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.
Need
a license? Click here to buy one online.
April 29, 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
Abiquiu Lake: April 27, Sean Matthews of Santa Fe
caught a 22 ½-inch, 3.8-pound brown trout. He was trolling a crank bait in
20 feet of water.
Chama River: April 27, Chuck Estrada of Albuquerque
caught and released a 21-inch brown. He was fishing about a mile and a
half below El Vado Lake and using night crawlers.
Ute Lake: April 26, Donny McWhorter of Dalhart, Texas,
caught an 8.2-pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig. April 27, Tim
Hollis of Amarillo caught a 6.4-pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig.
April 27, Lee Thomas of Grady caught a 7-pound walleye. He was using a
live minnow.
Navajo Lake: April 26, Shaun Gill of Clovis caught a
7-pound, 14-ounce largemouth bass. He was using a crank bait.
Conchas Lake: April 27, Doug Manley of Albuquerque
caught a 7.5-pound largemouth bass. He was fishing for walleye and using a
jig.
If you have a catch of the week story or just want to tell us about
your latest New Mexico fishing experience, send it to us at
fishforfun2@hotmail.com. We
may include your story in our next report. For catches of the week include
name, date, location, type of fish, length and bait used.
NORTHEAST AREA
CHARETTE LAKES: Trout fishing was rated as
slow-to-fair on the lower lake. Anglers did best using power bait but a
few fish were also taken on spinners.
CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of
Monday was 28 cfs. Trout fishing was fair-to-good this past weekend for
anglers using worms, streamers, bead head hares ears and gold spinners.
The Gravel Pit Lakes were recently stocked but we had no reports from
anglers.
CLAYTON LAKE: Fishing from boats was very good this past
week. Anglers reported catching limits of 12-to-15 inch trout while using
Colorado spinners and spoons. Anglers trolling also picked up several
largemouth bass and 14-to-16 inch walleye. Fishing from the bank was slow
in the day time but picked up during the evening hours. Bank anglers did
best using night crawlers and power bait.
CONCHAS LAKE: Fishing was good for anglers using crank
baits, minnows, spinner/night crawler rigs, grubs, jigs and crank baits
for walleye. Most of the walleye caught were in the 15-to-18 inch range.
Fishing was very good using minnows, tubes and small jigs for crappie.
Fishing was fair-to-good using crank baits, jigs, 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,
chatter baits and spinner baits. Most of the bass were in less than 12
feet of water.
COYOTE CREEK: Trout fishing was good this past week for
anglers using corn, salmon eggs and power bait.
EAGLE NEST LAKE: Trout fishing was good for anglers
fishing from the bank and using power bait, corn, salmon eggs, worms and
spinners. The best reports came from anglers fishing in the Six Mile area.
Fishing for perch was fair-to-good for anglers using worms. We had no
reports from boaters.
LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing slowed a bit this
past week at both lakes. Anglers did best using home made dough baits and
power baits. Fishing with flies and spinners was rated as slow.
MAXWELL LAKES: Fishing was slow for all species.
MCALLISTER LAKE: Due to poor water quality, the lake will
remain closed until further notice.
MONASTERY LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using
small spinners, Pistol Petes, power bait, corn and salmon eggs.
MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing was good this past week for
anglers using salmon eggs, power bait, and home made dough baits, wooly
buggers and spinners.
PECOS RIVER: Water flow near the town of Pecos as of
Monday morning was 231cfs. Trout fishing this past week was fair for
anglers using night crawlers, spinners, wooly buggers, copper john barrs,
salmon eggs and bead head pheasant tail nymphs.
RED RIVER: Water flow below the hatchery was 198cfs.
Trout fishing was slow but there were a few fish taken by anglers using
night crawlers, wooly buggers and spinners.
RIO GRANDE: The water flow Monday morning at the Taos
Junction Bridge was 1,920cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.
SPRINGER LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using
minnows for northern pike. We had no reports on other species.
STORRIE LAKE: Trout fishing picked up this past week.
Anglers did well using garlic cheese for trout up to 14 inches. We had no
reports on other species.
STUBBLEFIELD: We had no reports from anglers this week.
UTE LAKE: Fishing this past week was rated as
good-to-excellent by anglers fishing for crappie, walleye, white bass,
largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Anglers reported good catches while
fishing up the Canadian and Ute Creek arms. Best baits for walleye, white
bass and crappie were minnows, jigs, grubs, tubes and crank baits. Anglers
fishing for walleye also reported catching several fish while using bottom
bouncer/night crawler rigs and spoons. Anglers fishing for black bass did
best with jigs, tubes, crank baits and spinner baits.
NORTHWEST AREA
ABIQUIU LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good trolling crank
baits at 20 feet for brown trout. Two anglers caught limits of browns
ranging from 17-to-23 inches. A few smallmouth bass were taken by anglers
using tubes, jigs, spinner baits and crank 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 using jerk baits, spinners and
crank baits. A few trout were taken by anglers using spinners and power
bait.
CHAMA RIVER: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and
Abiquiu were 1,240cfs and 1,720cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was
good for anglers using night crawlers and salmon eggs for a mix of brown
and rainbow trout. The trout ranged in size from 14-to-22 inches. We had
no reports from below Abiquiu.
COCHITI LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers
trolling crank baits for white bass. A few largemouth bass were taken by
anglers using jigs and spinner baits. Fishing for catfish was slow-to-fair
for anglers using liver and dough baits.
EL VADO LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.
FENTON LAKE: Trout fishing was very good this past week.
