Weekly Fishing Report

 June 20, 2006
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.

Catches of the week

Ute Lake: June 17, Alexi Stangel of Albuquerque caught her first crappie. Alexi is 2 years old and was using a jointed shad rap on her Barbie fishing combo.

Conchas Lake: June 18, Lawrence Lancellotti, Sr. of Rio Rancho caught a 4-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass. He was using a 4-inch bluegill swim bait.

Heron Lake: June 18, Lynn Shaw of Los Alamos caught a 21-inch, 2.8-pound kokanee while trolling.

If you have a catch of the week story, send it to us at fishnm@hotmail.com. Include date, location, type of fish, length and bait used to catch the fish.

NORTHEAST AREA

CHARETTE LAKES: Trout fishing was good this past week for anglers using power bait, salmon eggs, worms, Pistol Petes and spinners. Fishing was fair using worms for perch.

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest as of Monday was 35cfs. Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using elk hair caddis, stimulators, bead head nymphs and spinners.

GRAVEL PIT LAKES:   Fishing was fair for anglers using salmon eggs, and flies under a bubble for trout.

CLAYTON LAKE: Fishing was very good for walleye, trout and catfish. Anglers did well trolling crank baits and bottom bouncer spinner rigs for the walleye. Trout fishing was best for anglers using spinners and worms. Best baits for catfish were worms and liver. We had no reports on other species.

COCHITI LAKE: Fishing slowed a bit this past week but there was still quite a variety of fish caught. Anglers trolling assorted color crank baits reported catching a few crappie, white bass, walleye and smallmouth bass. A few walleye, white bass and crappie were also taken on minnows, worms and jigs. Most of the white bass caught trolling were taken at depths of 6-to-15 feet over 50 feet of water. Fishing for northern pike was slow-to-fair for anglers using minnows, crank baits and spinner baits. Anglers working the banks with tubes, worms and imitation crawfish caught some good size smallmouth bass. We had no reports on other species.

CONCHAS LAKE: The best reports we received this past week came from anglers fishing for catfish, bluegill and smallmouth bass. Anglers fishing at night for catfish did very well using cut bait, worms, liver and shrimp. Bluegill were hitting just about anything including poppers, worms, spinners, small grubs and small crank baits. Fishing was quite good for anglers using jerk baits, crank baits, tubes and curly tail grubs for smallmouth bass. Fishing was fair for crappie and white bass. Anglers having the best luck were trolling crank baits at about 15 feet. Walleye fishing slowed for some anglers but others managed to do quite well using jerk baits and crank baits in 6-to-15 feet of water. The surface temp for the past week averaged 75 degrees during the daytime hours.

COYOTE CREEK:   The stream is very low and trout fishing was very slow this past week.

EAGLE NEST LAKE: Trout fishing was good this past week from the bank as well as from boats. Best baits were power bait, spinners and worms.    Fishing was fair-to-good using worms for perch. Kokanee action picked up as several 16-to-17 inch fish were taken this past week by anglers trolling spinners and christmas tree/power bait combinations.

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing was rated as fair at both lakes this past week. Anglers did best fishing in the early morning and late evening hours. Best baits were bead head damsel flies and assorted colors of power bait.

MAXWELL LAKE 13 : Trout fishing was slow-to-fair this past week for anglers using power bait, salmon eggs and spinners.

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

MONASTERY LAKE:   Fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using corn, salmon eggs and power bait for trout.

MORPHY LAKE:   Trout fishing was rated as slow by most anglers this past week. A few trout were taken on spinners and power bait. Hours of operation are from 8a.m. to 8p.m. daily until further notice.

PECOS RIVER: As of Monday morning, water flow was 26cfs near the town of Pecos. Trout fishing was good using stimulators, Griffiths gnats, copper john barrs, bead head hares ears, spinners, night crawlers and salmon eggs.

RED RIVER: Water flow near Questa was 18cfs and below the hatchery was 46cfs as of Monday. Fishing was fair this past week for anglers using worms and dry/dropper combinations of elk hair caddis, gold bead hares ears and/or copper john barrs for trout.

RIO GRANDE: As of Monday, water flow near the Taos Junction Bridge was 422cfs. Fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using night crawlers, spinners, bead head wooly buggers, copper john barrs and jerk baits for trout. A few smallmouth bass were caught by anglers using spinners and jerk baits. We had no reports on other species.

SANTA CRUZ: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using power bait, garlic eggs, corn and spinners.

SPRINGER LAKE:   Fishing was fair this past week for anglers using crank baits and jerk baits for northern pike. A few largemouth bass were taken on crank baits and jerk baits.   Fishing was fair using cut bait and liver at night for catfish.

STORRIE LAKE: Fishing was good for anglers using salmon eggs for trout. Most of the fish were between 14 and 16 inches. Anglers reported the best action during the early morning and late evening hours. We had no reports on other species.

UTE LAKE: The heat slowed fishing for most species this past week but there were still some good catches. A few serious walleye anglers managed to catch limits by slow trolling bottom bouncer/ night crawler rigs. They were trolling at depths of 15 to 23 feet. The best reports came from anglers fishing up the Canadian in the early morning hours. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was slow for most and fair for others. Best baits were tubes, top water lures, power worms and senkos. Most of the smallmouth bass were taken off main lake and secondary rocky points while the largemouth were found in brushy areas in 6-to-13 feet of water. Fishing for white bass was slow with a few taken on top water lures and crank baits. Fishing for catfish was fair for anglers using liver, shrimp and night crawlers at night.

