Fishing Report

Bluewater Lake: Josette Baros of Los Lunas caught and released a 44-inch tiger muskie using a spoon June 27. Charles Ahlgrim, age 81, caught and released a 37-inch tiger muskie using a waterdog June 24. Jessie Lowery of Yah-Ta-Hey caught and released a 28-inch catfish using hotdogs June 21. JJ Montano (Joe Jr.) of Rio Rancho caught a 27-inch, 14-pound and 31-inch, 18-pound catfish using hotdogs June 20.

Conchas Lake: Gage Dodson, age 8, of Rio Rancho caught a 16-inch carp using a worm June 22. Creed Ansley, age 14, of Moriarty caught a 29-inch, 8-pound walleye using a red flicker shad lure June 20. Carson Veretto, age 5, of Albuquerque caught a 5.4-pound smallmouth bass using a green tube June 19.

Elephant Butte Lake: Sophia Webb, age 12, of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch walleye using a chrome crankbait June 26. Brandon Archibeque of Albuquerque caught a 26-inch, 6.6-pound walleye using a bottom bouncer with a nightcrawler harness June 22.

Fenton Lake: Luis Fierro of Albuquerque caught his first fish, a 14-inch rainbow trout, using a nightcrawler June 27. Aaron Aragon of Albuquerque caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using garlic green PowerBait June 20.

Grindstone Reservoir: Austen Esparza, age 7, of El Paso, Texas, and his family caught their limits of rainbow trout using yellow salmon egg scented PowerBait June 25. Will Bass and Chantal Orozco of Las Cruces caught their limits of rainbow trout using nightcrawlers June 20.

Lake Roberts: Noah Mendoza, age 4, of Albuquerque caught a 4-pound catfish using worms June 22.

Monastery Lake: Evan Madrid, age 10, of Santa Fe caught a 15-inch rainbow trout using rainbow PowerBait June 23.

Morphy Lake: Miley and Andre Garcia, ages 9 and 12, of Clovis caught a 15.5-inch rainbow trout using salmon peach PowerBait June 25. Ranger Carle, age 10, of Bowie, Texas, caught a 16.5-inch cutthroat trout using an olive Pistol Pete spinner fly June 22.

Navajo Lake: Robert Hoover of Albuquerque caught a 40-inch, 15-pound pike using a green Strike King crankbait June 26.

Rio Pueblo: Mark Parker of Albuquerque caught his limit of rainbow trout using salmon eggs June 21.

San Juan River: Andrea Hunnicutt of Albuquerque caught a 30-inch brown trout using a worm below the quality waters June 22.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Annabella and Dillion Berniger, ages 10 and 11, of Belen and Hot Springs, Arkansas, caught four rainbow trout ranging in size from 12 to 17 inches using garlic rainbow glitter PowerBait June 27. Madelyn Conley, age 8, of Albuquerque caught a 15-inch rainbow trout using green PowerBait June 26.

Tingley Beach: Carson Rose, age 6, of Albuquerque caught a 25-inch catfish using chicken liver in the Kids’ Pond June 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: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 38.5 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait and spinners.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using worms and dry flies. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken liver.

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 largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair to good when using green tubes. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using Berkley Flicker Shad lures and jigs tipped with nightcrawlers. Fishing for crappie was fair when using live minnows. Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait. Fishing for carp was good when using 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 the 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: Fishing for trout was good when using grasshoppers and salmon eggs.

Coyote Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout was slow. Fishing for perch was good when using worms and corn. Fishing for pike was good when using Red Devil spoons and Mepps spinners.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using pink PowerBait and worms.

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

Gallinas River: Fishing for trout was fair when using worms.

Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using cheese PowerBait and scud flies.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was good when using Pistol Pete spinner flies, PowerBait and various topwater and nymph flies.

Los Pinos River: Fishing for trout was good when using dry flies with dropper nymph flies.

Maxwell Lake 13: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using rainbow glitter PowerBait and live worms.

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon peach PowerBait and olive Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Pecos River: The streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 78.8 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using Woolly Bugger flies, worms and gold Panther Martin spinners.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 55.1 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using stimulator dry flies with a beadhead Hare’s Ear nymph dropper fly.

Rio Grande: Stream flow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 465 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using dry flies, nymph flies and Rooster Tail spinners. Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair to good when using pink spinnerbaits near the Taos Junction Bridge.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 35.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using attractor dry flies and beadhead nymph flies.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Terrero was 20.8 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 16.2 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using green garlic PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds: Opens July 1, 2021.

Springer Lake: Fishing for pike was fair to good when using spinners and spoons.

Storrie Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was good when chicken liver.

Stubblefield Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken liver.

Ute Lake: Fishing for white bass was fair to good when using topwater baits and small swimbaits. Fishing for walleye was good when using swimbaits and curly tail grubs in 8 to 12 feet of water on lake points. Fishing for bass was fair when using vibrating jigs, swimbaits and four-inch stick baits. Fishing for catfish was good when using punch bait. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for bluegill was good when using worms. The water surface temperature was in the mid-70 degrees Fahrenheit and the main lake color was stained.

