Fishing Report

Alumni Pond: Jesus Chacon, age 11, of Las Cruces caught a 22-inch, 9-pound catfish using nightcrawler worms Aug. 14. Brennan Orr, age 8, of Fredericksburg, Va. caught a 28.5-inch, 8.13-pound catfish using nightcrawler worms Aug. 13.

Bluewater Lake: Eric Baros of Los Lunas caught a 40-inch tiger muskie using a silver spoon Aug. 14.

Cochiti Lake: Stacie Barreras Mohler of Albuquerque caught a 24-inch, 4-pound walleye using a dark-colored deep-diving crankbait Aug. 14.

Eagle Nest Lake: Adrian Garcia of Rio Rancho caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using a Panther Martin spinner Aug. 11.

Elephant Butte Lake: Jay Lopez, age 13, of Albuquerque caught a 2-pound largemouth bass using a curly tail grub Aug. 16.

El Vado Lake: Estrella Garcia, age 7, of Mora caught a 19.5-inch, 4.5-pound smallmouth bass using a crawdad pattern crankbait July 30.

Greene Acres Lake: Maya Segovia and Chuck Youngquist caught an albino catfish using a red hotdog Aug. 5.

Navajo Lake: Lisa Douglas of Albuquerque caught a 15-inch kokanee salmon trolling an orange squid and dodger Aug. 14. Curtis Winner of Tome caught a 4.6-pound largemouth bass using a plastic crawdad lure Aug. 14. Suzie Rhodes of Bayfield, Colo. caught an 18-inch kokanee salmon trolling a pink spinner and dodger Aug. 11.

Rio Grande: Diego Baca of Santa Fe caught and released an 18-inch brown trout using a nightcrawler worm Aug. 8.

Tingley Beach: Levi Weiss, age 9, of Albuquerque caught an albino catfish and a 2.5-pound catfish using worms Aug. 15.

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

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 19.8 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was fair when using worms.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver. Fishing for walleye was fair when using Wally Diver lures.

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 Panther Martin spinners and gold and black spoons. Fishing for pike was fair when using gold 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 black Pistol Pete spinner flies.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was fair when using PowerBait, Pistol Pete spinner flies, nymph flies and dry flies in the mornings and evenings.

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

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

Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using green garlic PowerBait.

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using streamer flies.

Pecos River: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 95.4 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using gold spinners, worms and Woolly Bugger flies.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 55.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Panther Martin spinners and beadhead nymph flies.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 276 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using dry fly with dropper nymph fly setups and nightcrawler worms.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 26.4 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using grasshopper flies.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was 36.6 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 22.7 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 Parachute Adams dry flies.

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 to fair when using Kastmaster lures and swimbaits. Fishing for walleye was slow when using nightcrawler harness rigs, bottom bouncing in 20 to 25 feet of water. Fishing for smallmouth bass was slow to fair when using soft plastics, Ned rigs and Carolina rigs in 8 to 12 feet of water. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using punch bait. Fishing for crappie was slow. The water surface temperature was in the upper 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the main lake color was clear.

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait, nightcrawler worms and shrimp.

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 159 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using silver spoons and swimbaits.

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

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

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 99.5 cfs and 79.0 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair to good when using nightcrawlers and flashy nymph flies. 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 walleye was fair to good when using dark-colored deep-diving crankbaits.

El Vado Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass was good when using crawdad pattern crankbaits. Fishing for perch was good when using worms.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was slow to fair using yellow 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: Willow, Sierra Vista and La Laja boat launches are closed. The primitive boat launch is open. Shoreline fishing is available between Sierra Vista and the spillway or in Rincon. The Quality Waters of the Rio Chama can be accessed at the Rio Chama Trailhead. The stairs are closed so use the road to the dam release into the river. Non-quality waters can be accessed at the North El Vado Day Use Area located on NM-95, 13 miles west of U.S. Highway 84.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 9.23 cfs. Fishing the Rio Cebolla for trout was good when using beadhead nymph flies.

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 good when using plastic crawdad and worm lures.

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 plastic crawdad lures. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using crankbaits and jerkbaits. Fishing for kokanee salmon was good when using firetiger 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 933 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using red annelid flies, leech pattern flies and midge cluster pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using PowerBait and worms.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using hotdogs.

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

Alumni Pond: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for crappie was fair when using gold beadhead nymph flies with salmon-colored bodies.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass was slow to fair when using brown poppers.

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 and white and chartreuse slab spoons. Fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good when using 6-inch floating shad imitation lures, curly rail grubs and stick baits. Fishing for walleye was slow 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 cut carp, homemade dough bait and shad.

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

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 102 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 0.0 cfs.

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 when using rainbow 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 6.81 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using shrimp 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.

Greene Acres Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using red hotdogs and shrimp.

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was fair 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 23.0 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.

Adding a line counter reel to your angling arsenal can help keep you in the fish’s strike zone. This can be a great technique to use for catching schooling or suspended fish such as walleye, white bass, trout and kokanee salmon. A line counter reel tells you exactly how many feet of fishing line you have extended. Knowing how much line you have extended can help eliminate guesswork and produce more consistent results.

When trolling, the amount of fishing line you extend from the reel impacts your lure depth. Typically, the more line you release or extend, the deeper your diving lures are able to dive. Fish can be boat shy, so dialing in the distance behind the boat where fish are comfortable eating can also be very helpful.

You start by letting out 40 or 50 feet of line. If you are not getting bites at that distance, then you release more line – 10 more feet, for example. You continue testing different distances until you find the “sweet spot” where the fish are biting. Once you identify the right distance of line out to use, replicating a specific presentation is easy using a line counter reel. After catching a fish, simply release line from your reel to the exact distance the previous fish was caught at.

Line counting reels are an essential tool for many avid anglers that like to troll for fish in New Mexico.

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!