NORTHWEST AREA

ABIQUIU LAKE: Anglers fishing for walleye reported a bit slower action this past week but still managed to catch several limits. Most of the fish were taken on bottom bouncer/crawler rigs or jigs worked on the flats and brushy points in 3-to-15 feet of water. Most of the action took place on the flats and points at the upper end of the lake. Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair for anglers using tubes, jerk baits, worms and crank baits on rocky bluffs and points. A few brown trout were taken by anglers trolling crank baits on the upper east side of the lake. We had no reports on other species.

BLUEWATER LAKE: Trout fishing picked up over the past week as several anglers reported catching limits of 10-to-12 inch trout. Best baits were corn and salmon eggs. Fishing was good using cut bait, worms and chicken liver for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

BURNS CANYON LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using prop flies under a bubble, salmon eggs, spinners and power bait.

CANJILON LAKES:   Trout fishing was good for anglers using power bait and salmon eggs.

CHAMA RIVER: Water flow below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 1,110cfs and 1,220cfs below Abiquiu. Fishing below El Vado was good for anglers using wooly buggers, spinners, salmon eggs, power bait and copper john barrs for rainbow trout up to 15 inches.   Trout fishing above El Vado was fair for anglers using copper john barrs, stimulators, spinners, worms and salmon eggs.

CONSERVANCY PARK LAKE (Tingley Beach ): Fishing for catfish was fair for anglers using night crawlers, liver, shrimp, hot dogs and dough bait. Fishing for trout in the catch and release pond was good for anglers using RS2s, small Griffiths gnats, small stimulators and small copper john barrs.

EL VADO LAKE: Trout fishing was slow.

FENTON LAKE: Fishing was rated as fair by anglers using worms, power bait, salmon eggs and prop flies for trout.

HERON LAKE: Fishing for kokanee and rainbow trout was fair-to-good this past week and very good this past Sunday. Several limits of kokanee were taken by anglers trolling double whammies, Cripplures, wedding rings and orange and chartreuse Panther Martins at 15-to-27 feet. Anglers fishing from the bank reported decent trout fishing. They caught several while using power bait, salmon eggs and spinners.

JEMEZ WATERS: As of Monday, water flow on the Jemez near Jemez Springs was 11cfs. Trout fishing was reported as fair-to-good by anglers using small dry flies, copper john barrs and salmon eggs. On the Guadalupe, fishing was fair for anglers using royal wulffs and copper john barrs. We had no reports on other streams.

MANZANO LAKE: Fishing was fair for anglers using power bait, corn and salmon eggs for trout.

MCGAFFEY LAKE: Fishing was slow.

NAVAJO LAKE: Crappie fishing slowed a bit this past week. Anglers still managed to catch some good size crappie up the Pine and San Juan arms. Best baits were minnows and small crappie jigs. Fishing for northern pike was fair for anglers using jerk baits and spinner baits. Fishing for kokanee was fair for anglers trolling Arnies, Z Rays and needlefish on the main lake. They were trolling at depths of 25-to-40 feet. Fishing was fair using, top water lures, suspending jerk baits and tubes for smallmouth bass. The best bass reports came from anglers fishing early and late in the day. We had no reports on other species.

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

SAN GREGORIO LAKE: Trout fishing was good for most anglers this past week. Several limits were taken by anglers using spinners, salmon eggs, power bait, Pistol Petes and wet flies. Anglers did well from the bank and from float tubes.

SAN JUAN: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 507cfs. Fishing in the Quality Water section was very good for anglers using RS2s, red annelids, tan and red larva, San Juan worms and bead head pheasant tails for trout. Anglers fishing the bait waters did well using jerk baits, spinners, worms, salmon eggs and copper john barrs.

SOUTHWEST AREA

BEAR CANYON: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using worms and liver for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

BILL EVANS LAKE:   We had no reports from anglers this week.

CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was generally slow for all species. A few white bass were taken on minnows and jigs. A few catfish were taken on liver and shrimp. We had no reports on other species.

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Our best reports again this past week came from anglers fishing for white bass. They did well using live bait, crank baits, top water lures and curly tail grubs. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was slow but there were a few taken on drop shot rigs and tubes fished off main lake points. Fishing for striped bass was fair for anglers using top water lures, umbrella rigs and crank baits. Most of the good fishing reported to us was from anglers fishing south from Kettle Top. We had no reports on other species.

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

GILA RIVER: Water on the main river was flowing at 5.6cfs as of Monday morning. Fishing on the Forks was slow.

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

PERCHA DAM: Fishing was slow for all species.

QUEMADO LAKE: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes.

RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte was 1,570cfs as of Monday. Fishing was fair for anglers fishing the river above and below Caballo Lake. Anglers did best using liver, night crawlers and shrimp for catfish. A few walleye were taken by anglers using sassy shad and spinners. We had no reports on other species.

SOUTHEAST AREA

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

BONITO LAKE: As of May 2nd, the City of Alamogordo has closed the lake to fishing and other activity. For further information and updates call 505-336-4157.

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

BRANTLEY: Fishing was slow for all species. Anglers should practice catch and release for all fish here as high levels of DDT were found in several fish.

CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL LAKE: Fishing for catfish was fair for anglers using liver, worms and dough bait.

GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR: We had no reports from anglers this week.

PECOS: Below Sumner Lake, water flow on Monday was 78cfs. Fishing was good using liver and night crawlers for catfish.

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

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow as of Monday was .38cfs. Fishing was slow.

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Water release was suspended last week and the lake level has stabilized. The water is a bit murky but clearing. Fishing was good this past week using tubes, senkos, crank baits, jerk baits and top water lures for small bass. A few crappie were taken by anglers fishing the evening hours and using jigs, crank baits and minnows. We had no reports on other species.

SUMNER LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. A few small bass and walleye were caught by anglers using spinners and crank baits. Fishing should pick up again as flows in and out of the lake have stabilized.