2026 regulation year
Caballo Reservoir 2026 — New Mexico Fishing Regulations
New Mexico statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Caballo Reservoir carries 4 special-regulation overlays on top of New Mexico's 2026 fishing rules — covering Largemouth bass, Walleye, Striped bass. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
Walleye 5 / day, no minimum length; striped bass 1 / day, 2 in possession; largemouth bass 5 / day, 14 in min; secondary Rio Grande reservoir tier
Source: New Mexico special-water list
Per-species rules on Caballo Reservoir
5 / day, 14 in min (statewide); secondary Rio Grande reservoir tier
5 / day, no minimum length (statewide); secondary Rio Grande reservoir tier
Striped bass 1 / day, 2 in possession; secondary Rio Grande striper fishery downstream of Elephant Butte
Official source
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) publishes the authoritative 2026 New Mexico fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official New Mexico fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven 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.
Other special-regulation waters in New Mexico
- Animas + San Juan Rivers (San Juan County)
- Bluewater Lake + Bonito Lake + Quemado Lake + Lake Roberts
- Brazos River
- Cimarron River through Cimarron Canyon State Park
- Cochiti Lake
- Conchas Lake
- Costilla Creek + Comanche Creek
- Eagle Nest Lake
- El Vado Reservoir
- Elephant Butte Reservoir
- Gila Wilderness Area
- Heron Reservoir
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Caballo Reservoir?
- Caballo Reservoir carries 4 special-regulation overlays that override New Mexico's statewide 2026 rules, covering Largemouth bass, Walleye, and Striped bass. One of them reads: "Walleye 5 / day, no minimum length; striped bass 1 / day, 2 in possession; largemouth bass 5 / day, 14 in min; secondary Rio Grande reservoir tier." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Caballo Reservoir?
- Yes. Caballo Reservoir is in New Mexico, so a valid New Mexico fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Caballo Reservoir; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide New Mexico rules.
- Do Caballo Reservoir's special rules replace New Mexico's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. New Mexico's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Caballo Reservoir by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Caballo Reservoir?
- Largemouth bass, Walleye, and Striped bass have a water-body-specific rule on Caballo Reservoir, each linking to its full New Mexico regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide New Mexico limits.