Question:

I am planning a trip to Santa Fe National Forest in June or July. I was wondering if you had any experience with fishing the waters around this area. If so, could you suggest some good locations?

Chris

Answer:

Chris,

You have chosen wisely. Not only are there plenty of streams and lakes worth fishing, you are hitting them at the ideal time of year. The Santa Fe National Forest is broken into two major sections, one west of Santa Fe, the other east of Santa Fe.

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West of Santa Fe are the Jemez Mountains. The major drainage through this scenic range is the Jemez River. The Jemez itself has pretty good angling, especially for brown trout, but since the road follows its course, and since so many locals fish it, you're better off fishing one of its numerous tributaries.

San Antonio Creek, Guadalupe River, East Fork of the Jemez, and my favorite, the Rio Cebolla, fish well through the summer. You can camp at Fenton Lake, itself a good trout producer. There are some other smaller creeks you can fish in this area.

East of Santa Fe are the Sangre de Cristos, a stunning range of colorful, tree-lined mountains. The main fishery in them thar hills is the Pecos River. A good road leads you up the Pecos (where most folks pass by the good canyon angling) to get to the town of Terrerro.

You can drive and fish all the way to the Iron Gate (watching of course for marked private water). And if you're especially zealous (and with the scenery to come, you should be) you can park at the Iron Gate and hike upstream on any of the headwater creeks for incredible small stream fishing.

I don't know if you'll be staying in Santa Fe or Albuquerque or somewhere else close by, but you won't be shortchanged in angling options.