The first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June and the last consecutive Saturday and Sunday in September during the effective dates of this regulation, are established as free fishing weekends whereby anglers may fish public waters in New Mexico as otherwise provided by regulation without a fishing license, stamps or paying any license fees. Anglers must abide by all other fishing laws including but not limited to bag limits, tackle restrictions, age restrictions and hours during each free fishing weekend.

HISTORY OF 19.31.4 NMAC:

The material in this part was derived from that previously filed with the State Records Center & Archives under: Regulation No. 488, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of The Fisheries Resources of New Mexico 1968-1969 License Year, April 1, 1968 Through March 31, 1969, filed 12/15/1967; Regulation No. 500, Concerning Method & Manner of Hunting, Taking, Possessing, Disposing & Transporting of Game Animals, Birds, Fish Or Bullfrogs, Or Parts Thereof, Taken In NM, filed 5/25/1967; Regulation No. 525, Concerning the Method And Manner of Hunting, Taking, Possessing, Disposing And Transporting of Game Animals, Game Birds, Game Fish Or Bullfrogs, Or Parts Thereof, Taken In New Mexico, filed 8/21/1968; Regulation No. 499, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico 1969-1970 License Year, April 1, 1969 Through March 31, 1970, filed 12/10/1968; Regulation No. 509, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico 1970-1971 License Year, April 1, 1970 Through March 31, 1971, filed 12/8/1969; Regulation No. 518, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico 1971-1972 License Year, April 1, 1971 Through March 31, 1972, filed 1/14/1971; Regulation No. 530, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico, 1972-1973 License Year, April 1, 1972 Through March 31, 1973, filed 1/11/1972; Regulation No. 535, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1972 Through March 31, 1973, filed 5/31/1972; Regulation No. 550, Basic Regulation Governing Water Pollution, Water Diversion, Animal Releases, Possession of Game, Manner of Hunting And Fishing, And Use of Department Lands, Filed 5/31/1972; Regulation No. 543, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1973 Through March 31, 1974, filed 12/11/1972; Regulation 552, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of Mexico For the Period April 1, 1974 Through March 31, 1975, filed 1/11/1974; Regulation No. 562, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period April 1, 1975 Through March 31, 1976, filed 1/3/1975; Regulation No. 571, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period April 1, 1976 Through March 31, 1977, filed 2/10/1976; Regulation No. 579, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1977, Through March 31, 1978, filed 9/21/1976; Regulation No. 581, Establishing Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of Commercial Fish Resources of New Mexico, filed 12/20/1976; Regulation No. 586, Establishing Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of Commercial Fish Resources of New Mexico, filed 5/24/1977; Regulation No. 589, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period April 1, 1978, Through March 31, 1979, filed 10/5/1977; Regulation No. 595, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period April 1, 1979, Through March 31, 1980, filed 10/3/1978; Regulation No. 602, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period April 1, 1980, Through March 31, 1981, filed 11/21/1979; Regulation No. 607, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period April 1, 1981, Through March 31, 1983, filed 10/22/1980; Regulation No. 612, Basic Regulation Governing Water Pollution, Water Diversion, Animal Releases, Possession of Game, Manner of Hunting and Fishing, Use of Department Lands, Retention of Protected Species, Permits and Licenses Issued, and the Hunter Safety Certificate Requirement, filed 3/2/1982; Regulation No. 619, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period April 1, 1983, Through March 31, 1985, filed 12/8/1982; Regulation No. 632, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1985, Through March 31, 1987, filed 11/28/1984; Regulation No. 647, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1987, Through March 31, 1989, filed 1/5/1987; Regulation No. 662, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1989, Through March 31, 1991, filed 12/19/1988; Regulation No. 677, Basic Regulation Governing Water Pollution, Possession of Game, Permits and Licenses Issued, Retention and Importation of Protected Species, Manner of Hunting and Fishing, Use of Department Lands, Hunter Training Course Required, Hunting License Revocation, filed 6/25/1990; Regulation No. 681, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1991, Through March 31, 1993, filed 1/11/1991; Regulation No. 694, Establishing Open Seasons, Bag Limits, And Other Rules Pertaining To Management And Harvest of the Fisheries Resources of New Mexico For the Period of April 1, 1993, Through March 31, 1995, filed 3/11/1993

NMAC History:

19 NMAC 31.4, Hunting and Fishing Regulations - Fisheries, 4/1/1995.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing Regulations - Fisheries, 11/15/2000.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing - Fisheries, 4/15/2002.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing - Fisheries, 3/10/2010.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing - Fisheries, 12/30/2015.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing - Fisheries, 12/15/2016.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing - Fisheries, 12/12/2017.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing - Fisheries, 4/1/2018.

19.31.4 NMAC, Hunting and Fishing – Fisheries, 4/1/2022.

History of Repealed Material: [RESERVED]

[19.31.4.16 NMAC - N, 4/1/2022; A, 9/12/2023]