Attention anglers
Don't forget to buy a 2008-2009 fishing license. New Mexico's annual
fishing licenses are good from April 1 through March 31 and are available
at license vendors statewide, Department of Game and Fish offices in
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Raton, Roswell and Las Cruces, and online.
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
Navajo Lake: April 19, Chad Timmerman of Farmington
caught an 8.33-pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig. April 19, Wade
Jordan of Cortez, Colo., caught a 12-pound brown trout. He was fishing a
bass tournament and using a jerk bait. April 19, Dan Brophy of Espanola
caught a 10-pound, 2-ounce northern pike. He was trolling a perch-colored
ripstick in 14 feet of water.
Heron Lake: April 19, Steve Wright of Bosque Farms caught
a 20-pound, 14-ounce lake trout. He was trolling a rainbow-colored
flatfish in 40 feet of water.
Abiquiu Lake: April 18, Amy Anderson of Los Alamos caught
a 21-inch rainbow trout. She was trolling for walleye at the time.
Ute Lake: April 18, David Morse of Dalhart, Texas, caught
a 4.69-pound largemouth bass. He was fishing from the bank and using
minnows.
Santa Rosa Lake: April 18, Denise Hipp of Albuquerque
caught a 4-pound walleye. She was using a spinner bait. April 18, Tom
McWhorter of Bosque Farms caught a 4.8-pound largemouth bass. He was using
a worm.
NORTHEAST AREA
CHARETTE LAKES: We had no reports from anglers this
week.
CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of
Monday was 29 cfs. Trout fishing was fair-to-good this past weekend for
anglers using streamers, bead head hares ears and gold spinners.
CLAYTON LAKE: Fishing picked up considerably this past
week as anglers reported good catches of bass, walleye and trout. Anglers
did well during the early evening hours from the bank and from boats. Best
baits were extra scented power baits, night crawlers, spinner/night
crawler combinations and crank baits. We had no reports on other species.
CONCHAS LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using
minnows, spinner/worm rigs, grubs and crank baits for walleye. We received
a few good reports from anglers fishing on the north and south sides of
the lake. Fishing was very good using minnows and small jigs for crappie.
Fishing was fair trolling crank baits and using spoons and minnows for
white bass. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was
fair-to-good for anglers using crank baits, tubes, jigs, jerk baits and
spinner baits. Most of the bass were in less than 12 feet of water.
COYOTE CREEK: Trout fishing was very good this past week
for anglers using small spinners, corn, salmon eggs and power bait. Most
of the fish caught were in the 10-to-12 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, worms and spinners. Anglers reported catching a
mixed bag of rainbows and perch.
LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing was rated as
fair-to-good at both lakes this past week. Anglers did best using home
made dough baits, power bait and corn. Anglers also did well using Panther
Martin spinners along the dam at Lake Maloya. Most of the fish caught were
in the 8-to-10 inch range.
MAXWELL LAKES: We had no reports from anglers this week.
MCALLISTER LAKE: Due to poor water quality, the lake will
remain closed until further notice.
MONASTERY LAKE: Trout fishing was good for anglers using
small spinners, Pistol Petes, power bait, corn and salmon eggs.
MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing continued to be quite good
this past week for anglers using corn, salmon eggs, power bait, home made
dough baits, Pistol Petes, wooly buggers and spinners.
PECOS RIVER: Water flow near the town of Pecos as of
Monday morning was 157cfs. Trout fishing this past week was fair-to-good
for anglers using night crawlers, spinners, small wooly buggers, salmon
eggs and bead head pheasant tail nymphs.
RED RIVER: Water flow below the hatchery was 159cfs.
Trout fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using wooly buggers, spinners
and worms.
RIO GRANDE: The water flow Monday morning at the Taos
Junction Bridge was 1,280cfs. Fishing was slow for all species. A few
trout were taken by anglers using spinners and wooly buggers and drifting
night crawlers along the river’s banks.
SPRINGER LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
STORRIE LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. A few
trout were taken by anglers using power bait and corn.
UTE LAKE: Fishing for walleye was rated as good to
excellent this past week as the males were in a feeding mode and in
6-to-14 feet of water. Several limits were reported by anglers using crank
baits, spinners, jerk baits and minnows. Fishing for crappie was good for
anglers using minnows, jigs, small tubes and small crank baits in 2-to-6
feet of water. Good reports came in from anglers fishing up the Canadian
arm of the lake. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was good
for anglers using tubes, spinner baits, crank baits and jerk baits in
shallow water. Fishing for white bass was sporadic but a few good size
fish were taken by anglers trolling crank baits.
NORTHWEST AREA
ABIQUIU LAKE: Fishing was slow but there were a few
rainbow trout and walleye caught by anglers trolling crank baits and
drifting minnows. A few smallmouth bass were taken by anglers using
minnows, tubes and jerk baits. We had no reports on other species.
ALBUQUERQUE AREA DRAINS: We had no reports from anglers
this week.
BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was slow but there were a few
tiger musky caught and released by anglers trolling spinners and crank
baits. Fishing pressure was 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 1,210cfs and 1,680cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was
fair for anglers using night crawlers and spinners for brown trout. We had
no reports from below Abiquiu.
COCHITI LAKE: Fishing was generally slow but there were a
few largemouth bass and white bass caught by anglers using spinner baits
and crank baits. A few catfish were taken by anglers using stink bait,
liver and night crawlers.
