(This story first appeared in the Spring 2014 Outdoor Reporter)
By Toner Mitchell, Special to New Mexico Wildlife Federation
As in my childhood, spring’s longer days are turning my thoughts to New Mexico’s streams and lakes and the trout that call them home.
This spring, thanks to late snow, the northern part of the state might see some runoff, and with regular rains and no forest fires New Mexico streams might stay healthy throughout the summer. I’m not saying the future looks rosy, but so far 2014 appears to be a step up from recent years. Consider also that, in spite of this truly horrendous drought, fishing in New Mexico has been pretty decent in certain places and at certain times.
For example, I’ve never seen such good fishing on the Rio Grande, especially during the summer. The San Juan is as good as ever, and according to Department of Game and Fish surveys, the Cimarron remains a strong fishery as well.
It speaks to the general high quality of fishing in New Mexico that even in times of duress, there is good fishing to be found. Of course this is less a call to rejoice than a caution, for to maintain the quality of our fisheries we must be mindful of certain realities like less precipitation and higher average temperatures. We must also remain proactive, taking advantage of new opportunities and sticking to proven approaches to keep New Mexicans fishing.
