Isleta Lakes & Recreation Area

Isleta Lakes. It’s a pay for your fishing, camping, park/​recreation, use area. In that arena, it does well but it’s tough to rate high for me, because it’s a ‘pay to fish’ operation, and that gnaws at my insides. Yes… I know, I know… a state license isn’t free for most folks either. However, the fees for the State license go towards good things & maybe that’s the difference. I’ll hold my rant for later.
You’ll notice I can get past my issues and I’m giving it four stars for doing well in its field. (I try to be objective in my reviews like that.)
LOCATION: South of Abq, off of I-​25 & on the Isleta Pueblo. (*On tribal land*) It’s just west of the Isleta casino, gas station & golf course. It’s right next to a Rail Runner station and easy to hit right off the freeway. If you’re staying at the casino, they’ll shuttle you there. There is even a bus route option. It’s close to the Rio Grande & bosque, so bug spray is a smart summer item to have.
WATERS: There are two main lakes that are well maintained and stocked throughout the year. Catfish are summer stocked & trout in the winter. Some places are overgrown or have too much moss. This usually isn’t the case here. The water is about 6′ deep at the deepest points and is often clear. You can see the sandy bottom in many areas. There are plenty of aerators around the ponds.
FISH: Trout are mostly good size stockers, so you can go home w/​a very nice dinner. Catfish range from ‘meh’ to ‘holy-​crap’. There are some carp and sunfish in here, but not many, as they ask you to let them die on the bank if you catch one. I let ‘em live. They are a rare catch here.
FACILITY & GROUNDS: I always see RVs there when I go. I can’t offer much more on that, as I’ve not RV’d there before. There are six bathrooms that are very nice and always clean. They include automatic lights, sensor sinks, heating & A/​C. Each bathroom has one male & female side w/​flushing toilets. The grounds are easy to get around via well maintained roads, trails and bridges. There are covered picnic areas, a playground and fishing platforms w/​benches. There are trash cans, but they may be full and there could be more of them. Once you enter, you are here to stay, but most things you forgot or need, you will find at their general store. Expect to pay a bit more for that convenience. They have a fish cleaning station where the waste is ground up. It’s knife friendly & the sprayers have good pressure. Bring the dog and take the paths around the lake area. They are actually a pretty nice walk.
COST: The $ 16 per day is reasonable, I suppose. $ 14 for 60+ $ 9 for under 12. This gets you five fish or three for kids. NO catch and release here. Be like the locals… meaning ‘discreet’ and you’re fine. Comparatively, a NM one-​day fishing license is $ 17.00. w/​70 & over being free and kids 12 & under free. Again, leaving/​returning will cost you full price. Visitors allowed at $ 2 a head.
SHORT RANT & CONS: I grew up knowing you get your fishing license once per year and fish all year on it. That runs about $ 30. At a five per day limit, that’s 1825 potential fish per. Far more than you’ll ever need or can actually catch. Plus, the habitat stamp fees and so on go toward keeping the habitats open and in good state for you, me & the wildlife. Kids/​Seniors were free. Kids should always fish for free in my mind. Always. But in this new scenario you want me to pay to fish? I have to take anything I catch and I leave when I limit? No leaving & returning? Any visitor must to pay to come in a flat fee for any duration? Fine, but I don’t like it. For a tournament, I don’t mind it because it’s normal to pay at tournaments. I go there for the catfish or trout tournaments, where they will have tagged fish that are worth up to $ 1k a piece. There are times this place works. For instance, it works for those campers that bring the RV in for a short stay, those that fish once in a blue moon or those that come for the tournaments. Aside from that, there are too many other places to go. Now, it has been reported by many, that during tournaments, they feed the fish at night so they don’t hit during the day. That’s kinda sad and sucky
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TIPS: Be nice to the ladies at the store. They like you or they don’t. I’ve been lucky, but I’ve seen the other side too. Tread lightly. Most interaction you’ll have w/​staff will be with them.
The entire area falls under its own free Wi-​Fi coverage.
Vets $ 14 on Mondays w/​Isleta card.
Come often? Get the punch card. 10 visits get you 1 free one. Tournaments times don’t count though! That sucks, don’t it?
Bring EVERYTHING you need and more. You’ll be glad you did. Include sunscreen, stringer/​basket, water, chairs, plastic bag for your cleaned fish, a rag for your hands/​knife.
If you have an aggressive breed or dog, they can and will prohibit it from coming in. It’s posted as soon as you drive up.