Anglers will find numerous opportunities for fishing at Elephant Butte Lake, Caballo Lake, Percha Dam, and the Rio Grande.
Elephant Butte Lake, the largest body of water in New Mexico, is known for record-breaking bass, walleye, catfish, crappie, white and black bass, and stripers. In June 2007, Field & Stream Magazine named Elephant Butte Lake as one of their 150 Best Fishing Spots Near You.
Caballo Lake is also good for boat fishing, yielding bass, crappie, catfish, and walleye, while Percha Dam and the Rio Grande (which runs north-to-south through the center of the county) offer excellent shore fishing.
Fishing licenses must be renewed annually on April 1, and cost $35 per year. Fishing licenses are no longer available locally; they must be purchased online.
Fishing tournaments happen throughout the year. Annual tournaments include the Kayak Fishing Tournament and the Father’s Day weekend Junior Open.
An ongoing tournament series is also available with the Elephant Butte Bass Anglers, a club made up mainly of locals and residents of the region. If fishing competitively with a group of nice guys sounds fun to you, contact Mike Kmatz: mnckmatz@windstream.net or 575-740-2261.
Where to Fish: see the legends on the Caballo Lake Map, Percha Dam Map, and Elephant Butte Lake Map for fishing spots recommended by NM State Parks (as well as park entrances, marina and boat dock locations, picnic facilities, and more)…
Fishing Reports / What’s Biting
– Butte General Store & Marine Fishing Reports
– New Mexico Fish and Game Department’s statistics on local fishing
