Fishing Report

Alto Lake: Mindy Girrard, age 15, of Capitan caught eight largemouth bass using grubs and nightcrawler worms Aug. 14.

Bluewater Lake: Jacob Shaw of Santa Fe caught a 39-inch tiger muskie using a black leach streamer fly Aug. 18. Dane Chance of Carlsbad caught a 36-inch tiger muskie using a blue Rat-L-Trap lure Aug. 15.

Canjilon Lakes: Lorraine Sandoval of Chimayo caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using lemonade PowerBait Aug. 14. Sandra Yalch of Los Lunas caught a 19-inch rainbow trout using yellow PowerBait Aug. 13.

Eagle Nest Lake: Kohen Caputo, age 5, of Rio Rancho caught a 21-inch rainbow trout using a blue, pink and white spinner bait Aug. 15. Clifford Chacon of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using salmon peach PowerBait Aug. 15.

Elephant Butte Lake: Kace Green, age 7, of Belen caught and released a 14-inch striper using a curly tail grub Aug. 21.

Fenton Lake: Frank Angowski of Rio Rancho caught a 17.5-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait Aug. 20.

Navajo Lake: Mike Estrada of Belen caught a 20-pound pike using a ½-ounce jig with a chigger craw trailer Aug. 21.

Pecos River: Jaxson Otero, age 5, of Albuquerque caught an 11-inch rainbow trout using salmon eggs Aug. 21.

Rio Pueblo: Elijon Casados, age 10, of Albuquerque caught his limit of trout using a silver Mepps spinner 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 17.2 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs and orange PowerBait.

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 fair when using spinners and salmon peach PowerBait.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using silver spinners and pink 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 brown and silver spinners.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was good when using Pistol Pete spinner flies, orange PowerBait Mice Tails, white garlic PowerBait and black and gold Panther Martin spinners.

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 fair 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 65.9 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using Trout Magnets, Prince Nymph flies, grasshopper flies and beadhead nymph flies.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 43.7 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 257 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using Pale Morning Dun flies, Prince Nymph flies and black-colored Blue Fox spinners.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 22.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using grasshopper flies.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was 22.5 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 14.0 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using silver Mepps spinners and 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 when trolling. Fishing for walleye was fair when using crankbaits that dive 15 to 20 feet deep. Fishing for bass was fair when using drop shot rigs and mojo rigs in 15 to 20 feet of water. Fishing for catfish was fair 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 fair to good when using cut bait, nightcrawler worms and shrimp.

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 215 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using blue Rat-L-Trap lures and black leech pattern streamer flies.

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

Canjilon Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using yellow PowerBait, worms and lemonade PowerBait.

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 102 cfs and 122 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair to good when using nightcrawlers and orange bead head 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 trout was fair to good using PowerBait at the North El Vado Day Use Area off NM-95. Fishing for smallmouth bass, perch and trout was fair to good near the Dam Day Use Area.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using flies and fluorescent orange and silver Kastmaster lures. 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. Fishing for trout was slow. 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 4.67 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 fair to 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 good when using 1/2-ounce jigs and 5-inch green pumpkin Senkos. Fishing for pike was good when using chigger craw trailer baits on the north end of the lake. 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 735 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using red annelid flies, leech pattern flies and size 24 midge emerger 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 and nightcrawler worms.

Trout Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using silver spoons.

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

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for crappie was fair when using gold beadhead nymph flies.

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

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

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was good when using topwater lures, Whopper Ploppers, shallow diving Excalibur lures and yellow curly tail grubs. Fishing for largemouth bass was good when using brown plastic centipede baits and black and white slab spoons. Fishing for walleye was slow when using bottom bouncers with nightcrawler harness rigs. Fishing for crappie was fair 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 66.7 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair when using cut bait.

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

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

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

Quemado Lake: Fishing for trout was slow.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 9.68 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 bass was good when using nightcrawlers and grubs.

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 Texas-rigged white paddle tail swimbaits and white creature baits.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 5.88 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.

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 fair when using green creature baits.

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 98.0 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 14.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Mepps spinners and nightcrawler worms.

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.

Twelve-year-old Ben Allen is an avid tournament bass angler from Albuquerque. He was up at Navajo Lake this past weekend and wanted to share with his fellow anglers a few techniques he is finding success with bass fishing during August.

Early in the mornings and late in the evenings, the Blue’s Baits Top Water Spook is a great lure to cast near submerged trees. Upon retrieve, the Spook mimics a dying fish wobbling back and forth across the water’s surface. Shallow diving crankbaits are also a good choice when targeting bass near the water’s surface.

For targeting fish that are suspended in the water column, try an underspin swimbait. This lure mimics a swimming shad or bluegill. The silver spinning blade underneath the swimbait catches the attention of big bass.

When the water is in the upper 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the big bass often seek shelter in 15 to 20 feet of water. You can target these fish at depth with a shaky head jig head with a plastic worm. This lure is meant to be slowly worked across the lake bottom, bouncing off rocks and uses subtle movements triggering bass to strike.

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!