Abiquiu Lake: Mark Haber of Espanola caught a 20-inch walleye trolling a crankbait March 7.

Chama River: Edward Marraccini of Albuquerque caught and released a 21-inch brown trout below El Vado Lake using a Black Bunny Leech March 7.

Elephant Butte Lake: Justin Journal of Rio Rancho caught a 7.32-pound largemouth bass using a Red Square Bill Crankbait. Michael Cisco Medford, age 7, of Las Cruces caught an 8-pound blue catfish trolling a deep-diving white/chartreuse crankbait March 7. Cole Rogers and Parker McMillian, both of Silver City, caught 18 white bass trolling shad colored crankbaits March 6.

Escondida Lake: Obadiah Bock, age 4, of Los Lunas caught his first fish, an 11-inch rainbow trout using corn Feb. 27.

Morphy Lake: Taylor Griego of Las Vegas caught a 17-inch cutthroat trout using a size 14 San Juan worm March 7. Edward Herrea of Las Vegas and Nicholas Sanchez of Los Lunas caught their limits of trout ranging in size from 14 to 21-inches using Blue Fox #2 Spinners and Pistol Pete flies March 1.

Navajo Lake: Stephen Routt, age 5, of Aztec caught and released a 27-inch brown trout using an 8-inch trout pattern Rapala lure March 3. Matt Buell of Farmington caught and released a 28.5-inch, 10-pound 6-ounce brown trout and a 28.5-inch, 9-pound 14-ounce brown trout using a rainbow trout swimbait and Panther Martin spinner Feb. 28.

Pecos River: Greg Berg of Santa Fe caught and released a 22-inch brown trout using a 2-inch shad swimbait March 6.

Rio Grande: Brayton Neil of Soldotna, Ala. caught a 30-inch flathead catfish near Radium Springs using worms Feb. 28. Milo Chavez of Albuquerque caught a 17-inch brown trout using a personally tied size 22 midge larva March 6.

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 funfishingnm@gmail.com. We may include your story in our next report.

For catches of the week, include name, age, hometown, date, location, type of fish, length, and weight if possible, and bait, lure or fly used.

Cabresto Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Charette Lakes: Opened for the season on March 1.

Cimarron River: Stream flow near Cimarron Monday morning was not measured due to ice. Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for trout was good using worms, salmon eggs and peach PowerBait.

Clayton Lake: Opened for the season on March 1. Fishing for trout has been fair to good using PowerBait.

Conchas Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Conchas Lake State Park has closed access to all boat ramps due to dropping water levels. The boat ramps on the south side of the lake managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers are open.

Costilla Creek: The Department has implemented the final phase of a project to expand Rio Grande cutthroat trout in 120 miles of the Costilla watershed in northern New Mexico. The final phase involved the removal of fish within a designated area (Rio Costilla from Costilla Dam downstream to the Valle Vidal Boundary including all tributaries and Comanche Creek from the road culvert crossing on FR 1950 downstream to its confluence with Rio Costilla and all tributaries) with a tentative restocking of Rio Grande cutthroat in spring 2022. Places to fish nearby include Costilla Creek below the fish barrier, Upper Comanche Creek, Shuree Ponds, Middle Ponil Creek, Upper Powderhouse Creek, Little Costilla Creek, Vidal Creek and McCrystal Creek. The Department anticipates the completion of this final phase in the fall of 2021. Please check the Department website for additional information on the project and to identify alternative angling opportunities in the interim.

Cowles Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Coyote Creek: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Eagle Nest Lake Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake is closed to ice fishing due to deteriorating ice conditions.

Eagle Rock Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Fawn Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Gallinas River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Hopewell Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Alice: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Open to bank fishing only. Anglers reported fishing was slow.

Lake Maloya: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake is closed to ice fishing due to deteriorating ice conditions.

Los Pinos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Maxwell Lake 13: Opened for the season on March 1.

Monastery Lake: Closed due to COVID-19 health concerns. Check the Open Gate webpage for future updates.

Morphy Lake: The state park opened March 1. Fishing for trout was good using Blue Fox #2 spinners, Pistol Pete flies, San Juan worms and brown and gold Joe’s Flies.

Pecos River: Stream flow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was not measured due to ice. Fishing for trout was fair to good using black Woolly Worm flies and small shad swimbaits.

Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery Monday morning was 37.5 cfs. Fishing for was fair using small bead head nymphs and Mayfly dry flies in the afternoons.

Rio Grande: Stream flow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 478 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using size 22 midge larva flies and Blue Wing Olive flies on cloudy days.

Rio Hondo: Stream flow Monday morning near Valdez was not measured due to ice.

