el cuchillo dam — cuchillo-solidaridad
Large dam on the San Juan River, in the municipality of China, east of Monterrey. Bass is reserved for sport fishing, with a limit of 1 fish and protected spawning.
Cuchillo-Solidaridad Dam, El Cuchillo, impounds the San Juan River in the municipality of China, in Nuevo León. It is one of the few Mexican dams with its own fishing rule, NOM-012-SAG/PESC-2014, which reserves bass for sport fishing and provides for controlled removals (aclareos) to keep the population in good shape. Besides bass, the reservoir holds catfish, catán (alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula), carp, besugo, tilapia and mojarras. Fishing is from a boat, with a guide, at points, coves and submerged structure, with artificial lures and plenty of release. The level varies with droughts: according to Conagua, the dam held about 1,204 hm³ in January 2025 and about 647 hm³ in October 2026.
best season
Fishing all year; from autumn to spring the cooler water favors bass. In March and April, spawning season, fishing is catch and release only (NOM-012).
Local rules: NOM-012-SAG/PESC-2014 reserves bass for sport fishing: each angler may keep 1 bass per day, between 380 and 508 mm total length; in March and April, catch and release only, and gravid females always go back in the water. In tournaments, release is mandatory. The fish may not be filleted on board. Fishing from a boat requires a Conapesca permit; fishing from the shore does not. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Monterrey, to the west, has an international airport and is the gateway. There is road access to the town of China and from there to the dam shores.
- facilities
- Sport fishing service providers with boats and guides, who by regulation must carry a live well aboard. Lodging and services in China and Monterrey.
- country
- Nuevo León, Mexico
tip
Bring pliers and keep the bass in the water while you remove the hook. In March and April, during spawning, release each fish quickly and close to where it was hooked.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in Mexico
Anyone fishing from a boat needs an individual recreational-sport fishing permit (permiso de pesca deportivo-recreativa), issued by Conapesca and obtained online through the e5cinco system, with fees paid per day, week, month, year or excursion. 2025 values reported by Conapesca: 1 day, MXN 204; 1 week, MXN 510; 1 month, MXN 766; 1 year, MXN 1,021; excursion, MXN 1,453 (adjusted every year). Fishing from land does not require a permit; spearfishing requires an individual permit (NOM-017-PESC-1994, amended in 2013).
- Marlin, sailfish, swordfish, sábalo/chiro, roosterfish and mahi-mahi (dorado de mar) are reserved for sport fishing within 50 nautical miles of the coastal baseline.
- Sea catch limit: up to 10 fish per angler per day, with a maximum of 5 of the same species. Billfish (marlins, sailfish and swordfish), sharks and giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas): 1 per day. Sábalo, mahi-mahi, roosterfish and baya: 2 per day. In freshwater, 5 per day. Fish caught beyond the limit are released alive back to the sea.
- Fishing within 250 m of beaches with bathers and of commercial fishing boats or nets is prohibited. Sport-caught fish may not be sold, and billfish may not be filleted on board.
- In natural protected areas, sport fishing is only allowed under the terms of the decree and each area's management program (Conanp); many have closed zones and stretches for catch and release only.
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official DOF — NOM-012-SAG/PESC-2014, aprovechamiento de los recursos pesqueros en el embalse de la presa El Cuchillo-Solidaridad (26/12/2014)Bass for sport fishing only; 1 per day, 380 to 508 mm; March and April catch and release; tournaments catch and release; live well required; filleting on board prohibited
- official DOF — NOM-060-SAG/PESC-2016, pesca responsable en cuerpos de aguas continentales dulceacuícolas (19/09/2016)Article Four lists NOM-012-SAG/PESC-2014 among the water-body-specific standards still in force
- official Conagua — Sistema de Información Hidrológica, série diária da presa Cuchillo Solidaridad (CCHNL)China municipality; stored volume of 1,204.0 hm³ on Jan 7, 2025 and 646.8 hm³ on Oct 12, 2026