When is kokanee salmon season in New Mexico?

New Mexico keeps kokanee salmon 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 kokanee salmon?

The New Mexico daily bag limit for kokanee salmon is 5 / day within the combined trout/salmon limit (regular hook-and-line season); 12 / day during the fall snagging season. The possession limit is 10 in possession combined trout/salmon (regular season); 24 in possession during the snagging season. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size kokanee salmon can you keep in New Mexico?

The New Mexico size rule for kokanee salmon is No minimum. Trophy rule: NM state-record kokanee salmon 4 lb 0 oz Navajo Lake 2000; Heron Reservoir is NM's premier kokanee water (Bureau of Reclamation San Juan-Chama Project) alongside El Vado + Navajo + Eagle Nest + Abiquiu; the fall spawning run turns the fish brilliant red and drives the distinctive NMDGF snagging-season fishery.

Do you need a license to fish for kokanee salmon in New Mexico?

Yes. New Mexico requires a valid fishing license to fish for kokanee salmon, 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.

Do specific New Mexico waters have different kokanee salmon rules?

Yes. 4 named New Mexico waters carry rules that override the statewide kokanee salmon regulation, including Heron Reservoir, El Vado Reservoir, Navajo Reservoir, and 1 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

New Mexico Kokanee salmon 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Oncorhynchus nerka

Last updated May 30, 2026

New Mexico kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka — the landlocked, non-anadromous form of the Pacific sockeye salmon) fishery is concentrated in the deep, cold, plankton-rich high-elevation reservoirs of northern New Mexico: Heron Reservoir (5,900-acre Willow Creek reservoir near Tierra Amarilla — Rio Arriba County — Bureau of Reclamation San Juan-Chama Project — NM's premier kokanee water) + El Vado Reservoir (3,200-acre Rio Chama reservoir — Rio Arriba County) + Navajo Reservoir (15,610-acre San Juan River reservoir on the CO/NM line) + Eagle Nest Lake (2,200-acre Cimarron River reservoir — Colfax County Sangre de Cristo Mountains) + Abiquiu Reservoir (Rio Chama). NMDGF stocks kokanee fry annually — these pelagic plankton-feeders cruise the thermocline through summer (taken by deep trolling with downriggers + flashers + small spoons / hoochies), then stage at tributary mouths and run up to spawn in October–December, turning brilliant red and dying after the spawn. New Mexico's distinctive fall KOKANEE SNAGGING SEASON exploits that die-off: because spawning kokanee stop feeding and won't take a hook in the mouth, NMDGF opens a snagging season — the intentional taking of fish by hooking the body rather than the mouth — Oct 1 – Dec 31 on Navajo + El Vado + Eagle Nest (Heron + Willow Creek close Oct 1 – Nov 10 to protect the spawning run, then open to snagging Nov 11 – Dec 31). During regular hook-and-line season kokanee count within the statewide 5 / day combined trout/salmon limit (10 in possession); during the snagging season the bag jumps to 12 / day with 24 in possession. Any non-kokanee species hooked while snagging must be released immediately. NM state-record kokanee salmon 4 lb 0 oz Navajo Lake 2000. Open year-round.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; in regular hook-and-line season kokanee count within the 5 / day combined trout/salmon limit; the fall snagging season Oct 1 – Dec 31 (Navajo + El Vado + Eagle Nest) / Nov 11 – Dec 31 (Heron + Willow Creek, after the Oct 1 – Nov 10 spawning-run closure) raises the bag to 12 / day with 24 in possession.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 5 / day within the combined trout/salmon limit (regular hook-and-line season); 12 / day during the fall snagging season
Possession: 10 in possession combined trout/salmon (regular season); 24 in possession during the snagging season

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No minimum
Trophy rule: NM state-record kokanee salmon 4 lb 0 oz Navajo Lake 2000; Heron Reservoir is NM's premier kokanee water (Bureau of Reclamation San Juan-Chama Project) alongside El Vado + Navajo + Eagle Nest + Abiquiu; the fall spawning run turns the fish brilliant red and drives the distinctive NMDGF snagging-season fishery

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trolling permitted — downriggers + flashers + small spoons / hoochies near the thermocline is the standard summer kokanee method
Snagging permitted ONLY during the designated fall snagging season on listed waters — snagging is the intentional taking of fish by hooking the body rather than the mouth; any non-kokanee species hooked while snagging must be released immediately
NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+
Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for the water-by-water snagging-season opening + closure dates

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific New Mexico waters:

Heron Reservoir
Kokanee possession closed Oct 1 – Nov 10 to protect the spawning run; snagging season Nov 11 – Dec 31 (12 / day, 24 in possession); NM's premier kokanee water
El Vado Reservoir
Snagging season Oct 1 – Dec 31 (12 / day, 24 in possession); secondary kokanee reservoir below Heron on the Rio Chama
Navajo Reservoir
Snagging season Oct 1 – Dec 31 (12 / day, 24 in possession); buoyed no-wake areas + shorelines at Pine River + Sims Boat Ramps closed to snagging; CO/NM joint reciprocal compact water; NM state-record kokanee 4 lb 0 oz Navajo Lake 2000
Eagle Nest Lake
Snagging season Oct 1 – Dec 31 (12 / day, 24 in possession); northern-NM Sangre de Cristo kokanee + trout + pike fishery

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.

The kokanee salmon rules on this page are sourced from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF)'s official kokanee salmon regulation page.

Visit official New Mexico fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Kokanee salmon 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 kokanee salmon season in New Mexico?: New Mexico keeps kokanee salmon 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 kokanee salmon?: The New Mexico daily bag limit for kokanee salmon is 5 / day within the combined trout/salmon limit (regular hook-and-line season); 12 / day during the fall snagging season. The possession limit is 10 in possession combined trout/salmon (regular season); 24 in possession during the snagging season. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size kokanee salmon can you keep in New Mexico?: The New Mexico size rule for kokanee salmon is No minimum. Trophy rule: NM state-record kokanee salmon 4 lb 0 oz Navajo Lake 2000; Heron Reservoir is NM's premier kokanee water (Bureau of Reclamation San Juan-Chama Project) alongside El Vado + Navajo + Eagle Nest + Abiquiu; the fall spawning run turns the fish brilliant red and drives the distinctive NMDGF snagging-season fishery.
Do you need a license to fish for kokanee salmon in New Mexico?: Yes. New Mexico requires a valid fishing license to fish for kokanee salmon, 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 kokanee salmon in New Mexico?: Yes. In New Mexico, kokanee salmon fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted — downriggers + flashers + small spoons / hoochies near the thermocline is the standard summer kokanee method; Snagging permitted ONLY during the designated fall snagging season on listed waters — snagging is the intentional taking of fish by hooking the body rather than the mouth; any non-kokanee species hooked while snagging must be released immediately; NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+; Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for the water-by-water snagging-season opening + closure dates.
Do specific New Mexico waters have different kokanee salmon rules?: Yes. 4 named New Mexico waters carry rules that override the statewide kokanee salmon regulation, including Heron Reservoir, El Vado Reservoir, Navajo Reservoir, and 1 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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