Weekly Fishing Report

 Sept. 30 is Free Fishing Day Grab your gear and round up the kids! Sept. 30 is Free Fishing Day in New Mexico. No license is required, but all other regulations apply.

Kokanee salmon snagging season opens Oct. 30 and runs through Dec. 31 in the following waters: Abiquiu Lake, Chama River from El Vado Lake to west boundary of the Rio Chama Wildlife and Fishing Area, El Vado Lake, Navajo Lake and Eagle Nest Lake. Check the 2006-2007 Fishing Rules & Information Booklet for more details.

Sept. 25, 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 

Pecos River: Sept.18, Maria Lujan Sena of Albuquerque caught a 24-inch rainbow trout. She was fishing below Terrero and using worms. In the same area, Joe Sena caught a 26-inch rainbow while fishing with worms.

Ute Lake: Sept. 22, Hank McWilliams of Borger, Texas, caught a 23-inch and a 24-inch walleye. He was using a jig and minnow.

Santa Cruz: Sept. 23, Jordan Coucke of Albuquerque caught and released a 17-inch rainbow trout. He was trolling a silver and green Panther Martin.

Elephant Butte: Sept. 24, Jacob Monroe, 10, of El Paso, caught two largemouth bass that weighed 4 pounds each. He also caught two smaller bass and all four were caught on a chatter bait.

Bonito Lake: Sept. 24, Christina Bahl of Albuquerque caught a 14.5-inch rainbow trout. She was using worms.

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 again this past week for anglers using worms, power bait and grass hoppers. Fishing was good using worms for perch.

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest as of Monday was 4.6cfs. Trout fishing was slow.

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

CLAYTON LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using worms and power bait for trout. Fishing for all other species was slow.

COCHITI LAKE: Fishing was good using minnows for small white bass. We had no reports on other species.

CONCHAS LAKE : Smallmouth bass provided some good action this past week for anglers using drop shot rigs, tubes and crank baits. Most of the bass caught were in 5-to-15 feet of water. Fishing was slow-to-fair trolling crank baits and jigging with slab spoons for white bass. Fishing was fair using liver and dough bait for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

COYOTE CREEK: Fishing was fair for anglers using power bait, salmon eggs and small spinners in the beaver dam areas.

EAGLE NEST LAKE: Fishing was fair using power bait, salmon eggs, spinners and Pistol Petes for trout. Fishing was fair using worms for perch. Kokanee snagging season opens October 1st.

HONDO RIVER: Trout fishing was very good again this past week for anglers using BWOs and size 14-to-16 bead head nymphs.

HOPEWELL LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using Pistol Petes, pheasant tail nymphs and small peacock nymphs.

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair at both lakes this past week. Anglers did best fishing at Lake Maloya and using Pistol Petes and wooly buggers. A few trout were also taken on power bait.

MAXWELL LAKE 13: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait for 16-to-20 inch trout.

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

MONASTERY LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using spinners, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes under a bubble.

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

PECOS RIVER: As of Monday morning, water flow was 38cfs near the town of Pecos. Trout fishing was good this past week for anglers using worms, salmon eggs, bead head pheasant tail nymphs and spinners.

RED RIVER: Water flow near Questa was 25cfs and below the hatchery was 55cfs as of Monday. Trout fishing was good this past week for anglers fishing below the hatchery. They were using small wooly buggers, copper john barrs and size 14-to-18 mayfly nymphs.

RIO COSTILLA: Fishing was good blue winged olives and parachute adams for trout.

RIO GRANDE: As of Monday, water flow near the Taos Junction Bridge was 501cfs. Fishing was slow due to the increased flows but there were a few trout taken on streamers, night crawlers, wooly buggers and jerk baits.

RIO PUEBLO: Trout fishing was good for anglers using small bead head nymphs, parachute adams and BWOs.

SANTA CRUZ: Fishing was good for anglers trolling Panther Martins & Blue Fox spinners for a mix of rainbow and brown trout. A few trout were also taken on power bait and salmon eggs.

