Sandia Lakes Recreation Area 76 Sandia Lakes Road Sandia Pueblo, New Mexico 87004 Phone: (505) 771-5190 Fax: Website: https://sandiapueblo.nsn.us/sandia-lakes/ Contact: Michele Martinez, Sandia Lakes Manager

The Pueblo of Sandia, Sandia Lakes Recreation Area is located approximately 3.5mi north of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The Pueblo of Sandia has an approximate population of 500 people. The Pueblo’s recreational fisheries and management programs are localized within the Pueblo’s Sandia Lakes Recreation Area ("SLRA"), which is operated as a stand-alone tribal business enterprise. SLRA is managed by a FT Manager who supervises all SLRA business, staff, finances, and daily functions of the lakes.  SLRA operates as a incoming profit tribal enterprise in which business (retail store, permit sales, etc.) and resource conservation/management (fisheries management, regulation enforcement, etc.), these functions are performed on-site by SLRA staff.

SLRA is managed as a day-use facility that is convenient travel distance to residents of the Albuquerque and surrounding areas, which serves as its primary market. The SLRA is comprised of a 40-acre parcel of tribal lands, situated within the Rio Grande River valley.  3 man-made ponds covering 18 surface acres.  SLRA’s fishing lakes were recently upgraded and now the water is supplied through ground water, the recent upgrades to the Sandia Lakes include; aeration system, pumping of ground water to supply the lakes, making of a catch and release pond, adding new fish cleaning stations, new fishing canopy’s structures, a pavilion for events, playgrounds for the kids, and a remodeled gift shop/tackle and bait store.  The Sandia lakes stock both cold and warm water species of fish during the seasons. Rainbow trout represent the primary sport fish during the fall-early spring months (September through May), with Channel catfish during the summer months (June through August). During both seasons, SLRA is fully dependent upon regular stocking of both cold and warm water sport fish and is open year around to the public

Sandia Pueblo’s Environmental Department had programs for surface waters/Bosque restoration for projects outside of the Sandia Lakes. The Environmental Department supervises programs associated with managing the Rio Grande watershed, including coordinating with various state and federal agencies on accompanying native fish management issues, T&E species monitoring (including Silvery Minnow monitoring with USFWS), water quality of all surface waters, and habitat/restoration in the Bosque.. The SLRA represents a developed recreation area that supports off-stream man-made reservoirs managed exclusively as recreational fisheries. SLRA manager coordinates with Environmental Department to remove debris, limbing of trees, removal of fallen or down trees, water quality sampling, and surface waters monitoring.