Weekly Fishing Report

 Kokanee salmon snagging season opened Oct. 1 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.

Oct. 10, 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

Grindstone Reservoir: Oct. 1, in a three-hour time span, Vivian Armendariz, 11, of El Paso, caught five rainbow trout ranging in size from 8 to 11 inches. She caught one on a Panther Martin and the rest on orange Power Bait.

Ute Lake: Oct. 6, Brian Stangel of Albuquerque caught a 4-pound largemouth bass. He was slow-rolling a spinner bait. Oct. 8, Dave Kooser of Colorado Springs caught a 25-inch walleye. He was using a Gilmore jumper.

Santa Rosa Lake: Oct. 8, Robert English of Rio Rancho caught a 3.8-pound smallmouth bass. He was using a tube. Oct. 9, Tom Wasson of Albuquerque caught a 4.35-pound largemouth bass. He was using a tube and fishing in about 15 feet of water.

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 fair for anglers using power bait, worms, salmon eggs and spinner/worm combinations. Fishing was fair using worms for perch. The lakes close for the season on October 31.

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest as of Monday was 24cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

GRAVEL PIT LAKES: Fishing was fair using small wet flies and Pistol Petes under a bubble for trout.

CLAYTON LAKE: Bank fishing was fair-to-good using worms and power bait for a mix of walleye and rainbow trout. Fishing for all other species was slow. The lake closes for the season on October 31.

COCHITI LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good using minnows, slab spoons, jig and grub combinations and deep running crank baits for small white bass. A few catfish were caught by anglers using liver, stink bait and minnows. We had no reports on other species.

CONCHAS LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair trolling deep crank baits and jigging slab spoons for white bass. Anglers reported the fish being scattered from 10-to-25 feet. Fishing was fair using liver, stink bait and night crawlers for catfish. Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair for anglers using spinner baits, top water lures and crank baits. A few largemouth bass were taken on top water lures and jig and pig combinations. We had no reports on other species.

COYOTE CREEK: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using salmon eggs in the beaver dam areas.

EAGLE NEST LAKE: Kokanee snagging was slow but trout fishing was rated as excellent by anglers using lemon twist, yellow and orange power bait. Anglers drifting brown and olive bead head wooly buggers with a gold flash also did very well. Anglers fishing for trout also caught several good size perch.

HONDO RIVER: Trout fishing was fair this past week for anglers using bead head hares ears, copper john barrs, worms and small spinners.

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

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Fishing at Lake Maloya was fair using power bait for trout. We had no reports from Lake Alice. If you get a chance, you might want to check out Lake Maloya for some good fall fly fishing for trout.

MAXWELL LAKE 13: We had no reports from anglers this week. The lake closes for the season October 31.

MCALLISTER LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using power bait and fishing from the bank. We had no reports from boaters. The lake will close for the season on October 31.

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

MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing was fair this past week for anglers using salmon eggs, worms, spinners and power bait. Most of the fish caught ranged in size from 8-to-10 inches. The lake closes for the season on October 31.

PECOS RIVER: As of Monday morning, water flow was 39cfs near the town of Pecos. Trout fishing was quite good for anglers using worms, salmon eggs, spinners, copper john barrs and bead head prince nymphs.

RED RIVER: Water flow as of Monday near Questa was 33cfs and below the hatchery was 60cfs and was reported as slightly off color. Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using worms, salmon eggs, copper john barrs, bead head hares ears and worms.

RIO GRANDE: As of Monday, water flow near the Taos Junction Bridge was 544cfs. Fishing was fair for anglers using spinners, night crawlers, wooly buggers and jerk baits for trout. We had no reports on other species.

RIO PUEBLO: Trout fishing was good for anglers using worms, small copper john barrs, and micro-mays.

SANTA CRUZ: Fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using spinners, Tasmanian Devils, salmon eggs and power bait for trout. The lake closes for the season on October 31.

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

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

STORRIE LAKE: Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using salmon eggs, worms and power bait.

UTE LAKE: Bass fishing improved this past week as several smallmouth in the 2-to-4 pound class and largemouth in the 3-to-5 pound class were weighed in at a weekend tournament. The fish were scattered and caught on a variety of baits and at depths from 2-to-20 feet. Some anglers did well working top water and spinner baits in the shallows while other worked soft plastics off main lake and secondary points. Anglers fishing the tournament also caught a few good size white bass and walleye. Other white bass were taken by anglers using slab spoons and deep running crank baits in 25-to-35 feet of water. Fishing for catfish was slow-to-fair for anglers fishing at night and using liver and night crawlers.

