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Catches of the week
- Conchas Lake: Daniel Barela, 52, of Albuquerque, caught his very first fish, a walleye, Oct. 22. He was using a Berkley Flicker Shad crank bait.
- Eagle Nest Lake: Nick Streit of Taos caught a 45-inch northern pike Oct. 19. He was using a size 8 wooly bugger on an eight-pound tippet.
- San Juan River: Terrence Haskew, 6, of Belen, caught an approximately 16-inch brown trout Oct. 21. He was using worms. Damian Padilla of Belen caught and released about a 21-inch rainbow trout Oct. 21. He was fishing the Quality Waters and using a large brown nymph.
The following reports came in late but deserve a mention:
- Quemado Lake: Valerie Barboa of Silver City caught a 20-inch rainbow trout Oct. 14. She was using PowerBait.
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.
Oct. 24
Northeast
Charette Lakes: Fishing from boats was good using PowerBait for rainbow trout. We had no other reports. The lake closes for the fishing season Oct. 31.
Clayton Lake: Fishing was fair to good using worms and chicken liver for catfish. We had no other reports. The lake closes for the fishing season Oct. 31.
Cimarron River: Stream flow near Cimarron on Monday was 9.78 cfs. Fishing was fair using worms and salmon eggs for trout. We had no reports from the Gravel Pit Lakes.
Conchas Lake: Fishing was fair using crank baits, spoons and blade baits for walleye. Fishing was slow for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, but a few were caught by anglers using jigs and creature baits. We had no other reports.
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: Fishing was slow to fair using Fire Balls for trout.
Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout.
Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait for rainbow trout. Fishing was good using worms for perch. Fishing was good using large spinners, streamers and spoons for northern pike. Kokanee snagging was fair. Hue and Wesley Gonzales of Angel Fire caught limits of kokanee on Oct. 22. They were snagging at the mouth of Cieneguilla Creek.
Gallinas River: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Hopewell Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Alice: Fishing was good using PowerBait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes under a bubble for trout.
Lake Maloya: Trout fishing was very good using PowerBait, Fire Balls and marshmallow Fire Ball combinations for trout.
Los Pinos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Maxwell Lake 13: Donald Marquez reported a good evening of fishing last week. He caught five fat rainbows while fishing from three to six in the evening. He was using worms under bobber and an assortment of Daredevles. The lake closes for the fishing season Oct. 31.
Monastery Lake: Fishing was fair to good using Fire Balls and PowerBait for trout.
Morphy Lake: Trout fishing was fair using PowerBait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes. The lake closes for the fishing season Oct. 31.
Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos on Monday was 86.1 cfs. Fishing was good using copper John Barrs, prince nymphs, San Juan worms, wooly buggers, PowerBait, salmon eggs and worms for brown and rainbow trout. Miquela Larranaga of Santa Fe caught and released an 18-inch rainbow Oct. 20. She was fishing near Terrero and using a prince nymph.
Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery on Monday was 66.3 cfs. Fishing was fair to good using bead-head pheasant tail nymphs, bead-head wooly buggers and salmon eggs for trout. Bryan Bacon of Amarillo caught a 17.5-inch rainbow trout Oct. 21. He was fishing the river in town and using salmon eggs.
Red River City Ponds: Large pond closed to fishing.
Rio Grande: Stream flow on Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 333 cfs. Fishing was excellent using prince nymphs, San Juan worms, streamers, leech patterns, wooly buggers, Panther Martins, Kastmasters, night crawlers, salmon eggs and PowerBait for brown and rainbow trout. Daniel Espinoza reported catching two nice rainbows below the junction bridge at Pilar. He was using a large bead-head prince nymph. We had no reports on other species.
Rio Hondo: Stream flow near Valdez on Monday was 27.4 cfs. Fishing was fair to good using poundmeisters, copper John Barrs and salmon eggs for trout.
Rio Mora: As of Monday, stream flow near Terrero was 76.2 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco on Monday was 26.6 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was light.
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 and salmon eggs for trout. Fishing for catfish was slow but we heard of one big one caught by a woman fishing for trout. We had no other reports.
Stubblefield Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Ute Lake: Fishing for walleye was good with several limits reported this past week. Anglers doing best were using blade baits at 40 to 45 feet. Fishing for white bass was sporadic but a few good ones were caught by anglers using blade baits and spoons at 35 feet. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was slow. We had no other reports. The surface water temp was in the low to mid 60s and the water was murky.
Northwest
Abiquiu Lake: Fishing from boats was fair using tubes, jigs, crank baits and swim baits for smallmouth bass. Fishing for walleye was rated as slow to fair for anglers using jig and minnow combinations and spoons. We had no other reports.
Animas River: Water flow below Aztec on Monday morning was 201 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Albuquerque Area Drains: Fishing on the Albuquerque and Corrales drains was fair using worms for largemouth bass and catfish. We had no other reports.
