When is cutthroat trout season in New Mexico?

New Mexico keeps cutthroat trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the New Mexico bag limit for cutthroat trout?

The New Mexico daily bag limit for cutthroat trout is 0 / day catch-and-release-only Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout on listed conservation reaches; 5 / day combined trout on harvest waters. The possession limit is 10 in possession combined trout on harvest waters; 0 in possession Gila trout statewide. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size cutthroat trout can you keep in New Mexico?

The New Mexico size rule for cutthroat trout is No statewide minimum; catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches. Trophy rule: Rio Grande cutthroat (NM state fish — designated 1955) is endemic to Rio Grande + Pecos drainages in NM + southern CO, found nowhere else in the world — NMDGF Species of Concern protection on Pecos Wilderness Area + Rio Chama headwaters + Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek conservation reaches with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only; Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) is federally Threatened ESA since 1973 (downlisted from Endangered to Threatened in 2006) — endemic to Gila River drainage in NM + AZ, found nowhere else in the world — NM is one of only 2 US states with viable Gila trout angling fishery alongside Arizona; USFWS Mora National Fish Hatchery country's only Gila trout production hatchery; Aldo Leopold's pioneering 1924 Gila Wilderness designation protected the original Gila trout habitat.

Do you need a license to fish for cutthroat trout in New Mexico?

Yes. New Mexico requires a valid fishing license to fish for cutthroat trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a New Mexico license — compare resident and non-resident New Mexico fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for cutthroat trout in New Mexico?

Yes. In New Mexico, cutthroat trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout conservation reaches; Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Gila Wilderness Area Gila trout reaches + Pecos Wilderness Area Rio Grande cutthroat reaches + listed conservation waters; Live bait prohibited on all native cutthroat conservation reaches; Federal ESA regulations supersede on Gila Wilderness Area Gila trout reaches — limited-access Gila Trout Permit required + Saturday-before-Memorial-Day to October 31 season; NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+; Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for District-by-District native-cutthroat-conservation reach + season list.

Do specific New Mexico waters have different cutthroat trout rules?

Yes. 5 named New Mexico waters carry rules that override the statewide cutthroat trout regulation, including Pecos Wilderness Area, Gila Wilderness Area, Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

New Mexico Cutthroat trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis + Oncorhynchus gilae

Last updated May 27, 2026

New Mexico cutthroat trout fishery centers on TWO native salmonid endemics that are found nowhere else in the world except NM + adjacent border drainages: Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis — NM state fish + federally Species of Concern — endemic to the Rio Grande + Pecos drainages in NM + southern Colorado, found nowhere else in the world) + Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae — federally Threatened ESA — endemic to the Gila River drainage in NM + AZ, found nowhere else in the world; NM is one of only 2 US states with a viable Gila trout fishery alongside Arizona). Rio Grande cutthroat (NM state fish — designated 1955) is managed under aggressive NMDGF Species of Concern conservation framework — 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed Pecos Wilderness Area + Rio Chama headwaters + Rio Grande Gorge + Red River + Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek + listed Rio Grande cutthroat conservation reaches with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only. The Pecos Wilderness Area (Mora + San Miguel + Santa Fe Counties — Pecos River + Holy Ghost Creek + Jacks Creek headwaters above Pecos NM) carries the country's premier southern Rocky Mountain native Rio Grande cutthroat fishery alongside the Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek conservation reaches in northern NM. Gila trout (federally Threatened ESA since 1973 — downlisted from Endangered to Threatened in 2006 after NMDGF + USFWS + AZGFD joint recovery program success) is managed under federal ESA + limited-access framework — 0 / day catch-and-release-only statewide on listed Gila Wilderness Area reaches with a limited-access Gila Trout Permit + season opener Saturday before Memorial Day through October 31 + artificial-fly-and-lure-only + barbless single-hook required. The Gila Wilderness Area (558,000-acre USFS Gila National Forest wilderness — country's first designated wilderness area, established 1924 — Aldo Leopold's pioneering 1924 designation) carries the only viable Gila trout angling fishery in NM on Mogollon Creek + Black Canyon + Whiskey Creek + listed headwater reaches in Catron + Grant + Sierra Counties. USFWS Mora National Fish Hatchery (Mora County) is country's only Gila trout production hatchery alongside Joe Skeen NFH (NM/AZ border for backup broodstock). NMDGF + USFWS + CPW + AZGFD joint conservation program coordinates Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout broodstock + restoration stocking statewide. Open year-round on most waters; conservation reaches catch-and-release-only.

Compare cutthroat trout regulations across all states →

Get change alerts

Watch New Mexico Cutthroat trout and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.

