Fishing report

Caballo Lake: Izzy Torres, age 12, and Izzack Torres, age 5, of Alamogordo caught seven carp using strawberry marinade with sweet corn and Panko, and five catfish using carp cut bait and shad Oct. 2.

Canjilon Lakes: Frances Jaramillo of Santa Fe caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using pink PowerBait worm Sept. 29.

Cowles Ponds: Madison Silva, age 11, of Los Lunas caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using garlic peach PowerBait Sept. 18.

Eagle Nest Lake: Jim Carmichael of Artesia caught a 22-inch kokanee salmon using a red Dardevle spoon Sept. 21.

Elephant Butte Lake: Diego Olivas, age 11, of El Paso, Texas caught and released an 8-pound blue catfish using cut gizzard shad Oct. 2.

Quemado Lake: Azariah Vigil, age 9, of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using salmon peach PowerBait Sept. 24.

Rio Grande: Seth Hardy of Red River caught and released a 22-inch brown trout using a black and white Barely Legal fly Oct. 2. He also caught and released a 20-inch cutbow and an 18-inch brown trout using a Barely Legal fly near the Wild Rivers Recreation Area Sept. 29.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: John E. Peabody of Española caught a 17.5-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait Sept. 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: 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 15.7 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms and spinners.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms and PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was fair to 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 bass was fair to good when using shad pattern 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. 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 fair to good when using garlic peach PowerBait.

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

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using PowerBait. Fishing for kokanee salmon was fair using red Dardevle spoons. Fishing for pike was good when using perch colored spoons.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using pink and orange PowerBait.

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

Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using black Pistol Pete spinner flies and grey bunny leech flies.

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

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

Los Pinos River: Fishing for trout was good when using small beadhead nymph flies.

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

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

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using silver spinners, Pistol Pete spinner flies and PowerBait.

Pecos River: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 55.6 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using red annelid flies and pheasant tail nymph flies.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 41.2 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using brown Pistol Pete spinner flies, small streamer flies and tungsten nymph flies.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 252 cfs. Fishing for trout was very good when using streamer flies, Barely Legal flies and dry fly with dropper nymph fly setups.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 14.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using attractor dry flies.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was 23.6 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 15.6 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using dry flies. Anglers reported that the water level is very low and the water is clear.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms and PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds: Fishing for trout was good when using zebra midge pattern flies.

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

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

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for white bass was fair to good when using Whopper Plopper top water lures. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using drop shot rigs with Berkley Gulp minnows, Senko worms and crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was slow. Fishing for catfish was fair using Berkley Gulp minnows. Fishing for bluegill was good when using bug pattern flies. The water surface temperature was in the upper 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the main lake color was clear.

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawler worms and shrimp. Fishing for carp was fair when using corn.

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 126 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using chartreuse lipless crankbait lures, swimbaits, hotdogs and silver spoons.

Brazos River: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using beadhead nymph flies.

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

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 107 cfs and 109 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was good when using nightcrawler worms and brown Roostertail spinners. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was fair to good when using beadhead 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 walleye, pike and bass was good when using white and silver crankbaits near the dam.

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 fair to good when using worms, PowerBait and flies. 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 19.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using nymph flies and salmon eggs.

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

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

Lake Farmington: Fishing for bass was good when using nightcrawler worms and Senko worms.

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 crankbait lures and green with red flake Senko worms. Fishing for pike was good when using crankbait lures. Fishing for kokanee salmon was good when using Fire Tiger 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 692 cfs. The Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled a decrease in the release from Navajo Dam from 700 cfs to 500 cfs Oct. 4. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using olive, brown and grey midge emerger pattern flies, Baetis flies and leech pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using PowerBait and nightcrawler worms.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait and flies.

Tingley Beach: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

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

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for all species was slow.

Caballo Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut carp bait and shad. Fishing for carp was good when using strawberry marinade with sweet corn and Panko.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was fair when using topwater lures, Whopper Ploppers, white slab spoons and chartreuse slab spoons. Fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good when using live shad and crawdads. Fishing for crappie was fair when using small green grubs at Dam Site Marina. Fishing for catfish was good when using cut carp bait, live worms, dough bait, crawdads and cut gizzard shad.

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

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 56.1 cfs.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was slow using PowerBait and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

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

Quemado Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon peach PowerBait.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 0.31 cfs. Fishing for catfish north of Elephant Butte Lake was good when using cut bait.

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.

It looks like in just the past week trout have been stocked into Clayton Lake, Eagle Rock Lake, Jemez River, Santa Cruz Reservoir, Seven Springs Brood Pond and several other places!

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish stocks many bodies of water year-round. Often the fishing can be excellent shortly after a body of water is stocked with fish. The stocking report is a great tool to use when planning for successful outings with friends and family.

During summer months, from May to September, many small lakes and ponds are stocked from with 17-inch or longer channel catfish. These waters offer great opportunities throughout the summer to catch big catfish.

• Special Summer Catfish Waters include: Alto Lake, Alumni Pond, Bataan, Blue Hole Park Pond, Bosque Redondo, Carrizozo, Chaparral, Conoco Lake, Corona, Dennis Chavez Pond, Escondida, Estancia Park Lake, Eunice, Grants Riverwalk Pond, Greene Acres, Green Meadow, Jal Lake, Lake Van, Liam Knight Pond, McGaffey Lake, Ned Houk, Oasis State Park, Pecos River within Villanueva State Park, Perch Lake, Rancho Grande Ponds, Roswell Kid’s Pond (Spring River Park), Timberon Ponds, Tingley Beach and Young Pond.

Now, as we enter the cooler months ahead, you will see that the Department is transitioning into its winter trout stocking program. From November to March, Winter Trout Waters will be stocked with hatchery-reared rainbow trout. Winter Trout Waters include:

• Streams and Rivers: Black River (1 mile upstream to 1 mile downstream of Higby Hole), Pecos River (from the southeast boundary of Villanueva State Park downstream to Santa Rosa Lake) and Rio Grande (Elephant Butte Reservoir to Caballo Lake).

• Lakes: Alumni Pond, Bataan, Bear Canyon, Bill Evans, Bosque Redondo, Bottomless Lakes State Park, Carlsbad Municipal, Carrizozo, Chaparral, Corona, Dennis Chavez, Escondida, Eunice, Greene Acres, Grants Riverwalk Pond, Green Meadow, Harry McAdams Ponds, Jal, Lake Van, Liam Knight Pond, Ned Houk, Oasis State Park, Perch Lake, Rancho Grande Ponds, Sumner Lake Stilling Basin, Roswell Kid’s Pond (Spring River Park), Tingley Beach, Trees Lake and Young Pond.

• Drains: Albuquerque, Belen Riverside, Bernalillo, Corrales and Peralta.

The Weekly Stocking Report is posted every Friday located here.

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!