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for walleye was slow when using curly tail grubs tipped with worms. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worms. Fishing for perch was fair to good when using worms. Fishing for smallmouth bass, crappie and bluegill was fair when using worms.

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 511 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using large waterdogs, large crankbaits, Rapala lures and swimbaits. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using hotdogs.

Brazos River: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using crickets and worms.

Canjilon Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using grasshoppers, PowerBait, worms and dry flies.

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 513 cfs and 296 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout near the town of Chama was good when using PowerBait Mice Tails. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair when using spinners and nightcrawlers. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was fair when using bead-head nymph flies. 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 fair when using plastic crawdad imitation lures.

El Vado Lake: Fishing for bass, perch and trout was good when using spinners and PowerBait. El Vado Lake Dam Day Use area is open. The main lake area, boat launch and campground are open. Camping by reservation only.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was slow when using PowerBait and nightcrawlers. Please remember, only two cutthroat trout are allowed to be harvested per day within the regular five-fish limit.

Heron Lake: Fishing from a boat for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon was good when using Panther Martin spinners, Rooster Tail spinners, Kokanee Killers and Rapala lures trolled 10 to 25-feet deep. Fishing from shore for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon was good when using chunky cheese garlic PowerBait, green PowerBait and salmon eggs. Sierra Vista and La Laja boat ramps are both open due to rising water levels.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 8.12 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using worms, salmon eggs and San Juan Worm flies.

Laguna del Campo: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using orange PowerBait.

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

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

McGaffey Lake: Due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions, stocking efforts have been suspended. Lake conditions will be monitored and stockings will resume once conditions improve.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for bass was good when using Ned Rigs, buzz baits and green watermelon tubes. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using crankbaits and jerkbaits up the San Juan arm of the lake. Fishing for kokanee salmon was good when using pink and orange spinners and Hootchie Squid tipped with corn.

Rio Grande: Fishing for catfish was good when using worms and chicken liver near Albuquerque.

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

San Juan River: Streamflow Monday morning was 503 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using cream egg pattern flies, black dry flies and red annelid flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using worms and PowerBait.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using green PowerBait and garlic rainbow glitter PowerBait.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver and sausage sticks.

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

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

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for crappie was fair to good when using wet and dry flies.

Bill Evans Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Caballo Lake: Fishing for white bass was good when using live minnows and small crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using curly tail grubs, bottom bouncers with nightcrawler harness rigs and crankbaits. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken liver and nightcrawlers.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was good when using white, cream, maroon and light brown plastic worms. Fishing for largemouth bass was fair when using swimbaits. Fishing for walleye was good when using chrome crankbaits, chartreuse curly tail grubs tipped with a worm, orange and green spoons and bottom bouncers with nightcrawler harness rigs. Fishing for crappie was fair when using live minnows and live worms. Fishing for catfish was good when using shad and stinkbait.

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

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 14.0 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for catfish was fair when using worms. Please be advised that there is a fire in the area. Check the U.S. Forest Service alerts page for more information https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/gila/alerts-notices.

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

Quemado Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using yellow PowerBait.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 1,920 cfs. Fishing for catfish near Las Cruces was fair to good when using cut bait. Fishing for catfish near Caballo Lake was fair to good when using raw chicken and worms.

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

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

Young Pond: Fishing for all species was slow.

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using worms and yellow cheese PowerBait.

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

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 4.37 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bonito Lake: Closed until further notice by the city of Alamogordo due to fire damage. It appears that the lake will be out of commission until 2022.

Bosque Redondo Lake: Fishing for bass was fair when using green soft plastic worms.

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

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

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Chaparral Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond: Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawlers and PowerBait.

Eunice Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using PowerBait.

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using hotdogs at night.

Greene Acres Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using nightcrawlers and yellow salmon egg scented PowerBait.

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

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

Oasis Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 71.5 cfs.

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

Ruidoso River: Streamflow Monday morning at Hollywood was 12.3 cfs.

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing for crappie was good when using small green jigs and live minnows. Fishing for walleye was good when using chartreuse curly tail grubs and live minnows.

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

This past weekend, my friend went to try his luck at Abiquiu Lake fishing for walleye. I advised him that a chartreuse curly tail grub is always a good lure to try for bass and walleye. Also, it is inexpensive if you lose it to a snag. Since I had recently had success adding a nightcrawler worm to the jig hook of the curly tail grub, I told him that would be worth giving a try.

He got lots of bites but few hookups. I had experienced this in the past when the fish are not very aggressive and are just “picking” at your lure, sometimes nibbling off just a small bit of your worm.

That is where adding a trailer hook to your jig can pay dividends. I like to use a pre-rigged hook with a leader for this trick.

Take your pre-rigged hook with the leader and cut the leader so that there is only about three inches of fishing line attached to your pre-rigged hook. Tie the loose end of the fishing line to the bend of your jig hook so that it trails behind about 2.5 inches or so. When you put a worm on your jig hook, make sure you have at least a three-inch tail so that you can hook your trailer hook through the worm, keeping the tail of the worm straight.

Now with a trailer hook, when a fish tries to nibble off a little of your worm tail, there will be a hook waiting to hopefully increase your hookup rate.

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!