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New Mexico Fishing and Stocking Report

By The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

Check out the latest stocking report

Catches of the week

  • Chama River: Steve Owens of Santa Fe caught a 22-inch brown trout Dec. 4. He was fishing below Cooper’s and using a small streamer.
  • Rio Grande: Matthew Ryan Castillo of Rio Rancho caught a 27-inch, 4.74-pound walleye Dec. 6. He was fishing the river through the Rio Grande Valley State Park and using a 3-inch Yum grub on a 1/8-ounce chartreuse red-eye jig head.

The following reports came in late but deserve a mention:

  • Caballo Lake: Antonio Aguirre, 6, of El Paso caught and released his first fish ever, a 12-inch walleye Dec. 2. His brother Mauricio Aguirre, 5, also caught his first fish ever, a largemouth bass. Both boys were using swim shad.
  • Fenton Lake: Bobby Gasche, 11, of Los Lunas, caught his first brown trout Dec. 2. He was using an inflated night crawler.
  • Rio Penasco: Keith Nalley of Roswell caught a 20-inch rainbow trout Dec. 2. He was using a barbless brown Pistol Pete.
  • Tingley Beach: Raymond Maestas, 5, of Albuquerque, caught and released several rainbow trout Dec. 3. He was using white power worms.

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, age, hometown, date, and location, type of fish, length and weight if possible and bait, lure or fly used.

Dec. 12  

Northeast

Charette Lakes: Closed for the season.
Clayton Lake:  Closed for the season.
Cimarron River: Stream flow below Eagle Nest on Monday was 1.08 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Conchas Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using spoons, jig and grub combinations and blade baits at 35 to 45 feet for white bass and walleye. We had no other reports. The surface water temp was in the low 50s.
Costilla Creek: Stream flow on Monday below Costilla Dam was 1.23 cfs. Check this one out next spring.
Cowles Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Coyote Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Eagle Rock Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Eagle Nest Lake: The boat ramps have been closed due to ice conditions. There has been some bank fishing as the ice clears off during the day. Fishing has been fair for anglers using PowerBait for trout. Kokanee snagging remained slow with just a few taken in the Merino Creek area. We had no other reports.
Gallinas River: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Hopewell Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Alice: Thin ice has covered the lake and anglers are to stay off until further notice. For updates, contact the state park office at (575) 445-5607.
Lake Maloya: Trout fishing was good using gold spoons and assorted PowerBait.
Los Pinos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Maxwell Lake 13: Closed for the season.
Monastery Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout.
Morphy Lake:  Closed for the season.
Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos on Monday was 37.0 cfs. Fishing was fair using San Juan worms, copper John Barrs, salmon eggs and worms for brown and rainbow trout. The best action was reported downstream from the town of Pecos.
Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery on Monday was 47.3 cfs. Fishing was fair using worms and salmon eggs for trout.
Red River City Ponds: Closed for the season.
Rio Grande: Stream flow on Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 490 cfs. Fishing above Taos was fair using bunny leeches, San Juan worms and earth worms for brown and rainbow trout. Fishing through the Albuquerque area was fair using chicken liver, worms and homemade dough baits for catfish and jig and grub combinations for walleye. We had no other reports.
Rio Hondo: Stream flow near Valdez on Monday was 11.8 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Mora: As of Monday, stream flow near Terrero was 69.5 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco on Monday was 7.20 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Santa Cruz Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Shuree Ponds:  We had no reports from anglers this week.
Springer Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Storrie Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait for trout. As of this past Sunday, part of the lake was iced over but there was plenty of open water for bank fishing.
Stubblefield Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Ute Lake: Fishing for walleye and white bass picked up this past week. Anglers found them at 35 to 45 feet. Anglers having the best luck were using jig and grub combinations and jigging spoons. We had no other reports. The surface water temp was right at 50 degrees.

