Now until 2 pmLargemouth bass
The bite peaks at 68.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now · best window
Largemouth bass range 55–85°
From the north
Sunrise 7:21 am
4% chance of rain
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are New Mexico non-tidal regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. New Mexico: 5 black bass a day combined, 10 in possession; largemouth and spotted bass 14" minimum.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · New Mexico non-tidal
Season here: Feb–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on largemouth bass
No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. New Mexico: 5 black bass a day combined, 10 in possession; smallmouth 12" minimum (14" at Conchas and Ute).
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · New Mexico non-tidal
Season here: Year-round, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass
No water reading here right now. Walleye bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. New Mexico: 5 walleye a day, 10 in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · New Mexico non-tidal
Season here: Nov–Apr, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on walleye
No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. New Mexico: 20 crappie a day, 40 in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · New Mexico non-tidal
Season here: Feb–May, Oct–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on crappie
No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. New Mexico: 15 catfish a day, all species except bullheads, 30 in possession. Special Summer Catfish Waters allow 2; the Animas and San Juan in San Juan County have no limit.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · New Mexico non-tidal
Season here: Mar–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on channel catfish
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. New Mexico sets bag limits only for game fish. Common carp are a nongame species with no bag or size limit, and dead carp are approved cut bait statewide.
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · New Mexico non-tidal
Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. New Mexico Game & Fish publishes a report for the state.
Licenses and rules: New Mexico Dept. of Game & Fish · fish-consumption advisories
New Mexico’s largest lake — a 36,000-acre Rio Grande reservoir and the state’s premier warm-water fishery. Trophy largemouth and smallmouth bass relate to the rock and points, with walleye, white bass, crappie, and channel catfish throughout. Elephant Butte Lake State Park anchors public ramps and miles of shoreline.
New Mexico 2026–27: 5 black bass a day (largemouth 14" minimum, smallmouth 12"), 5 walleye, 20 crappie, 15 catfish, 1 striped bass and 25 white bass. Lake levels swing hard, so check ramp status.
The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Elephant Butte Reservoir you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Elephant Butte Reservoir is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Elephant Butte Reservoir against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Elephant Butte Reservoir has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. New Mexico 2026–27: 5 black bass a day (largemouth 14" minimum, smallmouth 12"), 5 walleye, 20 crappie, 15 catfish, 1 striped bass and 25 white bass. Lake levels swing hard, so check ramp status.
state agency regulations apply at Elephant Butte Reservoir. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Elephant Butte Reservoir is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
