Weekly Fishing Report

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April 15, 2008
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

Santa Rosa Lake: On April 8, Jim Kirkland of Corrales caught a 4.2 pound smallmouth bass. On the same day, Lorrie Kirkland caught a 3.7 pound smallmouth bass. Both fish were caught on pumpkin colored tubes.

Navajo Lake: On April 12, Dalton King of Aztec caught a 6.27 pound, 22 inch smallmouth bass. He was using a jig.

Elephant Butte: On April 12, John Hayes of Albuquerque caught a 5.15 pound largemouth bass. On April 12, Scott Underwood of Las Cruces caught a 19 inch, 4 pound smallmouth bass. He was using a ¼ oz. white jig with a watermelon seed senko trailer. On April 13, Randle Bell of T or C caught a 5.10 pound largemouth bass. Both fish were caught on plastics.

Pecos River: On April 14, Jeff Gallegos of Santa Fe caught a 20 inch rainbow trout. He was using a bead head pheasant tail nymph behind a grasshopper.

NORTHEAST AREA

CHARETTE LAKES: Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using spinner/worm combinations, power bait and salmon eggs. A few perch were taken by anglers using worms and corn.

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 6.6 cfs. Trout fishing was good this past weekend for anglers using size 10 streamers and size 16 bead head hares ears.

CLAYTON LAKE: A series of cold fronts passing through the area kept fishing pressure light this past week. There were a few trout and catfish taken by anglers using power bait and worms. We had no reports on other species.

CONCHAS LAKE: Fishing picked up for both walleye and crappie this past week with most of the fish caught by anglers using live bait. A few walleye were also taken on crank baits and grubs. Most of the walleye action was reported at the north end of the lake. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was fair for anglers using crank baits, tubes, senkos, lizards and spinner baits. A few catfish were taken by anglers using stink bait, night crawlers and minnows.

The surface water temp ranged from 52 to 55 degrees.

COYOTE CREEK: Trout fishing was good-to-excellent this past week for anglers using corn, salmon eggs and power bait. Most of the fish caught were in the 10 inch range.

EAGLE NEST LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good this past week for anglers fishing from the bank and using power bait, home made dough baits, corn, salmon eggs and spinners. Anglers reported catching a mixed bag of rainbows and perch.

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Fishing at Lake Maloya this past week was very good for anglers using power bait, corn and Panther Martin spinners. At Lake Alice, fishing was good using home made dough baits. Anglers here reported catching rainbows up to 14 inches.

MAXWELL LAKES: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using spinners and power bait.

MCALLISTER LAKE: Due to poor water quality, the lake will remain closed until further notice.

MONASTERY LAKE: Trout fishing was very good this past weekend. Anglers did well using small spinners, power bait and salmon eggs.

MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing was rated as excellent this past week as most anglers managed to catch limits of fish within a two hour period. Best baits were corn, salmon eggs, power bait, home made dough baits, Pistol Petes and spinners.

PECOS RIVER: Water flow near the town of Pecos as of Monday morning was 98cfs. Trout fishing over the weekend was fair-to-good for anglers using night crawlers, spinners, copper john barrs, salmon eggs and bead head pheasant tail nymphs.

RED RIVER: Water flow below the hatchery was 123cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

RIO GRANDE: The water flow Monday morning at the Taos Junction Bridge was 1,240cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.

SPRINGER LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

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

UTE LAKE: Fishing for white bass was good again this past week for anglers trolling crank baits in 10-to-20 feet of water. A few whites were also taken on spoons and live bait. Fishing for largemouth bass was good for anglers using tubes, jigs, spinner baits, chatter baits and crank baits. Most of the largemouth bass were taken in less than six feet of water. Fishing for crappie was fair-to-good for anglers fishing shallow up the Canadian arm. Best baits were small crank baits, jigs and minnows. Fishing for walleye slowed some but a few were taken by anglers trolling crank baits and bottom bouncer/night crawler rigs. We had no reports on other species.

NORTHWEST AREA

ABIQUIU LAKE: Fishing was generally slow but there were a few brown trout and walleye caught by anglers trolling crank baits and drifting minnows. We had no reports on other species.

ALBUQUERQUE AREA DRAINS: We had no reports from anglers this week.

BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was very light. The water was rising and the boat ramp was open for launching boats.

CHAMA RIVER: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 1,220cfs and 1,720cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was fair for anglers using night crawlers for brown trout. We had no reports from below Abiquiu.

COCHITI LAKE: Fishing was generally slow but there were a few largemouth bass caught by anglers using spinner baits and chatter baits. A few catfish were taken by anglers using stink bait and night crawlers.

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

FENTON LAKE: Trout fishing was very good this past week for anglers fishing from boats and using silver Panther Martins. Fishing from the bank was good for anglers using yellow and orange power baits.