Season

Open year-round Open year-round on listed reaches; Rio Grande cutthroat 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed Pecos Wilderness Area + Rio Chama headwaters + Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek conservation reaches (NMDGF Species of Concern); Gila trout 0 / day catch-and-release-only statewide on listed Gila Wilderness Area reaches (federally Threatened ESA — Saturday-before-Memorial-Day to October 31 season + limited-access Gila Trout Permit required).

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 0 / day catch-and-release-only Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout on listed conservation reaches; 5 / day combined trout on harvest waters
Possession: 10 in possession combined trout on harvest waters; 0 in possession Gila trout statewide

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum; catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches
Trophy rule: Rio Grande cutthroat (NM state fish — designated 1955) is endemic to Rio Grande + Pecos drainages in NM + southern CO, found nowhere else in the world — NMDGF Species of Concern protection on Pecos Wilderness Area + Rio Chama headwaters + Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek conservation reaches with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only; Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) is federally Threatened ESA since 1973 (downlisted from Endangered to Threatened in 2006) — endemic to Gila River drainage in NM + AZ, found nowhere else in the world — NM is one of only 2 US states with viable Gila trout angling fishery alongside Arizona; USFWS Mora National Fish Hatchery country's only Gila trout production hatchery; Aldo Leopold's pioneering 1924 Gila Wilderness designation protected the original Gila trout habitat

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout conservation reaches
Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Gila Wilderness Area Gila trout reaches + Pecos Wilderness Area Rio Grande cutthroat reaches + listed conservation waters
Live bait prohibited on all native cutthroat conservation reaches
Federal ESA regulations supersede on Gila Wilderness Area Gila trout reaches — limited-access Gila Trout Permit required + Saturday-before-Memorial-Day to October 31 season
NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+
Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for District-by-District native-cutthroat-conservation reach + season list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific New Mexico waters:

Pecos Wilderness Area
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY native Rio Grande cutthroat (NMDGF Species of Concern); barbless single hook + artificial-only
Gila Wilderness Area
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY Gila trout (federally Threatened ESA); limited-access Gila Trout Permit required + Saturday-before-Memorial-Day to October 31 season + artificial-fly-and-lure-only + barbless single-hook required
Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY native Rio Grande cutthroat (NMDGF + USFWS + Vermejo Park Ranch conservation reach)
Rio Grande Gorge BLM Wild & Scenic
Rio Grande cutthroat 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches; trout 5 / day combined elsewhere
Red River
Trout 5 / day combined on harvest waters; Rio Grande cutthroat 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches

Official source

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) publishes the authoritative 2026 New Mexicofishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

Visit official New Mexico fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Cutthroat trout closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's emergency-order feed — check it before any New Mexico trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is cutthroat trout season in New Mexico?: New Mexico keeps cutthroat trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the New Mexico bag limit for cutthroat trout?: The New Mexico daily bag limit for cutthroat trout is 0 / day catch-and-release-only Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout on listed conservation reaches; 5 / day combined trout on harvest waters. The possession limit is 10 in possession combined trout on harvest waters; 0 in possession Gila trout statewide. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size cutthroat trout can you keep in New Mexico?: The New Mexico size rule for cutthroat trout is No statewide minimum; catch-and-release-only on listed conservation reaches. Trophy rule: Rio Grande cutthroat (NM state fish — designated 1955) is endemic to Rio Grande + Pecos drainages in NM + southern CO, found nowhere else in the world — NMDGF Species of Concern protection on Pecos Wilderness Area + Rio Chama headwaters + Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek conservation reaches with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only; Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) is federally Threatened ESA since 1973 (downlisted from Endangered to Threatened in 2006) — endemic to Gila River drainage in NM + AZ, found nowhere else in the world — NM is one of only 2 US states with viable Gila trout angling fishery alongside Arizona; USFWS Mora National Fish Hatchery country's only Gila trout production hatchery; Aldo Leopold's pioneering 1924 Gila Wilderness designation protected the original Gila trout habitat.
Do you need a license to fish for cutthroat trout in New Mexico?: Yes. New Mexico requires a valid fishing license to fish for cutthroat trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a New Mexico license — compare resident and non-resident New Mexico fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for cutthroat trout in New Mexico?: Yes. In New Mexico, cutthroat trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed Rio Grande cutthroat + Gila trout conservation reaches; Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Gila Wilderness Area Gila trout reaches + Pecos Wilderness Area Rio Grande cutthroat reaches + listed conservation waters; Live bait prohibited on all native cutthroat conservation reaches; Federal ESA regulations supersede on Gila Wilderness Area Gila trout reaches — limited-access Gila Trout Permit required + Saturday-before-Memorial-Day to October 31 season; NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+; Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for District-by-District native-cutthroat-conservation reach + season list.
Do specific New Mexico waters have different cutthroat trout rules?: Yes. 5 named New Mexico waters carry rules that override the statewide cutthroat trout regulation, including Pecos Wilderness Area, Gila Wilderness Area, Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

← Back to New Mexico regulations overview