Eagle Nest Lake Fishing Guides
A high Moreno Valley reservoir at over eight thousand feet, holding trout, kokanee salmon and northern pike inside a New Mexico state park.
Guides on the Eagle Nest Lake
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About the Eagle Nest Lake
Eagle Nest Lake sits at roughly eight thousand two hundred feet in the Moreno Valley of northern New Mexico, ringed by the Sangre de Cristo mountains with Wheeler Peak standing over it to the west. It was created by a private dam on the Cimarron River in the early twentieth century and is now the centrepiece of Eagle Nest Lake State Park, which means developed access, a boat ramp, camping and a visitor centre rather than the rough access typical of mountain water in this part of the state.
The fishery is unusual for New Mexico and that is what makes it worth a trip. Rainbow trout are stocked and grow well on the lake’s abundant forage. Kokanee salmon are the distinctive fish here, landlocked sockeye that school in deep water through the summer and are targeted by jigging and trolling, with a snagging season in autumn when they run toward the inlet. Northern pike are present and reach substantial size, hunting the weed edges and the shallower arms, and they are a genuinely strong pike fishery by southwestern standards.
Brown trout and Rio Grande cutthroat move down from the inflowing streams. Yellow perch provide forage and light-tackle sport. The gauge reads reservoir elevation, which matters here because the lake level moves with snowpack and irrigation demand and a low year changes where fish hold and which ramps are usable.
Altitude is the practical consideration. Ice covers the lake for months, the open-water season is short and intense, and afternoon thunderstorms build fast in summer. Eagle Nest village is on the shore, Angel Fire is nearby and Taos is over the pass to the west.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Eagle Nest Lake.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Pool right now
- 24 hours-0.03 ft → steady
- Storage20,850 acre-ft
Reading taken 2h ago at USGS 07205500, EAGLE NEST LAKE NR EAGLE NEST, NM. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Eagle Nest - the village on the lake shore, with lodging, fuel, food and tackle.
Eagle Nest Lake State Park - the park with a boat ramp, camping and a visitor centre.
Angel Fire - the resort village south in the Moreno Valley with full services.
Cimarron River - the river below the dam, a noted trout stream through Cimarron Canyon.
Cimarron Canyon State Park - public water and access on the river downstream.
Taos - the regional town west over the pass with full services and fly shops.
Red River - the mountain town and stream north of the valley.
Seasons
Spring: ice comes off late and shoreline trout fishing turns on as the lake opens.
Summer: kokanee school deep while pike work the weed edges and trout spread through the lake.
Fall: kokanee run toward the inlet and pike feed hard before the cold sets in.
Winter: the lake freezes and supports an ice fishery for trout and perch when conditions allow.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Eagle Nest Lake?
Anglers target Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, White Sucker, Yellow Perch on the Eagle Nest Lake in New Mexico.
Where can you access the Eagle Nest Lake?
Eagle Nest - the village on the lake shore, with lodging, fuel, food and tackle. Eagle Nest Lake State Park - the park with a boat ramp, camping and a visitor centre. Angel Fire - the resort village south in the Moreno Valley with full services. Cimarron River - the river below the dam, a noted trout stream through Cimarron Canyon. Cimarron Canyon State Park - public water and access on the river downstream. Taos - the regional town west over the pass with full services and fly shops. Red River - the mountain town and stream north of the valley.
When is the best time to fish the Eagle Nest Lake?
Spring: ice comes off late and shoreline trout fishing turns on as the lake opens. Summer: kokanee school deep while pike work the weed edges and trout spread through the lake. Fall: kokanee run toward the inlet and pike feed hard before the cold sets in. Winter: the lake freezes and supports an ice fishery for trout and perch when conditions allow.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Eagle Nest Lake?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New Mexico agency site: https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/fishing/