Rio Mora: Stream flow Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Shuree Ponds: Closed until July 1, 2021.

Springer Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Storrie Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Stubblefield Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Ute Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for white bass was fair trolling crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair using jigs tipped with live minnows or Gulp minnows in 20 to 25-feet of water. Fishing for bass was fair in the afternoons. Fishing for catfish and crappie was slow. The water surface temperature was in the low 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair trolling crankbaits.

Animas River: Water flow below Aztec Monday morning was 151 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains: Fishing for trout was fair using salmon eggs. Anglers reported locating trout near the bridges in Albuquerque.

Bluewater Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. It is closed to boating and ice-fishing due to recent weather conditions that have led to unsafe lake surface conditions. The lake is currently closed to all watercraft, including canoes, kayaks, inflatables and all types of motorboats.

Brazos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Canjilon Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Chama River: Monday morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 102 cfs and 31.6 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was good using Black Bunny Leech Flies and minnow imitation swimbaits. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was good using PowerBait, spinners, Woolly Buggers, egg pattern flies and bead head nymphs. Please remember that the area from the river-crossing bridge on US Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream 7.0 miles to Abiquiu Dam’s base is special trout waters with a two trout bag limit.

Cochiti Lake: Visitors to the lake will need to make a reservation by purchasing a ticket at least 24 hours in advance through www.recreation.gov. Tickets and reservations are NOT sold at the lake.

El Vado Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake is closed to ice fishing due to deteriorating ice conditions.

Fenton Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake is closed to ice fishing due to deteriorating ice conditions.

Heron Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake is closed to ice fishing due to deteriorating ice conditions.

Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez, near the town of Jemez, Monday morning was 45.1 cfs.

Laguna del Campo: Closed for the season; will reopen on May 1, 2021.

Lagunitas Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Farmington: Fishing for trout was fair using garlic trout bait.

Manzano Lake: Closed until further notice.

McGaffey Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Navajo Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for trout was fair using Panther Martin spinners and Rapala lures.

Rio Grande: Fishing for white bass and walleye was fair to good near Bernalillo using curly tail grubs.

San Gregorio Lake: Anglers reported that the lake is frozen.

San Juan River: Stream flow Monday morning was 418 cfs. Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good using leach pattern flies, egg pattern flies, chamois worms, crystal flash midges and red larva flies.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Closed due to COVID-19 health concerns. Check the Department’s Alerts page for future updates.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was fair using PowerBait worms.

Trout Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Alumni Pond: Fishing for trout was good using pink marshmallows. Fishing for bass and catfish was slow to fair.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for trout was good using black Woolly Buggers with a red bead head.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for trout was good using bright yellow corn PowerBait and dull orange cheese PowerBait.

Caballo Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for white bass was good using small deep-diving Bandit crankbaits.

Elephant Butte Lake: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for walleye was good using gold spoons and spinners. Fishing for white bass was good using white/silver shad color deep diving crankbaits, yellow grubs and yellow crankbaits. Fishing for catfish was good using cut carp bait, dough bait, live worms and shad. Fishing for bass was fair using red square bill crankbaits.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for trout was good using corn.

Gila River: Stream flow Monday morning was 57.3 cfs.

Glenwood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Roberts: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Percha Dam: Effective Feb. 27, NM State Parks are open to all visitors. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Quemado Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Rancho Grande Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Grande: Stream flow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was .31 cfs. Fishing for catfish near Radium Springs and Mesilla was fair to good using cut carp bait and worms.

Snow Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Trees Lake: Fishing for trout was fair. Fishing for all other species was slow.

Young Pond: Fishing for trout was slow to fair using nymph flies with a bobber, pink marshmallows, garlic-scented PowerBait and corn.

Tips and Tricks – Justin Mosquito shares his homemade crappie jig

This is a fun fishing project for children and adults interested in making some super cost-friendly and effective crappie jigs.

The materials you need are 1/8-ounce jig heads, size 1/4 paracord, a lighter and superglue. Try different color jig heads and different color paracord to create your own patterns.

1. Measure and cut your paracord to a length that goes from the base of the jig head to about 1/4-inch past the bend of the hook.

2. Slightly sear one end of the paracord so that it won’t unravel.

3. Thread the paracord onto the hook so that the paracord’s seared end is up against the jig head’s base. Super glue where they come together to hold in place.

4. With your fingers, fray the end of the paracord that extends 1/4-inch past the bend in the hook. The idea is to create a feathery-looking tail.

Share your tips and tricks by emailing us at funfishingnm@gmail.com and let us help the next generation of anglers find success.

Thanks for reading and supporting our angling community!