Weekly fishing report

Bluewater Lake: McComick Harry of Albuquerque caught a 36-inch tiger muskie using a swimbait Sept. 1. Mark Winchester of Albuquerque caught a 27-inch, 14-pound catfish using stink bait Aug. 30.

Conchas Lake: Richard Luna of Albuquerque caught a 7-pound channel cat using a 3-inch yellow tube at a depth of 20 feet Sept. 4.

Cowles Ponds: Valene Tenorio, age 9, of Kewa Pueblo caught a 14-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait Sept. 3.

Elephant Butte Lake: Daniel Calanchi, age 10, of Deming caught and released a 10-pound blue catfish using cut shad bait Sept. 5. Kris Flores of Las Cruces caught and released a 4.5-pound smallmouth bass using a Whopper Plopper Sept. 4. Patrick DiBartolomeo of Socorro caught and released a 4-pound smallmouth bass using a topwater lure Sept. 4. Eric Chavez of Albuquerque caught a 36-inch, 9-pound walleye using a 3-inch swim bait Aug. 28.

Fenton Lake: Phillip Martinez Sr. of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using a wax worm Sept. 5.

Grindstone Reservoir: Bryan Witt of Ruidoso caught a 24-inch, 8-pound catfish using shrimp Aug. 30.

Monastery Lake: Levi Gonzales, age 7, of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using a Pistol Pete spinner fly Sept. 1.

Oasis Park Lake: Monica Velasco, Air Force veteran/spouse of Cannon AFB caught a 24-inch, 2-pound albino catfish using a combination of cut bait and worms Sept. 3.

Pecos River: CJ Tenorio, age 5, of Kewa Pueblo caught a 17-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait Sept. 3. Gabe Roque of Santa Fe caught a 23-inch rainbow trout using a nightcrawler worm Aug. 30.

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: Fishing for brook trout was good when using small dry flies.

Charette Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using homemade dough bait and PowerBait.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 29.3 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was fair to good when using beadhead nymph flies, PowerBait and worms.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair 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: Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait.

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

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using salmon peach PowerBait, rainbow PowerBait, leech pattern flies and black Pistol Pete spinner flies. Fishing for pike was good when using black Rapala lures and silver Mepps spinners.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using rainbow 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 olive Pistol Pete spinner flies.

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

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

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 to good when using Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using Pistol Pete spinner flies, silver and orange Kastmaster lures, PowerBait and streamer flies.

Pecos River: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 60.0 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using nightcrawler worms, PowerBait and elk hair caddis dry flies.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 41.2 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using dry fly with dropper nymph fly setups.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 229 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using tungsten beadhead nymph flies, sizes 14-18.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 17.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using attractor dry flies during mid-day.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was 23.0 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 10.1 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using small dry flies and beadhead nymph flies.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Shuree Ponds: Fishing for trout was good when using black dry flies.

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

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

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for white bass was fair when using blade baits and slab spoons targeting suspended fish 30 feet deep. Fishing for walleye and crappie was slow. Fishing for bass was fair when using Whopper Ploppers, Berkley Choppos, wacky rigged Senko worms and Berkley Hit Worms. Fishing for catfish was fair when using punch bait and cut bait. 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 corn, cut bait and shrimp. Fishing for carp was fair when using corn.

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 179 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using swimbait lures and gold spoons. Fishing for catfish was good when using stink bait.

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 gold spinners and dry flies.

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 99.5 cfs and 140 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair to good when using Rooster Tail spinners. 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 and chicken liver on the east side of the lake.

El Vado Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good using PowerBait at the North El Vado Day Use Area off State Road 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 wax worms and earthworms. 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 spillway. Non-quality waters can be accessed at the North El Vado Day Use Area located on State Road 95, 13 miles west of U.S. Highway 84.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 4.35 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair using salmon eggs.

Laguna del Campo: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using orange and green 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 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 when using worms and shrimp near Albuquerque.

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

San Juan River: Streamflow Monday morning was 750 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using grey foam wing midge emerger pattern flies, black tungsten beadhead leech pattern flies and size 22-24 black midge pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using worms, Rapala lures and PowerBait.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using rainbow PowerBait, Woolly Buggers and salmon peach PowerBait.

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

Trout Lakes: Fishing for trout was slow.

Alumni Pond: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut carp bait and hotdogs. Fishing for largemouth bass was slow when using 6-inch plastic worms.

Bear Canyon Lake: The water level is extremely low and will remain low through October for dam repairs.

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 and long narrow silver spoons. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was fair to good when using topwater lures, swimbaits and joined lures. Fishing for walleye was fair when using 3-inch swimbaits. Fishing for crappie was fair to good when using live minnows. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using dough bait, cut carp, beef liver and shad.

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

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 343 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good 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 0.0 cfs.

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

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

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

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using rainbow PowerBait.

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 16.7 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair when using cut carp bait.

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 stink bait.

Chaparral Park Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using shrimp and hotdogs.

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 dark Rooster Tail spinners.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms and garlic PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was good when using shrimp, nightcrawler worms and hotdogs.

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

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

Oasis Park Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using a combination of cut bait and worms.

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 89.9 cfs. Fishing for white bass was good when using live shiners south of Malaga. Fishing for catfish was good when using cut carp bait south of Malaga.

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

Ruidoso River: Streamflow Monday morning at Hollywood was 28.2 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

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 slow to fair when using live minnows. Fishing for bass was fair when using crankbaits.

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

Wax worms are one of my favorite live baits to use for catching trout in streams and lakes across New Mexico. The small white worms look like many small white grubs that occur naturally in New Mexico.

There is one trick to rigging your wax worm onto the hook that greatly improves your baits presentation. Instead of running your hook through the side of the worm, thread the worm onto the hook so that the hook is completely covered by the wax worm. I start my hook through the tail end of the worm and slide the worm like a sock over my hook.

The presentation makes the difference! You will catch many more fish using this presentation opposed to leaving the hook exposed. Give it a try, test it out, and let us know how you do.