Cimarron River, New Mexico

Eagle Nest Dam and the Tolby mile

The Cimarron starts its fishable life at Eagle Nest Dam, about three miles east of the village of Eagle Nest on US 64. The first stretch below the dam is private, then the river enters Cimarron Canyon State Park at Tolby Campground. From the east end of Tolby downstream 1.4 miles to the first US 64 bridge is the special catch-and-release reach, and the gauge on this page is the USGS station just below the dam, so it reads the release the whole canyon fishes on.

Cimarron Canyon State Park

The park runs about eight miles along US 64 between Tolby Creek and Ute Park, inside the larger Colin Neblett Wildlife Management Area, with the Palisades cliffs (an igneous sill, not limestone) as its landmark. Three maintained campgrounds and a string of pull-offs put you on the water within a short walk, and there is a state park day-use fee. The river is narrow and brushy, so short rods, roll casts and short-line nymphing do most of the work.

Below the canyon

Below Ute Park the Cimarron crosses private ranch land, including Philmont Scout Ranch, to the town of Cimarron, and public access ends at the road crossings. The USGS gauge near Cimarron (07207000) reads this lower reach after irrigation diversions and is not a guide to the canyon. Eagle Nest Lake above the dam is a separate stillwater fishery with its own state park.

Brown trout

Wild, naturally spawning browns are what the Cimarron is about; the New Mexico regulations name it as one of the state's notable wild brown trout waters, and the Eagle Nest Fly Shack describes the population as dense but wary. Stealth matters more than fly choice: approach from downstream, stay low, and fish 5X or 6X. Golden stones in early summer, caddis and PMDs through summer, tricos in July and August and baetis in the fall are the hatches to plan around.

Rainbow trout

Rainbows are hatchery fish that the New Mexico Department of Wildlife stocks in the canyon through the season; they are the bulk of the harvest outside the catch-and-release mile and are most common near the campgrounds.

Season and regulations

The river is open all year, but the fishing follows the dam, not the calendar. Releases for downstream irrigation generally open in spring and run into October; when the gate closes the canyon drops to a trickle, and the gauge will show it. Local sources put the comfortable fishing range at roughly 15 to 60 cfs, and Orvis reports describe 18 to 24 cfs as a very good flow. The river is far too small to float.

The 1.4-mile Tolby reach is catch-and-release with artificial flies or lures with a single barbless hook. The rest of the Cimarron is a Special Trout Water under standard bag limits, which statewide means 5 trout in combination. Check the current New Mexico Department of Wildlife rules and information booklet for licenses, validations and any camping restrictions before you go.