Anglers did well using power bait, salmon eggs, worms, spinners, wooly
buggers and Pistol Petes.
HERON LAKE: The best reports this past week came from
anglers fishing from the bank. They did well in the spillway area using
power bait, spinners and corn for rainbow trout. Anglers trolling and
jigging for lake trout reported catching a few small fish at 30-to-40
feet.
JEMEZ WATERS: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday
morning was 229cfs near Jemez Springs and fishing was slow. Trout fishing
on the Cebolla, San Antonio, Rio Las Vacas and East Fork was good to
excellent for anglers using prince nymphs, black and olive copper john
barrs, small spinners, worms and salmon eggs.
LAGUNA del CAMPO: (Burns Canyon Lake) opens for the
season on May 1. Check page 6 of your fishing regulations for special
rules on this water.
MANZANO LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
MCGAFFEY LAKE: Trout fishing was good for anglers using
power bait, corn, cheese, worms and spinners.
NAVAJO LAKE: Crappie fishing was fair-to-good for anglers
using tubes, minnows and jigs. Anglers did well fishing in Uhl and Bancos
Canyons and in smaller coves along the San Juan arm of the lake. Fishing
was very good using suspending jerk baits for northern pike. The best
colors were silver, purple and red. A few pike were also taken on crank
baits and spinner baits. Fishing was good using jerk baits, jigs, tubes,
crank baits, sweet beavers and chatter baits for smallmouth bass and
largemouth bass. Most of the bass were in 7-to-15 feet of water. Anglers
reported good success on the Francis and San Juan arms of the lake.
Anglers fishing for bass also reported catching several northern pike and
a few brown trout. Fishing for trout from the bank was slow-to-fair using
power bait, garlic cheese and worms.
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 small
hair jigs, leeches, bead head pheasant tails, wooly buggers, red annelids
and San Juan worms. Fishing in the bait waters was fair using jerk baits,
wooly buggers, spinners, garlic cheese, salmon eggs and night crawlers.
SANTA CRUZ LAKE: Trout fishing was good using small
tubes, small jigs, spinners, power bait, worms and salmon egg/corn
combinations. Anglers did well fishing from the bank and from boats.
SEVEN SPRINGS BROOD POND: It’s just for kids under 12 and
the trout fishing was great this past week. Best bait was power bait and
the fish ranged from 8-to-12 inches.
TINGLEY BEACH: Trout fishing at the Youth Pond and the
Central Pond was slow-to-fair for anglers using spinners and power bait.
Bass fishing was fair for anglers using leeches and grubs. Fishing for
catfish was fair using dough bait and liver. At the Catch and Release Pond
best baits were blue damsels, streamers, bunny leeches, San Juan worms and
midge emergers.
SOUTHWEST AREA
BEAR CANYON: Fishing was slow for all species.
BILL EVANS LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using power
bait, worms and salmon eggs for trout. A few bass were taken by anglers
using small swim baits and jigs. We had no reports on other species.
BURN LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good for anglers
trolling crank baits and using grubs and minnows for walleye and white
bass. The best reports this week came from anglers fishing the east side
of the lake with some of the best white bass action up across from KOA
point. We had no reports on other species.
ELEPHANT BUTTE: Striped bass fishing continued to be a
bit slow but the action picked up through Saturday for white bass and
walleye. The white bass were taken by anglers fishing from the bank and
from boats and from the Black Bluffs to the dam. Best baits were
Rat-L-Traps, grubs, tubes and minnows. Anglers fishing from the bank did
best fishing near the marinas. Fishing for walleye was best on the east
side of the lake between McCrae Canyon and the Butte. Best baits were
crank baits, grubs and minnows. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth
bass was slow-to-fair for anglers using tubes, jigs, spinner baits,
chatter baits and crank baits. Most of the black bass were taken in less
than 12 feet of water. Fishing for catfish was fair-to-good for anglers
using cut bait, shrimp and liver.
ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.
GILA RIVER: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday
was 139cfs. Fishing on the Forks was fair using worms, bead head hares
ears and copper john barrs for trout. We had no reports on other species.
LAKE ROBERTS: Trout fishing was very good this week from
the bank. Best bait: salmon eggs.
PERCHA DAM: Anglers using minnows, grubs and crank baits
reported catching a few walleye. Fishing for all other species was slow.
QUEMADO LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was
1,950cfs. Below Elephant Butte fishing was slow but a few trout were taken
by anglers using spinners and a few walleye were taken by anglers using
grubs. Fishing below Caballo was slow-to-fair using minnows and crank
baits for walleye. We had no reports on other species.
SNOW LAKE: The lake was recently stocked with several
hundred rainbow trout but we had no reports from anglers this week.
SOUTHEAST AREA
BATAAN LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
BONITO LAKE: Effective May 1, the lake will be closed due
to high fire danger in the area. Look for updates from the Lincoln
National Forest for additional information.
BOSQUE REDONDO: We had no reports from anglers this week.
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 fair-to-good using power
bait and worms for bluegill and stocked rainbow trout.
GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR: Fishing was fair-to-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
109cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.
PERCH LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.
RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow at Ruidoso on Monday was
1.7cfs. Fishing was slow.
SANTA ROSA LAKE: Fishing for crappie was good this past
week for anglers using small 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 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 good this past week for anglers
using crank baits, tubes, minnows and jigs for crappie and walleye.
Anglers did well fishing up the Pecos and Alamogordo arms of the lake and
along the riprap of the dam. Fishing was good using crank baits, spinner
baits, tubes, and jerk baits for smallmouth and largemouth bass. We had no
reports on other species.
