Diego Lopez, Editor
GRANTS, N.M. - As January wraps up, winter fishing in Cibola County continues to be defined by solid opportunities for trout.
Bluewater Lake
The most recent fishing report from Bluewater Lake State Park was received Jan. 15. At that time, trout fishing was reported as FAIR to GOOD when using cheese PowerBait.
While the bite has been encouraging for shore anglers, the lake continues under a temporary boating closure. State Parks has posted that Bluewater Lake is CLOSED TO BOATING due to extreme temperatures causing ice to form around the main boat ramp, and officials are asking visitors to refrain from going out onto the lake at this time.
State Parks’ most recent posted lake conditions update (last updated Jan. 12, 2026) the reservoir at an elevation of 7,368.550 feet (MSL) and an estimated volume of 4,474 acre-feet. USGS reservoir storage readings show Bluewater at 4,470 acre-feet on Jan. 16, and 4,441 acre-feet on Jan. 23.
A later pull collected Jan. 26 also showed 4,441 acre-feet, suggesting the reservoir has dipped modestly through the month but remains relatively steady overall.
Bluewater Lake State Park remains on winter entrance hours through March 31, with the gate open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The shower facility remains temporarily closed due to lack of heat, with that notice posted through April 1.
For current conditions, visitors can check the Bluewater Lake State Park webpage or call 505876-2391. Camping reservations are available through Reserve America at 877-664-7787.
Grants Riverwalk Pond
There were no angler updates and no new stocking reports for the Grants Municipal Pond (Riverwalk Pond) during the Jan. 21–27 period. However, as this is the final Cibola Citizen edition of the month, here is a quick recap of the trout stocking activity reported at the Riverwalk Pond in January: The Riverwalk Pond was stocked Dec. 29, 2025 with 102 triploid rainbow trout. It was stocked again on Jan. 14, 2026 with 100 triploid rainbow trout, listed at 10inch class fish from the Lisboa Springs Trout Hatchery. For local anglers, that means January brought fresh trout to the pond.
Readers can help strengthen these reports and build a running record of fishing at Bluewater Lake and the Riverwalk Pond. The Cibola Citizen is happy to publish photos and short reports from local anglers. Send your catches, conditions updates, and fishing stories to editor@cibolacitizen. com.