NEW MEXICO FISHING REPORT

October 6, 2009

This fishing report has been generated from the best information available from officers and anglers.

Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, however, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

 

NORTHEAST AREA

 

CHARETTE LAKES: Fishing for trout was slow-to-fair using power bait, worms and salmon eggs. Fishing for perch was slow-to-fair using worms.

 

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 9.7cfs. Trout fishing was fair using pheasant tail nymphs, hares ears, San Juan worms and salmon eggs. We had no reports from the Gravel Pit Lakes.

 

CLAYTON LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure continued to be very light.   

 

CONCHAS LAKE: Fishing was fair using sweet beavers, brush hogs, senkos and lipless crank baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing for white bass was fair using crank baits and slab spoons. Fishing was fair using live bait for catfish. We had no reports on other species.  

 

COYOTE CREEK: Trout fishing was slow.

 

EAGLE NEST LAKE: The kokanee snagging season opened this past week but with very little action. Expect it to pick up over the next week or two as the weather cools. Fishing was generally slow for all species but there were a few trout caught by anglers using power bait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes. Fishing for perch was slow-to-fair using worms.

 

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing at both lakes was fair-to-good using power bait and home made dough baits during the day and flies and Pistol Petes in the evening hours.   

 

MCALLISTER LAKE: Closed due to high golden algae content.

 

MAXWELL LAKE 13: Fishing was slow for all species.      

 

MONASTERY LAKE: Trout fishing was slow with just a few fish caught by anglers using salmon eggs and Pistol Petes.

 

MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing was good using assorted power baits and salmon eggs from the bank and pheasant tail nymphs and olive wooly buggers from boats.     

 

PECOS RIVER: Water flow near the town of Pecos on Monday was 36cfs. Trout fishing here and on Holy Ghost Creek and the Mora was fair using small streamers, night crawlers, salmon eggs, humpys, flash back pheasant tail nymphs and prince nymphs.

 

RED RIVER: Water flow below the hatchery was 59cfs. Trout fishing above and below the hatchery was fair using wooly buggers, San Juan worms and salmon eggs.

 

RIO COSTILLA: Trout fishing was fair-to-good using pheasant tail nymphs and parachute adams.       

 

RIO GRANDE: The water flow Monday morning at the Taos Junction Bridge was 228cfs. Trout fishing was fair using wooly buggers and night crawlers. Fishing was slow with just a few smallmouth bass taken on spinners and jerk baits. We had no reports on other species.  

 

SHUREE PONDS: We had no reports from anglers this week.    

 

SPRINGER LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

 

STORRIE LAKE: Fishing was fair using salmon eggs and power bait for trout. Fishing for all other species was slow.

 

STUBBLEFIELD LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.    

 

UTE LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good using spinner baits, crank baits, jigs, creature baits, senkos and worms for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. The bass were scattered and taken at depths of 2-to-25 feet. Fishing was fair using live bait for walleye. Fishing was fair using live bait and liver for catfish.  Fishing was fair using spoons and live bait for white bass. We had no reports on other species.

 

NORTHWEST AREA

 

ABIQUIU LAKE: Fishing continued to be sporadic for both bass and walleye. A few smallmouth bass were taken on crank baits and spinner baits. A few walleye were caught by anglers using crank baits, spoons and spinner/gulp worm rigs. Fishing for all other species was slow.

 

BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using large flies, jerk baits and in line spinners for tiger musky. A few trout were taken on power bait. We had no reports on other species.    

 

BRAZOS RIVER: We had no reports from anglers this week.  

 

CANJILON LAKES:  Fishing was slow. Fishing pressure was very light.        

 

CHAMA RIVER: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 697cfs and 375cfs respectively. Trout fishing at both locations was slow-to-fair using night crawlers and spinners.

 

COCHITI LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using lipless crank baits for northern pike and a few smallmouth bass. Fishing was fair using liver, night crawlers and shrimp for catfish. We had no reports on other species. Fishing pressure was very light.   

 

EL VADO LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

 

FENTON LAKE: Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs and power bait.

 

HERON LAKE: Fishing for rainbow trout and lake trout was slow.

 

JACKSON LAKE: Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs, power bait and spinners.

 

JEMEZ WATERS: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 16cfs near Jemez Springs. Fishing on the Jemez and the Rio Guadalupe was fair using worms, ant and spider imitations, beetles, parachute adams and salmon eggs for trout. On the Valles Caldera National Preserve waters the last day to fish the East Fork is October 24. For more info or for reservations to fish call 1-866-382-5537 or visit on line at www.vallescaldera.gov.  

 

LAGUNA DEL CAMPO: We had no reports from anglers this week.         

 

MANZANO LAKE: Trout fishing was slow.         

 

MCGAFFEY LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.  

 

NAVAJO LAKE: Fishing was good using lipless crank baits, spinner baits, jerk baits and plastics for northern pike We had several good reports from anglers fishing the main lake, the San Juan arm and the Pine arm. Fishing was slow-to-fair using drop shot/worm rigs, senkos, tubes and crank baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Kokanee snagging was slow with only a few fish taken near the Pine arm marina. Expect the snagging to pick up over the next week or two. We had no reports on other species.  

 

RAMAH LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. 

 

RIO PUEBLO: Water flow near Penasco as of Monday was 8.1cfs. Trout fishing was good using prince nymphs, worms and salmon eggs.

