RUIDOSO – Bonito Lake will reopen to anglers Saturday, May 25, after more than a decade of being closed. The lake, which is owned by the City of Alamogordo, filled with sediment after the 2012 Little Bear Fire. The City has undertaken extensive efforts to remove the sediment and restore the lake.
Last week, the City and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish signed an agreement through the Department's Open Gate Access Program to allow angling to resume. This program uses funds from Department license sales to secure access for hunting and fishing. The agreement for Bonito Lake allows fishing only from the lakeshore in open areas, which exclude the shore near the dam and the Bonito Creek inlet. Access is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Camping, boating, building fires and access for activities other than fishing are not permitted. Swimming is not allowed. Signs posted at the lake's entrance will provide visitors with full rules and details.
The Department will stock the lake with rainbow trout before Saturday's opening. Brook trout also occur in the lake. Both species can be harvested by licensed anglers under the statewide five-trout-per-day bag limit. Anglers should check local conditions and road closures before visiting the lake due to wildfire activity in the area.
