New Mexico's state fish swims in only a handful of cold, clear streams in the southern Rockies — and some of the very best water is in the Carson National Forest's Valle Vidal. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout, the southernmost subspecies of cutthroat trout in North America, is found naturally only in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, which makes every one you catch feel like a small miracle.
The fish's stronghold in the Carson is Comanche Creek and its tributaries in the Valle Vidal, where the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has spent decades restoring pure-strain native trout. More than 5,000 cutthroats were stocked into Comanche Creek as part of an effort covering some 20 miles of small streams, with barriers built to keep non-native fish out and non-natives removed above them. The goal is a self-sustaining native fishery — and by most accounts, it is working.
Anglers should know the rules before they go, because this water is managed carefully. Fishing in the Valle Vidal is open July 1 through December 31. All streams in the Valle Vidal are designated Red Chile Water: catch-and-release only, artificial flies and lures only, single barbless hooks only, and a two-fly limit. The west-side waters, including the best stretches of Comanche and Costilla creeks, sit within the annual May 1 to June 30 closure that protects elk calving — so plan July or later trips.
Handle these fish with extra care. Wet your hands before touching one, keep it in the water as much as possible, and release it quickly. Barbless hooks make this easier, and many Valle Vidal regulars pinch down even the barbs on flies that come with them. The cutthroats here are wild, wary, and beautiful — olive backs, golden bellies, and the namesake crimson slash marks under the gills.
Base-camp options include the Cimarron and McCrystal campgrounds in the Valle Vidal, or drive-up sites along Costilla Creek outside the forest boundary. A New Mexico fishing license is required, plus a Habitat Improvement Stamp for the Valle Vidal. For anglers who measure a trip in wild places as much as in fish, there may be no finer water in the state.