Sandia Lakes Recreation Area

Not a bad little fishing hole to relax and have some serenity and fun. This place would be even more fun if it had bass fishing. I’ve caught some 10−15lb catfish here and decent size trout. During February they have a tagged fish event where you can win money.

I don’t have to give the pricing because others already have except if the kiddos aren’t fishing you pay $ 2 per child. The lakes were well stocked especially for the tag competition they were having. My catches were small but others had huge fish. There are some fish in those lakes because we left with, «the one that got away» stories to tell. It kept us there nearly all day trying to catch this genius catfish. Lots of places to sit and clean restrooms but I wish there were a few more trees for shade and some grills. I will be back to seek my revenge on that giant catfish.

Five of us not a single bite all day. This was a ripoff. Might be a nice place for a picnic but don’t bother to pay $ 20 to fish.

$ 20 bucks per person, $ 12 for kiddos. 5 fish limit for adults. It’s catch and keep… no releasing. Catfish are stocked in the summer and trout in the winter. The nice thing about this place is that you don’t have to have a fishing license. You are, in essence, paying for the fish and the fishing license. I like it better than it’s nearby lake, Shady Lakes, because you don’t have to pay per inch for the fish. The store has all kinds of goodies for the fisherman including hooks, worms, etc. and even beer so you can have a brewski while you are fishing.
We usually catch our limit when we are at the lake, but not always. There’s lots of shady areas and places to have a seat. The people are kind and helpful to fellow fishers. The only complaint I have about this place is there are goose droppings all over the place. It’s gorgeous otherwise. I think they need to rake or pick up the droppings daily instead of every few days because it was a little out of control when we were there.

Good Fishing, but you pay a fee to fish and it’s not cheap. You do not need a New Mexico Fishing License to fish at Sandia Lakes. For an adult (12 and up) the fee is $ 20.00 per day with a 5 fish limit. For kids (11 and under) the fee is $ 12.00 per day with a 3 fish limit. There is a must-​keep rule, so you cannot throw any fish back and need to filet them on-​site. If you don’t want to keep your fish, you are sure to find a group that will happily accept your fish. Make sure you give them your ticket, so they don’t get in trouble for catching too many. That is what we did as we didn’t want to keep the fish, just went for fun.
Visited in summertime and caught 6 or 7 Catfish in a few hours. The lakes are stocked, so the fish do not vary much in size; they are all about 12 – 14 inches. The lakes are not huge, but there is enough room to have a few feet between you and another group on a busy day. Make sure you pack portable chairs, plenty of water and sunscreen. There are benches and small shelters, but they fill up first.
The retail store has a snacks and drinks and a wide array of bait, lures, filet knives, stringers, line, hooks and everything else you need for a good day of fishing. The restrooms around the lakes are clean with running water, so that is a big plus for anyone who does not like porta-​potties.

I was here Thursday August 23, 2012.
My son caught his first fish here that day and the folks that worked at the lake store were as happy as I was. When I went into the store to buy a knife the manager came out to show me how to fillet the fish!
The lake was stocked, well kept and more than big enough to share with the few people that were there.
There’s a fish cleaning station that makes cleaning fish a lot easier.
My only suggestion is the store should have ice to pack your fillets.
You can’t bring your own booze but the store sells beer and you can drink it there on the lake.