Fishing

October may be the best month of the year at the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, north of Questa. Summer heat has left the gorge, the light is low and clear, and the trails that drop 800 feet from the rim to the Rio Grande are far more forgiving than they are in July. The recreation area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, protects the place where the Red River joins the Rio Grande in a deep canyon cut through dark volcanic rock.

October is one of the last comfortable months to fish the Cimarron River before winter settles into the high country, and this year the trip comes with a welcome bonus. The Cimarron flows east out of Eagle Nest Lake through Cimarron Canyon State Park, a narrow, thickly wooded canyon off U.S. 64 between Eagle Nest and the town of Cimarron. It is a small tailwater that fishes like a classic freestone mountain stream, with riffles, pocket water, bend pools, undercut banks and beaver ponds packed into a tight corridor.

Hopewell Lake is one of the quietest pieces of trout water in the Carson National Forest, and October is the month to check its status before making the drive. The Forest Service currently lists the Hopewell Lake Day Use Area as closed, so anyone hoping for a late-season picnic or a last cast should confirm conditions with the Carson before heading up Highway 64.

October is turning the Rio Grande into one of the best bets in northern New Mexico, and the clearest sign came this week from below Taos Junction Bridge. In the state fishing report published October 14, an angler fishing a fly rod caught and released six brown trout there, including a fish that measured 18 inches. That is the kind of report Carson country anglers wait for all fall.

High above Questa, Cabresto Lake offers one of the quietest corners of the Carson National Forest in October. The Forest Service lists the small campground there as open, with four semi-dispersed campsites at 9,500 feet on a level ridge overlooking the lake, surrounded by high peaks. It is a simple, high-country base for anglers and hikers who prefer fewer crowds to full facilities, and mid-October is a fine time to see it before winter weather settles into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

The clock is ticking on one of the easiest fishing stops in Carson National Forest country. The Red River City Ponds, right in the town of Red River, are open to fishing from March 1 through November 15, according to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. That leaves about a month from mid-October to make a last visit before the ponds close for the season.

October brings a quieter, golden window to the Valle Vidal, the large unit of the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico near the Colorado border. Broad meadows, spruce and fir forest, and cold, clear streams give this high country a different feel from the busier trailheads around Taos and Red River, and fall is when that space is easiest to appreciate.

Fall brings a fishing season unlike any other in northern New Mexico, and it is now under way at Eagle Nest Lake. The state's Special Kokanee Salmon Snagging Season opened October 1 and runs through December 31 at Eagle Nest Lake, according to the New Mexico Department of Wildlife's 2026-2027 Fishing Rules and Information booklet.

October is the sweet spot for trout in northern New Mexico. Summer's heat has loosened its grip, water temperatures are dropping into the trout's comfort zone, and fish that spent the summer holding deep are feeding with purpose. This week's state fishing report, compiled from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, shows favorable conditions across Carson country — from the Pecos River to the Rio Grande near Questa.

You do not need a boat, a guide, or a week of vacation to catch trout in the Carson National Forest. Eagle Rock Lake, a small day-use area just off Highway 38 between Questa and Red River, is one of the easiest and most family-friendly fisheries in northern New Mexico — and after a recent restoration, it is fishing well.