HERON LAKE: Fishing for lake trout has been slow but a few small ones were being taken by anglers using jig and cut bait combinations and fishing at depths of 17-to-30 feet. Fishing for rainbow trout was fair for anglers using rainbow colored power bait.

JACKSON LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using worms, corn and power bait.

JEMEZ WATERS: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 183cfs near Jemez Springs and fishing was slow. Trout fishing on the San Antonio and East Fork was fair-to-good for anglers using copper john barrs, egg patterns and salmon eggs.

MCGAFFEY LAKE: The lake was recently stocked with rainbow trout but we had no reports from anglers this week.

NAVAJO LAKE: Trout fishing was fair this past week for anglers fishing on the main lake and using spinners, power bait and salmon eggs. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was fair for anglers using tubes and jigs. Fishing was slow-to-fair using spinner baits and crank baits for northern pike. A few crappie were taken by anglers using minnows and small jigs.

RAMAH LAKE: Trout fishing was good for anglers using salmon eggs, power bait, corn, spinners and spoons.

SAN JUAN: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 2,270cfs. The flow will remain around 2200cfs until some time in May when it will be increased to 5,000cfs for about 30 days. Fishing this past week through the Quality Waters was fair for anglers using red hots, red annelids, San Juan worms and streamers. Fishing in the bait waters was fair using the same flies and with spinners, salmon eggs and night crawlers.

SANTA CRUZ LAKE: Trout fishing was good using small tubes, jerk baits, spinners, power bait, worms and salmon eggs. Anglers did well fishing from the bank and from boats.

TINGLEY BEACH: Trout fishing at the Youth Pond and the Central Pond was slow-to-fair for anglers using leeches and power bait. Bass fishing was fair for anglers using leeches and grubs for bass up to 12 inches. Fishing for catfish was fair using stink bait. At the Catch and Release Pond best baits were yellow egg patterns, orange and red San Juan worms and midge emergers.

SOUTHWEST AREA

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

BILL EVANS LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using worms, salmon eggs and power bait. Fishing for largemouth bass was fair for anglers using jigs, swim baits and tubes. We had no reports on other species.

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

CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using minnows, grubs and crank baits for a mix of white bass and walleye. We had no reports on other species.

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair for anglers using chatter baits, spinner baits, crank baits and tubes. Most of the bass caught were in less than 8 feet of water. Fishing for walleye was fair for anglers using crank baits in the Jungles area of the lake. A few were also taken by anglers fishing near Kettle Top. Fishing for white bass was fair for anglers using swim slabs, crank baits and grubs. The white bass were scattered from the Black Bluffs to McRae Canyon. Fishing was good using liver, shrimp and stink baits for catfish.

GLENWOOD POND: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

GILA RIVER: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 161cfs. Fishing on the Forks was fair using salmon eggs, worms, bead head pheasant tail nymphs and copper john barrs for trout. We had no reports on other species.

LAKE ROBERTS: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait, salmon eggs, spinners and bead head wooly buggers.

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

QUEMADO LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 1,850cfs. Below Elephant Butte, fishing was fair using grubs and minnows for walleye and white bass. A few trout were taken by anglers using wooly buggers, spinners and worms. Fishing below Caballo was fair using minnows and crank baits for white bass. We had no reports on other species.

SOUTHEAST AREA

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

BONITO LAKE: Trout fishing was fair using power bait, salmon eggs and worms.

BOSQUE REDONDO: Sight fishing for largemouth bass was good for anglers using weighted bead head wooly buggers and beetle spins. Most of the bass caught were in the 12-to-15 inch size. Fishing for all other species was slow.

BOTTOMLESS LAKES: Fishing was slow. Stocking has been suspended due to a golden algae bloom.

BRANTLEY LAKE: Anglers are to practice catch and release for all fish here as high levels of DDT were found in several fish.

CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.

GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR: Fishing was very good using salmon eggs, power bait, corn, spinners and Pistol Petes for trout.

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

LAKE VAN: Fishing was slow for all species.

MANZANO LAKE: Trout fishing was good for anglers using power bait, salmon eggs and spinners.

PECOS RIVER: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 100cfs. Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait and worms. We had no reports on other species.

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

ROSWELL KIDS POND: Fishing was fair-to-good using rainbow power bait, salmon eggs and worms on the bottom for trout.

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow at Ruidoso on Monday was 2.5cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair this past week for anglers using tubes, worms, jigs, spinner baits and chatter baits. Most of the smallmouth bass were taken off rocky points and in 8-to-14 feet of water. Fishing was slow-to-fair using tubes, minnows and jigs in the brush for crappie. A few walleye were taken by anglers using tubes, grubs and crank baits. We had no reports on other species.