Northwest

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing pressure was extremely light and we had no reports from anglers.
Animas River: Water flow below Aztec on Monday morning was 243 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Albuquerque Area Drains: Fishing in the Albuquerque, Albuquerque South, Bernalillo and Peralta drains was very good using worms, PowerBait, Fire Balls and custom tied nymphs for trout. Drifting bait with a single split shot worked well for most anglers. We had no reports on other species.
Bluewater Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait, salmon eggs and worms for trout. We had no other reports. Fishing pressure was very light.
Brazos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Canjilon Lakes: Closed by the U.S. Forest Service until further notice.
Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 612 cfs and 924 cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was fair to good using wooly buggers, Rapalas, night crawlers and Fire Balls for brown and rainbow trout. We had no reports from below Abiquiu. The river from the USGS gauging station to the confluence of the Rio Nutrias is now catch and release only using single barbless hook artificial flies and lures.
Cochiti Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
El Vado Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was very light.
Fenton Lake: As of Sunday, the lake was covered with a thin layer of ice and closed to fishing. For updated conditions, contact the state park office at (575) 829-3630.
Heron Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait and Fire Balls from the bank for good size rainbow trout. Kokanee snagging was slow. We had no other reports.
Jackson Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez River near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 17.3 cfs. Fishing on the lower Jemez was fair using Fire Balls and worms for trout. There was quite a bit of ice on the upper Jemez and the San Antonio and fishing was slow. We had no other reports.
Laguna del Campo: Closed for the season.
Lagunitas Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Farmington: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Manzano Lake: Fishing was fair to good using garlic PowerBait, Gulp eggs, salmon egg corn combinations, salmon eggs and worms for trout. We had no other reports.
Navajo Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was slow with just a few caught by anglers using grubs, jigs and Ben rigs. Fishing was slow to fair using swim baits for northern pike. Kokanee snagging was slow. We had no other reports.
San Gregorio Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
San Juan River: Stream flow on Monday morning was 391 cfs. Fly fishing action through the Quality waters was fair to good for anglers using small midge patterns, small fluff baetis, RS2, comparaduns, red larva, parachute adams and small bead-head pheasant tail nymphs. Trout fishing through the bait waters was fair using salmon eggs, PowerBait and worms. A river enhancement project will begin on Dec. 15 from the Simon Point Day-Use Area downriver to the Crusher Hole Day-Use Area. Temporary closures of multiple day-use areas are expected until April 2018.  For more information, visit nmparks.com or contact Navajo Lake State Park, (505) 632-2278.
Seven Springs Brood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Tingley Beach: Fishing at the Youth and Central ponds was very good this past week using PowerBait, salmon eggs, meal worms and Pistol Petes for trout. Some anglers did well fishing just off the bottom while others were using worms and salmon eggs under a bobber. Fishing at the Bob Gerding Catch and Release Pond was good using small leech patterns, San Juan worms and small streamers for trout. We had no other reports.
Trout Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Southwest

Alumni Pond: Fishing was good using small bead-head nymphs, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.
Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing was very good using Fire Balls and PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.
Bill Evans Lake: Fishing was good using Pistol Petes under a bubble, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. Fishing was slow to fair using homemade dough bait and liver for catfish. Fishing for all other species was slow.
Caballo Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair to good using swim baits, grubs and jig and minnow combinations. Anglers fishing for walleye also caught a few white bass and largemouth bass.
Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing was fair using blade baits, spoons, jig and grub and jig and minnow combinations for white bass. Fishing for walleye was slow with just a few caught by anglers using jigging spoons and jig and minnow combinations. Fishing was slow to fair using Ned rigs, curly tail grubs, swim baits, worms and creature baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing was good using cut bait, live bait, night crawlers, liver and homemade dough baits for catfish. We had no other reports. The surface water temp ranged from the high 50s to the low 60s.
Escondida Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait, corn and Fire Balls for trout. We had no other reports.
Gila River: Stream flow on Monday morning was 59.9 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Glenwood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Roberts: Fishing was good using small spoons, Fire Balls and PowerBait for trout. Fishing for all other species was slow.
Percha Dam: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Quemado Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rancho Grande Ponds: Fishing was good using PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.
Rio Grande: Stream flow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 0.00 cfs. Fishing was fair using worms and chicken liver for catfish. Fishing was fair using PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.
Snow Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Young Pond: Trout fishing was very good using PowerBait and Fire Balls. We had no other reports.

Southeast

Alto Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout.
Bataan Lake: Fishing was fair using small spoons, PowerBait, worms and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.
Black River: Stream flow at Malaga on Monday was 7.41 cfs. Fishing was good using worms, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.
Blue Hole Park Pond: Trout fishing was very good again this past week as anglers did well using PowerBait and Fire Balls.
Bonito Lake: Closed until further notice by the city of Alamogordo due to fire damage.
Bosque Redondo Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Bottomless Lakes: Fishing at Devil’s Inkwell was fair to good using PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout. We had no other reports.
Brantley Lake: Anglers are required to catch and release all fish here as high levels of pesticides have been found in some fish. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait, salmon eggs and worms for trout. We had no other reports.
Chaparral Park Lake: Fishing was good using salmon eggs, salmon egg corn combinations and PowerBait for trout.
El Rito Creek: Fishing was good using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.
Eunice Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Green Meadow Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout.
Greene Acres Lake: Fishing was fair using, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.
Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing was good using salmon eggs, PowerBait and worms for trout. We had no other reports.
Jal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Van: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Oasis Park Lake: Fishing was good using worms, salmon eggs, homemade dough bait and PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.
Pecos River: Stream flow below Sumner Lake on Monday was 11.7 cfs. Trout fishing was very good this past week as several anglers reported catching limits while using PowerBait and Fire Balls. We had no other reports.
Perch Lake: Fishing was fair to good using Pistol Petes, PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout.
Ruidoso River: Stream flow at Hollywood was 4.45 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Santa Rosa Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Sumner Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was extremely light.

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