 

SAN JUAN: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 746cfs. SPECIAL NOTE: Effective September 15, the entire stretch of Quality Waters became Catch and Release only waters. Trout fishing through the Quality Waters was good using emergers, dead chickens, wooly buggers, San Juan worms, sparkle worms, parachute adams, zebra midges and hair jigs. Fishing through the bait waters was good using hair jigs, spoons, jerk baits, salmon eggs, garlic cheese and night crawlers.

 

SANTA CRUZ LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.      

 

TINGLEY BEACH: Fishing at the Youth and Central Ponds was good using small spoons, salmon eggs and power bait. Fishing for catfish was fair using hot dogs and stink bait. Fishing for bluegill was good using worms and small hot dog chunks. Fishing for trout in the Catch and Release Pond was slow. SPECIAL NOTE: The bag limit for trout on the Youth and Central Ponds has been changed from 5 per day to 4 per day and the possession limit has been changed from 10 trout to 4 trout.

 

SOUTHWEST AREA

 

BEAR CANYON: Fishing was slow for all species.   

 

BILL EVANS LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.       

 

BURN LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.  

 

CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was slow with just a few white bass taken on crank baits, grubs, minnows and spoons. We had no reports on other species.

 

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Fishing was fair using jigs and spoons at 20-to-28 feet for white bass. There were also several white bass caught at night by anglers using minnows. Fishing was fair using ikas, senkos, sweet beavers, creature baits and crank baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing for striped bass was slow with just a few taken on umbrella rigs, swim baits, live bluegill and live shad. Fishing for catfish was fair using minnows, cut bait, dough bait and liver. Fishing for bluegill was fair using worms and small jigs.

 

ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.  

 

GILA RIVER: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 45cfs. Fishing on the Forks was slow with a few trout taken on small streamers and small bead head prince nymphs. Fishing pressure was very light.

 

GLENWOOD POND: Fishing was good using salmon eggs and power bait for trout.  

 

LAKE ROBERTS: Fishing was fair-to-good using salmon eggs, power bait, cheese, spinners and spoons for trout. We had no reports on other species.

 

PERCHA DAM: We had no reports from anglers this week.   

 

QUEMADO LAKE: Fishing was fair using salmon eggs, salmon peach and garlic power bait and spoons for trout.  Fishing was fair using jerk baits, spoons and in line spinners for tiger musky.

 

RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 62cfs.  Fishing below Caballo was slow-to-fair using minnows and liver for catfish and minnows for white bass. We had no reports on other species.

 

SNOW LAKE: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using salmon eggs.

 

SOUTHEAST AREA  

 

BATAAN LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.  

 

BONITO LAKE: Trout fishing was fair-to-good using salmon eggs, corn power bait and garlic cheese. A few fish were also taken on Pistol Petes and spinners.  

 

BOSQUE REDONDO: We had no reports from anglers this week.   

 

BRANTLEY LAKE: Anglers are to practice catch and release for all fish here as high levels of DDT were found in several fish.  We had no reports from anglers this week. 

 

CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.            

 

GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using salmon eggs, power bait and spinners. 

 

JAL LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.          

 

LAKE VAN: Fishing for catfish was slow-to-fair using liver and night crawlers. We had no reports on other species.  

 

OASIS PARK POND: Fishing was slow for all species.          

 

PECOS RIVER: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 98cfs. Fishing was slow.

 

PERCH LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.       

 

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow at Hollywood on Monday was 8cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

 

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using chigger craws, sweet beavers, senkos and lipless crank baits for smallmouth and largemouth bass. We had no reports on other species.

 

SUMNER LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.    

 

STOCKING

 

Crews stocked 19,835 rainbow trout averaging 10.4 inches in the following waters: BLUE HOLE PARK POND, BLUEWATER LAKE, BONITO LAKE, BRAZOS RIVER, CHAMA RIVER-Above and below El Vado and below Abiquiu, COSTILLA CREEK, EAGLE ROCK LAKE, LAKE ROBERTS, PECOS RIVER-Villanueva to I-25, SAN JUAN RIVER-Below Quality Waters, SNOW LAKE & STORRIE RESERVOIR.

 

In addition, crews stocked 65,575 fingerling bluegill in LAGUNA MADRE and STUBBLEFIELD LAKE and 49,411 fingerling Rio Grande cutthroat trout in the CHAMA RIVER below El Vado and the RIO GRANDE-Gorge above Pilar.

 

CATCHES OF THE WEEK:

 

Navajo Lake: On October 2nd and 3rd, Andrew Orlicky caught five northern pike ranging from 22-to-34 inches. He was using Rat-L-Traps and size 14 Rapala husky jerks.

 

Ute Lake: On October 3 Danny Campbell of Friona, TX caught a 7.39 pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig. On October 4, Larry VanLeer of Dumas, TX caught a 5.5 pound channel catfish. He was using a minnow. On October 4, Marley Cairns age two and a half of Amarillo, TX caught a 3.75 walleye with the help of her parents. She was using a minnow.   

 

If you have a catch of the week story or just want to tell us about your latest New Mexico fishing experience, send it to us at fishforfun2@hotmail.com. We may include your story in our next report. For catches of the week include name, date, location, type of fish, length and bait used.

 

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The weekly fishing report is Published by Bill Dunn for the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish Public Affairs Division, P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 – (505) 476-8000