Fishing Report

Elephant Butte Lake: Brenden Miller, age 13, of Las Cruces caught two 20-inch walleye using a bottom bouncer May 3. Ryan Martinez, age 6, of Las Vegas, Nev. caught 16 white bass using crankbaits and sassy shad May 1.

Pecos River: Kyle Burnett of Albuquerque caught and released a 22-inch 3.5-pound rainbow trout using a yellow Panther Martin spinner north of Glorietta May 2. Dylan Duran, age 7, of Santa Fe caught a 15-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait at Holy Ghost Creek May 2.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Hailie Marie Ulibarri, age 4, of La Puebla caught a 15-inch rainbow trout using salmon-peach PowerBait May 2.

Laguna del Campo: Eliza Welch, age 2, of Albuquerque caught a 19-inch rainbow trout using worms May 1. Nolan Tapia-Patton, age 5, of Albuquerque caught a 17-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait May 1.

Cochiti Lake: Mark Wainio of Albuquerque caught a 34-inch 10.5-pound pike using a swim bait April 29. Terry Fields of Pena Blanca caught a 40.5-inch 18-pound pike using a spinner April 28.

Tingley Beach: Leland Barrett Torres, age 8, of Albuquerque caught a 5.2-pound largemouth bass using salmon eggs April 28.

San Juan River: Mike Watkins of Albuquerque caught a 17-inch brown trout using worms April 30. Isaac Alderete, age 11, of Albuquerque caught an 18-inch brown trout using salmon eggs April 26.

Rio Grande: Skylar Wilson of Rio Rancho caught a 14-inch catfish using chicken liver between Albuquerque and Bernalillo April 27. Jennifer Schorr of Jarales caught and released a 21-inch 2.5-pound channel catfish using worms in the upper Sabinal Drain in Socorro County April 25.

Ute Lake: Brandi Jacques, age 22, of Las Cruces caught her first fish, a 24-inch carp, using worms April 24.

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Cimarron River: Stream flow near Cimarron Monday morning was 36.4 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using PowerBait, worms and pink grubs.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was good using nightcrawlers and PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was good using chicken liver and homemade dough bait.

Conchas Lake: 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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are open. Fishing for bass was good using shallow-diving crank bait lures. Fishing for white bass was good using chartreuse lipless and medium diving crankbait lures. Fishing for crappie was fair to good using small shad minnow jigs. Fishing for catfish was good using worms and jigs tipped with worms.

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 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 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout and perch was good using salmon-peach PowerBait, chartreuse-glitter PowerBait, nymph-grape PowerBait, cheese PowerBait and worms. Fishing for pike was good using Rapala lures, Mepps Aglia spinners, Panther Martin double-blade spinners and the Pot-o-Gold spoons.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good using salmon eggs and orange and pink PowerBait.

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

Gallinas River: Fishing for trout was good using bead-head nymph flies.

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

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

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

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

Maxwell Lake 13: Anglers reported that the lake had little to no water.

Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was good using green PowerBait, spinners, and salmon eggs.

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

Pecos River: Stream flow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was not measured due to equipment malfunction. Fishing for trout was good using yellow Panther Martin spinners, worms, PowerBait, dry flies and pheasant tail nymph flies.

Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery Monday morning was 99.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair using salmon eggs and bead head nymph flies.

Rio Grande: Stream flow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 536 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using black Woolly Buggers.

Rio Hondo: Stream flow Monday morning near Valdez was 36.0 cfs.

Rio Mora: Stream flow Monday morning near Terrero was .19 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco Monday morning was 71.7 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good using gold Panther Martin spinners, orange egg pattern flies and green PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds: Closed until July 1, 2021.

Springer Lake: Fishing for pike was fair to good using yellow jigs and rainbow colored #5 Mepps spinners.

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

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for white bass was fair to good trolling on the east end of the lake. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using Berkley Gulp minnows and live minnows. Fishing for bass was good using vibrating jigs, swimbaits and crawdad lures. Fishing for catfish was good in the upper Canadian and Ute Creek using worms, dough bait and cut bait. Fishing for crappie was fair using jigs.

