Between Sept. 21 and Oct. 1, the New Mexico Department of Wildlife stocked 2,999 triploid rainbow trout in Grindstone Reservoir, about 1,300 pounds of fish in total. For the three weeks before the Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 reports, the department's weekly fishing report didn't receive a single angler report from the lake.
Those two facts belong together. For anyone who lives within a few minutes of the water, late October and November is when Grindstone has the most fish and the fewest people. The lake costs less to use than at any point since spring, and the summer crowd that fished the shoreline hardest is gone.
Two Deliveries From Rock Lake
Both Grindstone loads came from the state's Rock Lake Trout Rearing Facility. Nearby Alto Lake got two smaller loads in the same window. Here's how the fall deliveries look in the department's stocking tables:
| Stock date | Water | Rainbow trout | Avg. length | Total weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 21, 2026 | Grindstone Reservoir | 1,500 | 10.0 in. | 605 lbs. |
| Sept. 21, 2026 | Alto Lake | 999 | 10.0 in. | 403 lbs. |
| Oct. 1, 2026 | Grindstone Reservoir | 1,499 | 10.4 in. | 691 lbs. |
| Oct. 5, 2026 | Alto Lake | 999 | per state report | per state report |
You can open the Sept. 25 stocking report and the Oct. 2 stocking report directly. The deliveries keep to a pattern the department has followed for years. A 2016 NMDOW release describes switching every fall from summer catfish stocking to winter trout stocking, and it lists both Alto Lake and Grindstone Reservoir as winter trout waters.
The summer pattern ended only a few weeks before the trout arrived. In the department's Sept. 10 fishing report, catfish fishing at Grindstone was good on grasshoppers. The same issue's catch of the week was an angler who pulled three bass from the Grindstone shore on Sept. 7, the last day of the lake's high season. Two weeks later, the first 1,500 trout went in.
The Line That Keeps Repeating
After that changeover, the weekly reports stopped mentioning Grindstone except in one recurring sentence. The Oct. 8 fishing and stocking report closes its Southeast section with a list of waters that sent in nothing:
"We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Alto Lake, Bonito Lake, Blue Hole Park Pond... Grindstone Reservoir..."
The Oct. 1 report put Grindstone on the same list. So two fall stockings have gone in on top of each other, and the state's report has no fishing results from the lake since the trout arrived.
The Oct. 16 stocking report, which covers the week ending Oct. 16, has no new entry for Grindstone, Alto or Bonito. The state hasn't published a date for the next Grindstone load. The fish already in the lake are the fall supply for now, and the latest of them went in on Oct. 1.
Alto Lake's Report Is the Closest Guide
The nearest useful fishing report comes from Alto Lake, which got the same Rock Lake fish on the same Sept. 21 date. The Oct. 8 report notes that Alto's most recent report came in Sept. 24, when trout fishing was good on a combination of worms, Kastmasters and rainbow spinners. Largemouth bass also took rainbow spinners.
Those are simple, cheap setups. The closest place to stock up from the Grindstone side of town is Señor Fishing & Outdoor Gear at 643 Sudderth Drive in Midtown, which Discover Ruidoso lists as a Ruidoso fishing-equipment shop.
The two lakes are connected in another way, too. A Village of Ruidoso annual boat permit covers both Grindstone and Alto, so if one lake goes quiet, you can try the other the same week without buying a second permit.
What Low Season Changes at the Lake
The Village moved Grindstone to low-season operations after Sept. 7, 2026. For someone heading over with a rod or a kayak, several rules changed at once. Per the Ruidoso Parks & Recreation Grindstone page:
- Parking: Passes aren't required after Sept. 7. During the season, a locals' pass cost $10 and visiting vehicles paid $10 per vehicle.
- Hours: The recreation area is open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Shore fishing: Allowed 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fishing from a vessel is limited to dawn to dusk.
- Boat permits: $5 for a day or $20 for an annual pass, which is valid through Dec. 31. Permits are required for every vessel, including kayaks and paddleboards, and are sold at the lakeside self-pay stations or at the Parks & Recreation office at 535 Resort Drive on weekdays.
- Licenses: Anglers 12 and older need a valid New Mexico fishing license.
- Motors: Electric trolling motors are allowed at no-wake speed. Vessels can't be longer than 19 feet.
The $20 annual boat permit runs through Dec. 31, so buying one in late October gets you about two months of use on two lakes. The Village page says boating is allowed year-round. Fees and rules are set by the Village and can change, so it's worth calling Parks & Recreation at 575-257-5030 before you rely on any of them.
The page also says the shoreline gets fished heavily, especially on holiday weekends. No pass, a 5 a.m. opening and a lake fresh off two trout deliveries make the gap between now and Thanksgiving weekend the easiest time all year to find open shoreline.
The Rest of the Lake on a Low-Season Morning
The trout are the reason to time a trip now, but the rest of the recreation area keeps running too. Grindstone's 27-hole, par-81 disc golf course runs through heavy woods. It hosts the annual New Mexico Disc Golf Championships, and the Village page lists no closure. The trail system has five multi-use trails covering 18 miles for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
Fall is also one of the two seasons when ospreys pass through on migration. Parks & Recreation describes them diving into the lake to feed and has set aside a dedicated viewing area. Blue herons, mule deer and elk also show up around the water. Dogs are allowed in the water as long as they're leashed in the surrounding areas. The Grindstone campground remains closed indefinitely, so every visit is a day trip.
Fitting the Lake Into November
Grindstone is open every day, while the rest of the November calendar runs on fixed dates. These dated events are on the Discover Ruidoso calendar, with weekday mornings at the lake open in between:
- Nov. 13–15: The 39th Annual Ruidoso Christmas Jubilee at the Ruidoso Convention Center, 111 Sierra Blanca Drive.
- Nov. 20–22: A Christmas Affair, also at the Ruidoso Convention Center.
- Nov. 28: The Ruidoso Turkey Trot 5K on The Links Trail at White Mountain Recreation Complex. The race starts at 10 a.m., and in-person registration opens at 8:30 a.m.
The Turkey Trot falls on Thanksgiving weekend, one of the holiday weekends when Parks & Recreation says the Grindstone shoreline gets crowded. Listings can change, so check with each venue before you go. The weeks before then are when the lake is quietest and has the most fish.
If you own a home near Grindstone Lake, part of its value is how the lake works in late October, not just in July. When you're ready to see how that plays out in a sale, Gavin Bigger can put together a custom market valuation and a listing plan built around the lake and the routines that come with living near it.
