Weekly Fishing Report

 Sept. 12, 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

Cochiti Lake: Sept.10, Cory Aslin, 12, of White Rock, caught and released a 14-inch smallmouth bass. He was using a green grub on a white jig head. Also   Sept.10, Vannago Sang of Albuquerque caught an 11-pound, 31-inch channel catfish. He was using night crawlers for bait and fishing on the west side of the lake.

Ute Lake: Sept. 2, Bobbie Jo Lewis, 6 of Dalhart, Texas, caught a 15-inch white bass. She was using minnows. Sept. 10, Doug Batson of Levelland, Texas, caught a 4-pound smallmouth bass. He was using a Kastmaster.

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest as of Monday was 11 cfs. Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using humpys, stimulators, spinners and salmon eggs.

GRAVEL PIT LAKES: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using prop flies under a bubble.

CLAYTON LAKE: Fishing was very good for anglers using night crawlers for perch. Fishing was good using gold spinners for rainbow trout. A few trout were also taken on worms and power bait. Fishing was fair for anglers using liver and cut bait for catfish. Fishing was slow-to-fair using spinner/night crawler combinations and crank baits for small walleye.

COCHITI LAKE: Fishing picked up a bit this past week for white bass and catfish. Anglers did well trolling bright colored crank baits for white bass. Best baits for the catfish were night crawlers, liver and dough baits. We had no reports on other species.

CONCHAS LAKE: Fishing slowed considerably this past week. A few white bass and walleye were taken by anglers trolling deep running crank baits. A few smallmouth and largemouth bass were taken on tubes and spinner baits. Fishing was fair using cut bait and liver for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

COYOTE CREEK: Trout fishing was good this past week for anglers using dough baits and salmon eggs near the beaver dams.

EAGLE NEST LAKE: Fishing was fair using power bait, salmon eggs, spinners and Pistol Petes for trout. Kokanee fishing continued to be slow but a few were taken by anglers trolling spinner/corn combinations at depths of 15-to-28 feet. A few perch were taken on worms.

HOPEWELL LAKE: Trout fishing was good for anglers using ants, Griffith's gnats, pheasant tail nymphs and small peacock nymphs under a bubble.

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing was fair-to-good this past week at both lakes. Anglers did best using dry flies and prop flies in the evening hours. A few trout were also taken on power bait.

MAXWELL LAKE 13: We had no reports from anglers this week.

MCALLISTER LAKE: Trout fishing was slow.

MONASTERY LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using corn, power bait, salmon eggs and assorted flies under a bubble.

MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing was good this past week for anglers using wooly buggers, prop flies, spinners, corn, home made dough baits, salmon eggs and power bait.

PECOS RIVER: As of Monday morning, water flow was 49cfs near the town of Pecos. Trout fishing was very good this past week for anglers using night crawlers, salmon eggs, elk hair caddis, orange stimulators, yellow humpys, bead head pheasant tail nymphs and spinners. Anglers also did well using elk hair caddis, stimulators and spinners on the Mora.

RED RIVER: Water flow near Questa was 25cfs and below the hatchery was 50cfs as of Monday. Trout fishing was rated as fair-to-good this past week for anglers using elk hair caddis, copper john barrs, worms and spinners. The best reports continued to come in from anglers fishing below the hatchery.

RIO COSTILLA: Fishing was good using stimulators, elk hair caddis and parachute adams for trout.   

RIO GRANDE: As of Monday, water flow near the Taos Junction Bridge was 416cfs. Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using spinners, worms, salmon eggs and wooly buggers for trout. We had no reports on other species.

RIO PUEBLO: Trout fishing was very good for anglers using small (size 14-to-18) attractor patterns. Most of the fish caught were in the 7-to-11 inch size.   

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

SANTA BARBARA: Fishing was fair-to-good using small stimulators, elk hair caddis, royal humpys and small bead head nymphs for trout.

SHUREE PONDS : Fishing was fair this past week for anglers using small Kastmasters and weighted bead head nymphs for trout.

SPRINGER LAKE: Fishing was fair for anglers using worms and cut bait for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

STORRIE LAKE: Trout fishing was very good this past week. Anglers reported catching limits of 12-to-18 inch fish. They were using power bait, salmon eggs and worms and fishing near the inlet.

UTE LAKE: Fishing was good for catfish but a bit slower for all other species this past week. Anglers fishing up the Canadian and Ute Creek arms of the lake did well using night crawlers, Charlie's dip bait and cut bait for catfish. Walleye and white bass were scattered with some fish taken on Wally Pops and jigging spoons fished at 30-to-40 feet and other taken at 10-to-12 feet. Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair-to-good for anglers using spoons, tubes, small worms, spinner baits and jig and grub combinations worked at depths of 4-to-32 feet.

NORTHWEST AREA

ABIQUIU LAKE: Walleye fishing slowed a bit this past week. Anglers fishing the upper end of the lake managed to catch a few good size walleye while trolling deep running crank baits and drifting grubs in 18-to-28 feet of water. Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using night crawlers, liver and cut bait for catfish. Fishing was fair using tubes, crank baits and spinner baits for smallmouth bass. A few perch were taken by anglers using worms and night crawlers.

BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using crank baits, spinner baits and large bunny leaches for tiger musky. Fishing for all other species was slow. The lake level rose over the past week but was still too low to launch boats safely.

BURNS CANYON LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.

CANJILON LAKES: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using spinners, spoons, power bait, salmon egg/corn combinations, worms and Pistol Petes for trout.

CHAMA RIVER: Water flow below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 193cfs and 216cfs below Abiquiu. Fishing above and below El Vado was fair for anglers using spinners, night crawlers, copper john barrs and bead head wooly buggers for trout.

CONSERVANCY PARK LAKE (Tingley Beach): Fishing was slow-to-fair using liver, night crawlers and dough bait for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

EL VADO LAKE: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using night crawlers, power bait and spinners.   

FENTON LAKE: Trout fishing continued to be very slow this past week. The Lake Fork day use area of the lake has been closed and will remain closed until further notice.

HERON LAKE: Fishing for kokanee was sporadic again this past week. There were a few limits caught by anglers trolling double whammies, needlefish, Panther Martins and Cripplures tipped with corn. They were trolling at depths of 22-to-31 feet. Anglers trolling for kokanee also caught a few rainbows. We had no reports on other species.

JEMEZ WATERS: As of Monday, water flow on the Jemez near Jemez Springs was 38cfs. Fishing was good this past week for anglers using worms, salmon eggs, ant patterns, stimulators, parachute adams, elk hair caddis, copper john barrs, and spinners for trout. We received good reports from the Jemez, San Antonio, East Fork and Cebolla. Several of the trout caught on the Cebolla were in the 12-to-14 inch size range.

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

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

NAVAJO LAKE: Fishing was very good this past week for smallmouth bass if your idea of good fishing involves numbers rather than size of fish. Lots of 8-to-12 inch smallmouth bass were caught by anglers using tubes, crank baits, spinners, small worms, baby brush hogs and top water lures. Most of the action was reported by anglers fishing up the San Juan arm and in Francis Canyon. Fishing was fair using crank baits, spinner baits and jerk baits for northern pike. Fishing for kokanee was slow as the fish were still scattered and taken at depths ranging from 40-to-70 feet. Most were caught on the main lake between the dam and Francis Canyon. We had no reports on other species.   

RAMAH LAKE: The lake has been closed to all access due to a recent fish kill. The department will reopen the lake when conditions improve.

SAN GREGORIO LAKE: Fishing was slow. A few trout were taken on prop flies and power bait fished under a bobber.

SAN JUAN: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday was 568cfs. Trout fishing was good for anglers using PMDs, parachute adams, emergers, red annelids, dead chickens, San Juan worms, WD40s, small wooly buggers, copper john barrs and small bead head pheasant tails. Downstream through the bait waters, anglers did best using worms, spinners, salmon eggs, power bait, wooly buggers and jerk baits for a mix of brown and rainbow trout.

SEVEN SPRINGS BROOD POND: This water is for kids under age 12 only. It's a great place to take the little ones for some fun fishing.

SOUTHWEST AREA

BEAR CANYON: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

CABALLO LAKE: Catfish continued to provide the most action for anglers here. Best baits were liver, cut bait and dough bait. Fishing for all other species was quite slow.

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Fishing for white bass provided the best action for anglers this past week. It was a bit slower than the previous week but anglers did fairly well using crank baits, slab spoons and live bait. Fishing was fair-to-good using liver, shrimp and dip bait for catfish. Fishing was slow-to-fair using jigs, spinner baits, tubes and jerk baits for black bass. A few striped bass were taken on live bait and jigs.

ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow. A few catfish were taken by anglers using night crawlers and liver.

GILA RIVER: Water on the main river was flowing at 485cfs as of Monday morning. We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

PERCHA DAM: Fishing was slow for all species.

QUEMADO LAKE: Fishing was slow. A few tiger musky were caught by anglers using jerk baits and large spinners.

RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte was 566cfs as of Monday. Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using liver and night crawlers for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

SOUTHEAST AREA

BATAAN LAKE : Fishing was fair using night crawlers, liver and shrimp for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

BONITO LAKE: Trout fishing was fair-to-good this past week for anglers using salmon eggs, power bait, corn, worms, spinners and flies under a bubble.

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

BRANTLEY: 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.

GREEN MEADOW LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.

GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR : Fishing was fair using salmon eggs and spinners for rainbow trout.

PECOS: Below Sumner Lake, water flow on Monday was 105cfs. Fishing was slow but a few catfish were taken on worms and liver.

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow as of Monday was 33cfs.

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Water levels continued to rise and the water was quite murky. Fishing was slow but there were a few bass and catfish caught. Best baits were top water lures in the shallows for bass and stink bait for the catfish.

SUMNER LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using tubes, spinner baits, top water lures and jerk baits for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Fishing was fair using liver and stink bait for small catfish. We had no reports on other species.