NM
New Mexico
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Rules change by area and can change mid-season. We explain what the rules mean and always link you to the official source — we never copy a limit table and call it current.
Licences — what you need
- • A fishing licence plus a habitat management & access validation are required; a second-rod validation is an add-on.
- • Gila trout and other special trout waters need additional permits/validations in some cases.
How the rules are organized
- • Rules are organized by water in the Rules & Information booklet, with Special Trout Waters (quality, catch-and-release, artificial-only stretches) listed individually.
- • Winter trout waters and warmwater waters are stocked and managed on separate calendars.
Good to know — common mistakes
- • The San Juan River quality water below Navajo Dam is catch-and-release with barbless artificial rules — downstream sections have different rules again.
- • Open Gate and other private-land access programs have their own permit conditions beyond the state licence.
- • Live baitfish are restricted to approved waters and species — the list is short.
- • Ice fishing is water-specific and often prohibited on smaller trout waters.
Official links
Fishing locations covered in this guide
This page is a plain-language summary, not the law. Regulations change — including in-season by official notice — and if anything here disagrees with the official source, the official source governs.
AnglerPlan is an information service, not a regulator. If anything here disagrees with an official source, the official source wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.