EL VADO LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
FENTON LAKE: Trout fishing continued to be quite good
this past week for most anglers. Best baits were black or silver Panther
Martins and orange and red extra scented power baits.
HERON LAKE: Fishing for lake trout was sporadic at best
with all the windy weather. However, anglers this past Saturday managed to
land a few while trolling flat fish at 40 feet. A few small lakers were
also taken by anglers fishing from the bank and using power bait. We had
no reports on other species.
JEMEZ WATERS: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday
morning was 212cfs near Jemez Springs and fishing was slow. Trout fishing
on the Cebolla, San Antonio and East Fork was good to excellent for
anglers using Panther Martins, bead head pheasant tails, copper john barrs
and salmon eggs.
MANZANO LAKE: Trout fishing was good using power bait,
salmon eggs, corn and spinners.
MCGAFFEY LAKE: Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers
using power bait, corn and spinners.
NAVAJO LAKE: The crappie have turned on and the fishing
was great this past week for anglers fishing the upper canyons on the San
Juan arm and drifting small crappie jigs in 6-to-15 feet of water. A few
were also taken on worms and tubes. Fishing was good using jerk baits,
jigs, tubes, spinner baits, sweet beavers and crank baits for largemouth
and smallmouth bass. Anglers reported good success on the Francis and San
Juan arms of the lake. Anglers fishing for bass also reported catching
some big brown and rainbow trout and several northern pike. Most of the
pike caught were in the 6-to-10 pound class and were caught by anglers
fishing the San Juan arm of the lake.
RAMAH LAKE: Trout fishing was very 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-to-good for anglers
using bead head pheasant tails,
wooly buggers, red annelids, San Juan worms and small hair jigs. Fishing
in the bait waters was fair using the same flies and with jerk baits,
garlic cheese, salmon eggs and night crawlers.
SANTA CRUZ LAKE: Trout fishing was good using small
tubes, spinners, power bait, worms and salmon egg/corn combinations.
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, spinners and
power bait. Bass fishing was fair for anglers using leeches and grubs.
Fishing for catfish was fair using stink bait. At the Catch and Release
Pond best baits were streamers, bunny leeches, wooly buggers, San Juan
worms and midge emergers.
SOUTHWEST AREA
BEAR CANYON: We had no reports from anglers this week.
BILL EVANS LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this
week.
BURN LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was fair for anglers trolling crank
baits and using grubs for a mixed bag of walleye and white bass. Most of
the action was on the east side of the lake. We had no reports on other
species.
ELEPHANT BUTTE: Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth
bass was fair for some anglers and good for others using jigs, crank
baits, chatter baits, spinner baits, sweet beavers, worms and tubes.
Fishing for white bass was fair for anglers using minnows, grubs, crank
baits and spoons. Most of the white bass action was south of Kettle Top.
Fishing for walleye was fair for anglers using crank baits and grubs in
7-to-12 feet of water. A few striped bass were taken by anglers using live
bait at 12-to-27 feet. Fishing was fair-to-good using stink bait, liver
and cut bait for catfish.
ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.
GILA RIVER: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday
was 144cfs. Fishing on the Forks was fair using worms, bead head pheasant
tail nymphs and copper john barrs for trout. We had no reports on other
species.
LAKE ROBERTS: We had no reports from anglers this week.
PERCHA DAM: Fishing was fair using grubs and crank baits
for white bass and walleye. We had no reports on other species.
QUEMADO LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.
RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was
2,010cfs. Below Elephant Butte, fishing slowed considerably with the
increased flow this week. A few white bass were taken by anglers using
grubs. Fishing below Caballo was slow-to-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-to-good using power
bait, salmon eggs, copper john barrs, Pistol Petes and worms. The best
reports came from anglers fishing near the Rio Bonito.
BOSQUE REDONDO: Fishing for largemouth bass was fair for
anglers using beetle spins and road runners. A few trout were taken by
anglers using small wet flies under a bubble.
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: Fishing was slow for all
species.
GREENE ACRES LAKE: Fishing was good using power bait and
“patience” for bluegill and small stocked rainbow trout.
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.
PECOS RIVER: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was
115cfs. Fishing was slow but there were a few walleye and catfish taken by
anglers using minnows and night crawlers.
PERCH LAKE: Trout fishing was slow. A few fish were taken
by anglers using Pistol Petes and spinners.
RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow at Ruidoso on Monday was
2.0cfs. Fishing was slow.
SANTA ROSA LAKE: Fishing for crappie was good this past
week for anglers using white tubes, grubs, minnows and worms. The best
reports came from anglers fishing across from the boat ramp. Fishing was
fair trolling and casting Rat-L-Traps, wally divers and reef runners and
casting grubs for walleye. Fishing was very good using tubes, worms, jigs,
crank baits and jerk baits for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Most of the
bass were taken in 8-to-15 feet of water. We had no reports on other
species.
SUMNER LAKE: Fishing was very good this past weekend for
anglers using small crank baits, tubes, minnows and jigs for crappie.
Fishing was good using crank baits, minnows, jigs, tubes and grubs for
16-to-20 inch walleye. Fishing was fair-to-good using crank baits, spinner
baits, tubes, sweet beavers and jerk baits for smallmouth and largemouth
bass. A few catfish were taken by anglers using stink bait and minnows.