SANTA BARBARA: Fishing was fair using small stimulators, royal humpys and small bead head nymphs for trout.

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

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 fair this past week. Best baits were salmon eggs and power bait. A few fish were also taken on spinners.

U TE LAKE: Walleye fishing was a real challenge this past week. There were a few limits caught but the fish were hard to find. Anglers having the best luck were trolling or jigging deep. Slab spoons, jig and minnow rigs and deep running crank baits worked best. Most of the fish came from depths of 20-to-60 feet. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was slow with most anglers reporting just l or 2 keepers per day. Best bass baits were jerk baits, split shot rigs and crank baits. We had no reports on other species.

NORTHWEST AREA

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

BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was very slow for all species. A few trout were taken by anglers using spinners.

BURNS CANYON LAKE: Fishing was fair for anglers using flies under a bubble and spinners for trout.

CANJILON LAKES: Trout fishing should be good but there were no anglers at the lakes this past week.

CHAMA RIVER: Water flow below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 153cfs and 97cfs below Abiquiu. Fishing above and below El Vado was fair for anglers using night crawlers, copper john barrs, and bead head wooly buggers for trout. We had no reports from below Abiquiu.

CONSERVANCY PARK LAKE (Tingley Beach): Fishing was slow-to-fair using night crawlers and dough bait for catfish. There were a few trout caught and released by anglers using wooly buggers and prop flies.

EL VADO LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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: This lake along with Willow Creek and the Pine River are closed to salmon snagging until November 10. You may still fish for rainbow trout and lake trout at Heron but any kokanee caught between October 1and November 10 must be released.

JEMEZ WATERS: As of Monday, water flow on the Jemez near Jemez Springs was 33cfs. Fishing was good this past week for anglers using salmon eggs, worms, copper john barrs, and spinners for trout. We received good reports from the East Fork, the Jemez, San Antonio and Cebolla.

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

NAVAJO LAKE: Fishing for smallmouth bass was rated as very good to excellent this past week. Anglers did very well using crank baits, spinners and jerk baits. Fishing for northern pike was good for anglers using spinner baits, crank baits, jerk baits and buzz baits on the Pine arm of the lake. Fishing for trout and kokanee was slow. Kokanee snagging begins October 1st. 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

SAN JUAN: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday was 472cfs. Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using small pheasant tail nymphs, BWOs, comparaduns, grey midge emergers, small copper john barrs and bunny leeches. Downstream through the bait waters, anglers rated fishing as fair. Best baits were worms, spinners, power bait 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: Fishing was slow for all species.

CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. The lake was quite murky.

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Windy weather created tough conditions over the past weekend for anglers here. There were some fish caught but overall fishing was slow. Our best reports came from anglers fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Assorted plastics worked at depths of 5-to-20 feet off main lake and secondary points provided the most action. Fishing was slow-to-fair using liver, shrimp and dough baits for catfish. A few white bass were taken by anglers using jerk baits, spinners and top water lures. We had no reports on other species.

ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow.

GILA RIVER: Water on the main river was flowing at 166cfs as of Monday morning. We had no reports from anglers this week but the Forks were recently stocked and trout fishing should pick up.

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

PERCHA DAM: Fishing was slow for all species.

QUEMADO LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using spinners and power bait for trout.

RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte was 18cfs as of Monday. Fishing was slow for all species.

SOUTHEAST AREA

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

BONITO LAKE: Trout fishing was fair 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: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using liver and worms for catfish.

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

PECOS: Below Sumner Lake, water flow on Monday was 104cfs. Fishing picked up this past week for catfish as several anglers reported success using minnows, worms and chicken liver. We had no reports on other species.

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow as of Monday was 11cfs. Trout fishing was fair using small bead head nymphs and worms.

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Water levels continued to rise and the water was quite murky. Fishing was slow for all species. A few catfish were taken by anglers using liver and night crawlers.

SUMNER LAKE: Fishing was generally slow for all species. A few anglers reported moderate success using green grubs and tubes for walleye, white bass and smallmouth bass. We had no reports on other species.