When is striped bass season in New Mexico?

New Mexico keeps striped bass 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 striped bass?

The New Mexico daily bag limit for striped bass is 1 / day; no bag or possession limit on the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County). The possession limit is 2 in possession; unlimited on the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size striped bass can you keep in New Mexico?

The New Mexico size rule for striped bass is No minimum. Trophy rule: NM state-record striped bass 54 lb 8 oz Elephant Butte Reservoir 1992 (Jim Secor); Elephant Butte is one of the country's premier landlocked, naturally-reproducing inland striped bass fisheries (self-sustaining on the Rio Grande mainstem since the 1980s introduction) — 40–50 lb fish realistic; NMDGF's conservative 1 / day, 2 in possession limit manages for trophy potential.

Do you need a license to fish for striped bass in New Mexico?

Yes. New Mexico requires a valid fishing license to fish for striped bass, 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 striped bass in New Mexico?

Yes. In New Mexico, striped bass fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling + live-bait (gizzard shad) + topwater + slab spoons are the standard striper methods; NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+; Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for the Animas + San Juan River no-bag-limit reaches.

Do specific New Mexico waters have different striped bass rules?

Yes. 3 named New Mexico waters carry rules that override the statewide striped bass regulation, including Elephant Butte Reservoir, Caballo Reservoir, Animas + San Juan Rivers. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

New Mexico Striped bass 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Morone saxatilis

Last updated May 30, 2026

New Mexico striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is a landlocked, naturally-reproducing inland fishery — one of only a handful in the country where saltwater-origin stripers spawn successfully in fresh water. NMDGF introduced striped bass to Elephant Butte Reservoir (36,500-acre Rio Grande mainstem reservoir — USBR Elephant Butte Dam built 1916 — Sierra + Socorro Counties — New Mexico's largest body of water) in the 1980s; the long free-flowing Rio Grande inflow gives the semi-buoyant eggs the current they need to stay suspended and hatch, so the population is self-sustaining without continued stocking (a trait shared with only a few inland US fisheries). Elephant Butte is NM's premier striped bass fishery — NM state-record striped bass 54 lb 8 oz Elephant Butte 1992 (Jim Secor) — with fish following gizzard-shad schools and boiling on the surface at dawn + dusk through the warm months; Caballo Reservoir (11,500-acre Rio Grande reservoir immediately downstream of Elephant Butte) carries the secondary striper fishery as fish pass through the dam. Stripers also run the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County), where NMDGF imposes NO bag or possession limit to discourage them in the San Juan trout tailwater. The statewide striped bass limit is a conservative 1 / day with 2 in possession (no minimum size) — managed for trophy potential on a fishery where a 40–50 lb fish is realistic. Open year-round.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round; warm-months (spring–fall) topwater + shad-school chasing on Elephant Butte + Caballo; no closed season. Statewide bag 1 / day, 2 in possession (no limit on the Animas + San Juan Rivers).

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 1 / day; no bag or possession limit on the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County)
Possession: 2 in possession; unlimited on the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County)

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No minimum
Trophy rule: NM state-record striped bass 54 lb 8 oz Elephant Butte Reservoir 1992 (Jim Secor); Elephant Butte is one of the country's premier landlocked, naturally-reproducing inland striped bass fisheries (self-sustaining on the Rio Grande mainstem since the 1980s introduction) — 40–50 lb fish realistic; NMDGF's conservative 1 / day, 2 in possession limit manages for trophy potential

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trolling + live-bait (gizzard shad) + topwater + slab spoons are the standard striper methods
NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+
Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for the Animas + San Juan River no-bag-limit reaches

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific New Mexico waters:

Elephant Butte Reservoir
Striped bass 1 / day, 2 in possession, no minimum; NM's premier landlocked naturally-reproducing striper fishery; NM state-record 54 lb 8 oz Elephant Butte 1992 (Jim Secor)
Caballo Reservoir
Striped bass 1 / day, 2 in possession; secondary Rio Grande striper fishery downstream of Elephant Butte
Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County)
NO bag or possession limit on striped bass — NMDGF discourages stripers in the San Juan trout tailwater

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

Visit official New Mexico fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Striped bass 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 striped bass season in New Mexico?: New Mexico keeps striped bass 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 striped bass?: The New Mexico daily bag limit for striped bass is 1 / day; no bag or possession limit on the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County). The possession limit is 2 in possession; unlimited on the Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size striped bass can you keep in New Mexico?: The New Mexico size rule for striped bass is No minimum. Trophy rule: NM state-record striped bass 54 lb 8 oz Elephant Butte Reservoir 1992 (Jim Secor); Elephant Butte is one of the country's premier landlocked, naturally-reproducing inland striped bass fisheries (self-sustaining on the Rio Grande mainstem since the 1980s introduction) — 40–50 lb fish realistic; NMDGF's conservative 1 / day, 2 in possession limit manages for trophy potential.
Do you need a license to fish for striped bass in New Mexico?: Yes. New Mexico requires a valid fishing license to fish for striped bass, 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 striped bass in New Mexico?: Yes. In New Mexico, striped bass fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling + live-bait (gizzard shad) + topwater + slab spoons are the standard striper methods; NMDGF Fishing License + Habitat Stamp + Habitat Management & Access Validation required ages 12+; Confirm current-year NMDGF Fishing Regulations for the Animas + San Juan River no-bag-limit reaches.
Do specific New Mexico waters have different striped bass rules?: Yes. 3 named New Mexico waters carry rules that override the statewide striped bass regulation, including Elephant Butte Reservoir, Caballo Reservoir, Animas + San Juan Rivers. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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