New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 19 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE › Chapter 31 - HUNTING AND FISHING › Part 10 - HUNTING AND FISHING - MANNER AND METHOD OF TAKING › Section 19.31.10.14 - FISHING

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A.
Angling:
Game fish may be taken by angling in all waters that are
				open for fishing.
B.
Season
				and hours:
It is unlawful to fish in any water during a closed season or
				to fish in any water outside of the legal fishing hours as prescribed in
				19.31.4 NMAC.
C.
Closed
				waters:
It is unlawful to fish in any water closed by state game
				commission rule.
D.
Ice
				fishing:
It is unlawful to take fish from or through the ice on the
				following waters: Santa Cruz lake, Bonito lake, and Springer lake. Ice fishing
				is legal on all other waters unless otherwise prohibited.
E.
Hatchery waters:
It is
				unlawful to take or attempt to take fish from the waters of any fish hatchery
				or rearing ponds owned or operated by state or federal agencies. Exception:
				During open season, angling shall be permitted in the Glenwood pond at the
				Glenwood state fish hatchery, Red River hatchery pond at the Red River state
				fish hatchery, Brood pond at Seven Springs state fish hatchery, Laguna del
				Campo at Los Ojos state fish hatchery, and settling ponds at Rock Lake state
				fish hatchery. Additionally, the director may expressly authorize other limited
				fishing at the state's fish hatcheries based on management needs.
F.
Trotlines:
Game fish may be
				taken by use of trotlines in any water except those listed below, however:
(1) It is unlawful for any person to set more
				than one trotline at a time.
(2) It
				is unlawful to tie or join together trotlines belonging to two or more
				persons.
(3) It is unlawful for any
				trotline to have more than 25 angling hooks.
(4) It is unlawful for a person who has set
				or maintained a trotline to not personally visit and inspect it at least once
				every calendar day and remove or release all game fish which are
				caught.
(5) It is unlawful for
				anyone to check, pull up or otherwise tamper with another's trotline.
(6) It is unlawful for anyone to set, check
				or maintain a trotline which is not tagged or marked as follows:
(a) A person fishing with a trotline shall
				attach to it an identification tag that is visible above the water line. The
				identification tag shall bear the angler's department issued customer
				identification number (CIN).
(b) An
				unlicensed angler 11 years of age and younger shall list their department
				issued customer identification number (CIN) or their name and date of
				birth.
(7) It is
				unlawful to set or use a trotline in any public water with the following
				exceptions:
Drainage:
Rivers:
Lakes:
Rio Grande drainage
Rio Grande mainstem from its confluence with the
								Chama river downstream to New Mexico/Texas state line and Chama river mainstem
								from the northern boundary of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert downstream
								to Abiquiu lake
Abiquiu lake, Cochiti lake, Elephant Butte lake,
								and Caballo lake
Pecos river drainage
Pecos river mainstem downstream of I-25 (excluding
								Villanueva state park) to the New Mexico/Texas state line and all tributaries
								within Chavez, De Baca, Eddy, Guadalupe, and San Miguel (downstream of I-25)
								counties
Santa Rosa lake, Sumner lake, lake Avalon, Brantley
								lake, Six Mile lake, Ten Mile reservoir, and Red Bluff reservoir
Canadian river drainage
Canadian river mainstem and all tributaries
								downstream and east of I-25 to the New Mexico/Texas state line
Stubblefield lake, Laguna Madre, Maxwell lake 14,
								Springer lake, Conchas lake, and Ute lake
San Juan river drainage
San Juan river mainstem from U.S. 64 bridge at
								Blanco downstream to the Navajo Nation boundary at the Hogback canal
								diversion
Navajo lake
Gila river and San Francisco river drainage
Gila river mainstem from its confluence with the
								east fork downstream to the New Mexico/Arizona state line and San Francisco
								river mainstem from U.S. 180 bridge at Alma downstream to the New
								Mexico/Arizona state line
None
Statewide
As described above
Class A lakes and lakes, ponds, and ranch tanks not
								fed by public waters and not open to public fishing
(8)
				Any officer authorized to enforce Chapter 17 NMSA 1978 and state game
				commission rules may seize and destroy any trotlines not set or checked in
				accordance with this subsection.