Fishing report

Berrendo Creek: Chevy Wyatt, age 13, of Roswell caught a 2-pound bass using a jig Aug. 4.

Bluewater Lake: Joel Erives of Grants caught and released a 39-inch tiger muskie using a worm Aug. 5. Alexandria Turreitta, age 6, of Albuquerque caught and released a 30-inch tiger muskie using a white marabou jig Aug. 3.

Conchas Lake: Patsy Lee of Edgewood caught a 25-pound catfish on a deep-diving crankbait Aug. 4.

Eagle Nest Lake: Donovyn Gonzales, age 13, of Albuquerque caught a 22-inch rainbow trout using a gold and black spoon Aug. 2.

Elephant Butte Lake: Valerie Wyatt of Roswell caught a 13-inch white bass using a Whopper Plopper lure Aug. 7.

Fenton Lake: Kyla Garcia and Isaac Garcia, ages 6 and 4, of Rio Rancho caught two 14-inch rainbow trout using rainbow PowerBait and green garlic PowerBait Aug. 4. Daniel Herrera, age 12, of Albuquerque caught an 18.5-inch rainbow trout using Berkley trout worms Aug. 9.

Greene Acres Lake: Susan Lintt of Lincoln, Neb. caught a 26-inch albino catfish using trout bait with sparkles July 29.

Grindstone Reservoir: KaseyLynn Stephenson, age 11, of Montgomery, Texas caught an 18-inch golden rainbow trout using PowerBait July 22.

Hopewell Lake: Bryce Link, age 10, of Dexter caught a 16.75-inch rainbow trout using a worm Aug. 1. Amaya Herrera of Española caught a 16-inch rainbow trout using pink PowerBait July 30.

Lake Maloya: Alfonso and Hunter Sanchez, ages 8 and 4, of Raton caught their limits of trout using worms and corn Aug. 3.

Navajo Lake: Zachary Vallo of Albuquerque caught a 4.5-pound smallmouth bass using a Whopper Plopper Aug. 8.

Pecos River: Carlos Jaramillo of Roswell caught a 32-inch, 25-pound flathead catfish using nightcrawler worms Aug. 7.

San Juan River: Lance McIntosh of Taos caught a 25-inch brown trout using a black beadhead midge pattern fly July 26.

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

Charette Lakes: Fishing for trout was fair when using worms and yellow PowerBait.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 13.8 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was fair when using San Juan worm flies.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms and corn.

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 smallmouth bass was fair when using shad-colored crankbaits.

Costilla Creek: Fishing for trout was good when using caddis dry flies. 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 was slow to fair when using gold and black spoons.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs and PowerBait.

Gallinas River: Fishing for trout was good when using dry flies with dropper nymph rigs.

Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using pink PowerBait and worms.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms, corn, Pistol Pete spinner flies and PowerBait in the mornings and evenings.

Los Pinos River: Fishing for trout was slow.

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

Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using red and white spoons and orange PowerBait.

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

Pecos River: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 132 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using hare’s ear nymph flies, worms and white grubs.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 61.4 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using green Panther Martin spinners.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 343 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using dry fly with dropper nymph fly setups and nymph flies by themselves.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 32.6 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using grasshopper flies.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was 58.0 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 26.5 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using small dry flies with dropper beadhead nymph flies.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was slow when using PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds: Fishing for trout was good when using Berkley Power Worms and Panther Martin spinners.

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

Storrie Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair when using chicken liver.

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for white bass was slow when using topwater lures and vertical jigging with blades and slabs. Fishing for walleye was slow when using nightcrawler harness rigs, bottom bouncing in 20 to 25 feet of water. Fishing for bass was slow when using drop-shot rigs and Texas-rigged Senko worms. Fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using punch bait and cut bait. Fishing for crappie was slow. The water surface temperature was in the low 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the main lake color was clear.

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

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 192 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using white marabou jigs, worms and swimbaits.

Brazos River: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using black and gold Panther Martin spinners.

Canjilon Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using dry flies and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 105 cfs and 270 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair to good when using nightcrawlers. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiquiu Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worms, cut bait and chicken liver. Fishing for crappie was fair when using small jigs. Fishing for pike was fair when using green pumpkin Senko worms. Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair when using Ned rigs and crankbaits.

El Vado Lake: Fishing for perch was good when using worms.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good using rainbow PowerBait and green garlic PowerBait. Please remember, only two cutthroat trout are allowed to be harvested per day within the regular five-fish limit.

Heron Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Panther Martin spinners, Rooster Tail spinners and PowerBait. Sierra Vista and primitive boat ramps are open, but please use caution due to mud and low water levels.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 6.68 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using worms and PowerBait.

Laguna del Campo: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Lake Farmington: Fishing for bass was fair when using creature baits.

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 fair to good when using Whopper Ploppers and crankbaits. Fishing for pike was fair when using crankbaits and jerkbaits. Fishing for kokanee salmon was good when using green spinners, pink squid and orange spinners tipped with corn.

Rio Grande: Fishing for catfish was fair to 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 713 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using blood worm flies, annelid flies, leech pattern flies and black beadhead midge pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using worms and spinners.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs, worms and garlic PowerBait.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for bluegill was good when using small worms.

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 good when using gold beadhead nymph flies with salmon-colored bodies.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for all species was slow.

Caballo Lake: Fishing for white bass was fair to good when using live minnows and white swimbaits. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using cut carp bait, beef liver and live shad.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was good when using topwater lures, white and chartreuse swimbaits, Kastmaster lures and slab spoons. Fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good when using 6-inch floating shad imitation lures and stick baits. Fishing for walleye was slow to fair when using bottom bouncers with nightcrawler harness rigs. Fishing for crappie was fair to good when using live minnows. Fishing for catfish was good when using beef liver, cut carp, homemade dough bait, cheese bait and shad.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms.

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 52.4 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using cut bait.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using silver spinners. Fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using nightcrawlers.

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

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

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 1,280 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait and night crawlers. Fishing for catfish near Hatch was fair to good when using worms. Fishing for white bass was fair using sassy shad.

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

Trees Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using live worms and dough bait.

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

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using orange PowerBait and pink PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawlers.

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

Berrendo Creek: Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using jigs.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 5.60 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Brantley Lake: Fishing for carp was fair to good using corn and hotdogs.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms and hotdogs.

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

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

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

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass was good when using shad swimbaits. Fishing for crappie was fair when using shad swimbaits.

Greene Acres Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using PowerBait and shrimp.

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using green garlic 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 99.7 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms near the town of Roswell.

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

Ruidoso River: Streamflow Monday morning at Hollywood was 8.31 cfs.

Santa Rosa Lake: The boat ramp has opened as water levels have increased due to recent rains. Due to low lake levels, Santa Rosa Lake State Park will operate as a no-wake lake until conditions improve. Fishing for walleye was fair when using live minnows. Fishing for bass was fair when using crankbaits.

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

Back when I used to fish Ute Lake for walleye regularly, an old-timer from the area taught me a trick for freezing fish that I still use today.

It is really simple. All that you do is put your cleaned fish or fish fillets into Ziploc bags, fill with water and freeze.

I like to hold the Ziploc bag under the faucet, filling the bag completely with water as I secure the zip lock. The frozen water encases the fish in a block of ice, keeping air (which causes freezer burn) from touching the meat.

When you are ready to eat your frozen fish, open the Ziploc bag and place under a warm stream of water from the faucet. The warm water melts the ice, releasing your well-preserved fish.

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!