NORTHWEST AREA

ABIQUIU LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using liver, shrimp and night crawlers for catfish. We had no reports on other species. Fishing pressure was very light.

BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using liver and stink bait for catfish. Anglers using spinners reported catching and releasing a few small tiger musky. We had no reports on other species.

CANJILON LAKES: We had no reports from anglers this week.

CHAMA RIVER: Water flow below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 284cfs and 170cfs below Abiquiu. Fishing below El Vado was fair for anglers using night crawlers, spinners, streamers and bead head wooly buggers for trout. We had no reports from below Abiquiu.

CONSERVANCY PARK LAKE (Tingley Beach): At the kids and middle ponds, fishing was fair-to-good using salmon eggs, power bait, worms and grubs for trout. At the catch and release pond, fishing was fair using small wooly buggers, Griffiths' gnats, scuds and bead head pheasant tails for trout.

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

FENTON LAKE: Trout fishing was slow. 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 at this time. You may still fish for rainbow trout and lake trout at Heron but any kokanee caught between now and November 10th must be released. Bank fishing for trout was fair for anglers using power bait and salmon eggs.

JEMEZ WATERS: As of Monday, water flow on the Jemez near Jemez Springs was 33cfs. Fishing was fair this past week for anglers using salmon eggs, worms, power bait, copper john barrs, and spinners for trout. We received good reports from the Jemez, Rio Guadalupe, East Fork and Cebolla. Access to the Rio Guadalupe is closed at the Tunnels but open at the upper end.

LAGUNA DEL CAMPO: This water was formerly known as Burns Canyon Lake. We had no reports from anglers this week. The lake closes for the season on October 31.

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

NAVAJO LAKE: Kokanee snagging was very good this past week for anglers who figured out the right technique. That was “cast a little further and let it sink” according to several anglers snagging near the dam. They all caught limits in a relatively short time and rated this area as the best so far. Anglers also did fairly well near the Pine arm boat ramp and reported conditions improving in that area. Fishing for smallmouth bass was slow but a few were taken by anglers using tubes, worms and deep running crank baits. A few northern pike were taken by anglers using swim bait, spinner baits and black buzz baits. 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 525cfs. Trout fishing was good for anglers using small pheasant tail nymphs, Griffith's gnats, grey midge emergers, parachute adams, small wooly buggers, small copper john barrs, WD40s, chamois leeches and bunny leeches. Downstream through the bait waters, trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs, worms, spinners, power bait and jerk baits.

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-to-fair using worms and liver for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. A few catfish were taken on liver and worms. We received one report of a few white bass taken by an angler trolling for walleye at the upper end of the lake.

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Fishing was good for anglers using shrimp, liver, stink bait and cut bait for catfish. Several good size catfish were taken by anglers fishing over baited holes above Kettle Top. Fishing was fair-to-good using Rat-L-Traps, slab spoons, tail spinners and live bait for white bass. Look for them on underwater humps around the mouth of McRae Canyon. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was slow-to-fair using tubes, senkos, sweet beavers and worms. We had no reports on other species.

ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow. A few catfish were taken on liver.

GILA RIVER: Water on the main river was flowing at 124cfs as of Monday morning. We had no reports from anglers this week.

LAKE ROBERTS: Fishing was generally slow for all species. A few catfish were taken on liver and worms.

PERCHA DAM: Fishing was slow for all species.

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

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 again this past week for anglers using salmon eggs, power bait, worms and spinners.

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 again this past week.

GREEN MEADOW LAKE: Young Kevin Ortiz from Hobbs let us know that the fishing for channel cats has been slow-to-fair with the most popular baits being liver, hot dogs and stink baits. Thanks, Kevin.

GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR: Fishing was fair-to-good using power bait, salmon eggs and spinners for trout.

PECOS: Below Sumner Lake, water flow on Monday was 96cfs. Fishing was slow-to-fair using liver and worms for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow as of Monday was 5.0cfs. Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using worms and small bead head nymphs for trout.

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was quite good this past weekend as several five fish per day limits were weighed in during a bass tournament. Most of the bass were taken on tubes and other soft plastics fished at depths of 5-to-20 feet. Anglers fishing the bass tournament also caught several good size crappie and a few walleye. We had no reports on other species. The water was stained.

SUMNER LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using jig and grub combinations and tubes for white bass and smallmouth bass. We had no reports on other species.