Fishing

From residents of Pecos Pueblo to 16th-century Spanish soldiers to “dudes” vacationing at Tex Austin’s Forked Lightning Ranch in the 1920s, people have fished in this area for centuries.

Today, Pecos National Historical Park manages a recreational fishing program to continue this traditional use and to fulfill the park’s mission of providing for public enjoyment. The park uses a reservation system, a set fishing season, and NPS and New Mexico fishing regulations to protect resources and to support native fish species.

2025 Season

The 2025 season will run from July 3 to October 31, 2025. There will be no fishing on Tuesday and Wednesday each week.

Reservations

Reservations are required, and may only be obtained through recreation.gov, or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Reservations cost $1, and may be made no more than 30 days in advance.

Within the park, the Pecos River has been divided into three beats, each of which is approximately one mile. A single reservation allows for a group of up to four (4) people to fish anywhere along the designated beat during set hours (8:30am to 3pm) that day, after checking in at the visitor center.

Note that Beats 1 and 2 begin only a few hundred yards from the parking area; accessing Beat 3 requires an approximately one-mile hike.

Check-In and Licenses

Anglers must check in at the visitor center during open hours before heading to the river. During check-in, park staff will confirm the reservation, review fishing licenses, and provide directions and parking placards. Anglers are also expected to check out at the end of the day, before the visitor center closes.

A valid New Mexico state fishing license is required for all anglers 12 years and older, in accordance with state license requirements. Anglers must show the license as part of the check-in process. Note that licenses are not available for purchase in Pecos, so anglers should secure their license either online, by phone (1-888-248-6866), or at a registered license vendor before coming to the visitor center.

Fish Species

The Pecos River and surrounding environment are home to a wide variety of species—but if you’re reading this, you’re probably most interested in the fish!

Native fish include longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae), white suckers (Catostomus commersonii), and the rare Rio Grande chub (Gila pandora). While Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) are found in the headwaters of the Pecos River and may have been present in this lower stretch of river historically, they have not been documented within park boundaries for a long time.

Non-native brown trout and rainbow trout are some of the most common fish in this stretch of river today. These species were introduced in this area in the late 1800s and, since then, have consistently outcompeted other species, leading to declining populations of native fish.

In alignment with the park’s mission, fish management within Pecos NHP is focused on the conservation and protection of native fish. Anglers are therefore encouraged to remove brown and rainbow trout, in accordance with state bag limits. All native fish must be immediately and carefully returned alive and unharmed to the water from which they were caught.

Note that other taxa, including amphibians, mollusks, and crustaceans, are not considered “fish” for the purpose of NPS fishing regulations and are addressed by NPS regulations governing wildlife instead (36CFR2.2).

Fishing Regulations

Fishing at Pecos NHP is managed in accordance with NPS general regulations, special park regulations, the Superintendent’s Compendium, and state regulations. Where state and federal regulations conflict, federal regulations take precedence. It is anglers’ responsibility to be aware of all relevant regulations; learn more about how different regulations intersect on this webpage.

At Pecos NHP, these are the regulations that you must adhere to:

1. NPS General Regulations for fishing apply to all National Park Service sites, and include restrictions on bait, attractants, gear, locations, and more.
2. Pecos National Historical Park regulations are listed in the Superintendent's Compendium, and include park-specific restrictions on locations, seasons, bait, and fishing methods. Note that park-wide regulations apply for angling as well, including prohibitions against open fires, smoking except in designated areas, pets except in designated areas, etc.
3. Unless in conflict with the above, the laws and regulations of the State of New Mexico apply as well (36CFR2.3); for current New Mexico state fishing regulations, visit the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish website.

For more information on fishing in national parks more generally, go to the NPS Fish and Fishing website and to Title 36 of the US Code of Federal Regulations (Parts 1-200).

In addition, anglers are strongly encouraged to disinfect all gear before and after fishing, to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.  To learn more about this, as well as best practices for disinfecting gear, visit the Fish and Fishing website.

Safety

You are responsible for your own safety. Reservations are only canceled if the park fully closes; otherwise, it is up to the reservation holder to determine if conditions are sufficiently safe for angling. We recommend that anglers pay attention to local weather forecasts and current river flow rates, as well as stay alert to changing conditions throughout the day.

If you are considering consuming your catch, check current advisories before doing so. Advisories are recommendations to limit your consumption of, or avoid eating entirely, certain species of fish or shellfish from specific bodies of water due to chemical or biological contamination. To learn more about this, visit the NPS webpages about Fish Consumption Advisories and Mercury and Toxins in Nature.