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair using bottom bouncers with nightcrawler worm harnesses.

Animas River: Water flow below Aztec Monday morning was 417 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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 1190 cfs and 974 cfs respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was slow. Anglers reported high water flows below Abiquiu Lake and poor fishing conditions. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream seven miles to the base of Abiquiu Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.

Cochiti Lake: Visitors to the lake need to make a reservation by purchasing a ticket at least 24 hours in advance through www.recreation.gov. Tickets and reservations will not be sold at the lake. Fishing for bass was good using shallow-diving lipless crankbaits. Fishing for pike was good using swim baits and spinners.

El Vado Lake: El Vado Lake Dam Day Use Area is open. The main lake area, boat launch and campground opened April 1. Camping by reservation only.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was very good using dry flies. Fishing for trout was fair to good using spinners, PowerBait, grubs and worms. Please remember, only two cutthroat trout are allowed to be harvested per day within the regular five-fish limit.

Heron Lake: The lake is open for fishing. All boat ramps are closed due to low water levels. Paddle craft can be launched from the shoreline. Limited campgrounds are open and camping is by reservation only.

Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez River, near the town of Jemez, Monday morning was 74.9 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using spinners and nymph flies.

Laguna del Campo: Fishing for trout was good using worms and PowerBait.

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

Lake Farmington: Fishing for trout was fair to good using PowerBait mice tails and worms.

McGaffey Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good using spinners and worms.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for bass was fair using crankbaits and jigs. Fishing for pike was fair using jointed Rapala lures. Fishing for crappie was slow using minnow jigs.

Rio Grande: Fishing for catfish was fair to good using chicken liver between Bernalillo and Albuquerque.

San Gregorio Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

San Juan River: Stream flow Monday morning was 590 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good using zebra midges, midge emergers, crystal flash midges, egg pattern flies and leech pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good using worms and salmon eggs.

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 slow to fair using PowerBait. Fishing for bass was fair using plastic worms.

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

Alumni Pond: Fishing for trout was slow.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for trout was good using corn and cheese-flavored PowerBait. Fishing for crappie was good using golden hare’s ear flies.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for trout was good using dark-colored dry flies and garlic PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using cut carp bait and live worms.

Caballo Lake: Fishing for white bass was good using minnows and crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using minnows and crankbaits. Fishing for crappie was very good using minnows and jigs. Fishing for catfish was good using chicken breast marinaded in Jell-O.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was good using white crankbaits, jerk baits and swim baits. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair to good using swimbaits and crawdad plastic jigs. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using white crankbaits and bottom bouncers.

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

Gila River: Stream flow Monday morning was 36.2 cfs. Fishing for Gila trout was fair using small worm and nymph pattern flies.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was good using salmon eggs and garlic-scented PowerBait.

Percha Dam: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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 0.08 cfs. Fishing for catfish north of Elephant Butte Lake was good using cut bait and nightcrawlers.

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

Trees Lake: Fishing for bass was good using spinner baits and plastic Senko worms.

Young Pond: Fishing for trout was slow using corn.

Fishing for bass, walleye, crappie and bluegill using jig heads with plastic baits can be a very productive technique. Sometimes this technique is so productive that the baits can not withstand the onslaught of activity and wear out before their time.

Once the plastic bait has been pulled on enough, it will tear and not stay secured tightly against the jig head. The plastic bait is usually noticeably less effective once it does not stay snug to the jig head.

To prolong the amount of time a plastic bait stays snug with the jig head, place a bead of super glue where the plastic bait and jig head meet.

In the pictured example, I super glued a chartreuse jig head to a white and chartreuse plastic swim bait. I have had great results with this bait at Ute Lake fishing for bass and walleye. It is about four inches long.

Share your tips and tricks with your fellow anglers by emailing us at funfishingnm@gmail.comand let’s help the next generation of anglers find success.

Thanks for reading and supporting our angling community!