Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) 2024 Conference

A changing climate, increasing demand for water, and complex regulatory reality are compounding the already challenging task of managing New Mexico’s uniquely diverse fisheries. Continuing to meet angler expectations and conserve the state’s natural history requires innovative approaches to problems both old and new. The state's unique, and often surprising fisheries, feature an array of native species diversity and classic sportfish populations in unexpected landscapes. As examples, the state boasts angling opportunities for two of the country's rarest native trout species, a self-sustaining walleye population less than a hundred miles from the Mexico border, and a trout fishery that rivals densities found anywhere in the world. Further, New Mexico's angling heritage is interwoven with a long and successful history of native fish conservation. This presentation will explore some of New Mexico's most unique fisheries, the challenges they face, and what it takes to manage them now and into the future.