Bluewater Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using swim baits, large streamers, chatter baits and crank baits for tiger muskies. We had no other reports. The water was clearing.
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 339 cfs and 509 cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was fair to good using bead-head wooly buggers, muddler minnows, spinners, night crawlers and Fire Balls for brown and rainbow trout. The water was off color. 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. The kokanee snagging season opened October 1 from El Vado Lake to the west boundary of the Rio Chama Wildlife and Fishing Area.
Cochiti Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
El Vado Lake: Fishing was fair using worms and tubes for smallmouth bass. Kokanee snagging was slow. We had no other reports.
Fenton Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using floating worms and salmon eggs for trout.
Heron Lake: Fishing was good using Fire Balls and PowerBait from the bank for rainbow trout up to 19 inches. We had no other reports. The lake and Willow Creek are closed to kokanee snagging Oct. 1-Nov. 9 and no kokanee may be in possession while fishing during this period.
Jackson Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes for trout. We had no other reports.
Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez River near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 22.5 cfs. Fishing on the Jemez was fair to good using worms and Fire Balls for trout. We had no other reports.
Laguna del Campo: We had no reports from anglers this week.
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 PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.
Navajo Lake: Fishing was fair to good using tubes, creature baits, jigs, chatter baits and senkos for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was good using swim baits, jerk baits, chatter baits and crank baits for northern pike. Fishing was fair using worms and grubs for perch. Kokanee snagging was slow with the best action along the dam area. We had no other reports. The surface water temp was in the low 60s.
San Gregorio Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
San Juan River: Stream flow on Monday morning was 524 cfs and the water was clear. Fly fishing action through the Quality waters was good for anglers using red larva, small zebra midges, Krystal flash emergers, foam wing emergers, dead chickens, comparaduns, parachute adams and small bead-head pheasant tail nymphs. There were a few good baetis and midge hatches this past week. Trout fishing through the bait waters was good using PowerBait, worms, Fire Balls, copper John Barrs and jerk baits.
Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing was good using spinners, PowerBait, Fire Balls and worms for trout.
Tingley Beach: Fishing at the Youth and Central ponds was good using PowerBait, salmon eggs, worms, Pistol Petes and bead-head nymphs for trout. We had no other reports.
Trout Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Southwest
Alumni Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Bill Evans Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.
Caballo Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing was good using jigging spoons, blade baits, crank baits and live bait for white bass. Fishing was slow for anglers using live bait, jigs, senkos, tubes and creature baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing was very good using liver, homemade dough baits and night crawlers for catfish. We had no other reports.
Escondida Lake: Fishing was slow with just a few largemouth bass caught and released by anglers using sand colored worms and stick baits.
Gila River: Stream flow on Monday morning was 42.2 cfs. Fishing on the West Fork was fair to good using small pheasant tail nymphs for trout. We had no other reports.
Glenwood Pond: Fishing was very good using PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout.
Lake Roberts: Fishing was fair using Pistol Petes under a bubble, PowerBait, worms and salmon eggs for trout. Fishing was fair using dough baits, worms and liver. We had no other reports.
Percha Dam: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Quemado Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.
Rancho Grande Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Grande: Stream flow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 0.00 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Snow Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait for trout.
Young Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Southeast
Alto Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout. We had no other reports.
Bataan Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Black River: Stream flow at Malaga on Monday was 14.3 cfs. We had no reports from anglers.
Blue Hole Park Pond: Fishing was slow to fair using PowerBait, worms and marshmallow salmon egg combinations for trout. We had no other reports.
Bonito Lake: Closed until further notice by the city of Alamogordo due to fire damage.
Bosque Redondo Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was very light.
Bottomless Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Brantley Lake: Anglers are required to catch and release all fish here as high levels of pesticides have been found in some fish. Fishing was fair using Kastmasters and slab spoons for white bass. Fishing was fair using jigs, tubes, senkos and Ned rigs for largemouth bass. We had no other reports.
Carlsbad Municipal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Chaparral Park Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
El Rito Creek: Fishing was fair using Fire Balls and PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.
Eunice Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Green Meadow Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Greene Acres Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing was fair to good using copper John Barrs, Fire Balls, worms and PowerBait for rainbow trout. Fishing was fair using worms for perch. Fishing was slow to fair using chicken liver and worms for catfish.
Jal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Van: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was very light.
Oasis Park Lake: Fishing was slow. The Oasis State Park and the Friends of Oasis will hold the 25th Annual Kids Fishin’ Clinic Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information and pre-registration call (575) 356-5331.
Pecos River: Stream flow below Sumner Lake on Monday was 98.8 cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.
Perch Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Ruidoso River: Stream flow at Hollywood was 9.48 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. The surface water temp was in the low 60s and the water was murky.
Sumner Lake: Fishing continued to be slow with light pressure. A few white bass were caught by anglers trolling crank baits. We had no other reports.
