Fishing Report

Alto Lake: Shannon Pinto of Tohatchi caught and released a 16-inch golden rainbow trout using PowerBait salmon eggs Oct. 16.

Conchas Lake: Jarod Rael of Tucumcari caught three catfish 18-20 inches long using chicken liver Oct. 16.

Eagle Nest Lake: Matt Romero of Dixon caught a 6-pound rainbow trout using an olive Secret Weapon jig Oct. 17.

Fenton Lake: Martyn Swinhoe of Los Alamos caught a 19-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait Oct. 24.

Lake Farmington: Ryan Sabaque of Farmington caught a 30-inch pike using a homemade jerkbait Oct. 17.

Navajo Lake: Dakota Owens of Carlsbad caught a 41-inch pike using a large streamer fly Oct. 23.

Tingley Beach: Luis Aguilar of Albuquerque caught a 19.5-inch rainbow trout using orange PowerBait Oct. 23.

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 fair to good using pale morning dun flies.

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

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 7.44 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good when using worms, PowerBait 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 catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver.

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: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using brown San Juan worm flies.

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms, olive Secret Weapon jigs and green PowerBait. Fishing for perch was good when using worms.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using pink PowerBait mice tails.

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

Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using silver Panther Martin spinners, Kastmaster lures and chocolate foam wing emerger flies.

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

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

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 good when using PowerBait and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Morphy Lake: The lake has been closed for the season by the State Parks Division.

Pecos River: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 40.2 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using red annelid flies, orange glitter PowerBait and nightcrawler worms.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 40.0 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs and golden hare’s ear nymph flies.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 238 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using silver spoons, streamer flies, spinners and worms.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 13.0 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using attractor dry flies.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was 15.4 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 8.48 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using size 20 zebra midge and copper john flies beneath a stimulator dry fly.

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

Shuree Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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 when using deep diving crankbaits and vertical jigging spoons. Fishing for walleye was slow to fair when using blade baits, vertical jigging and casting jigs in 30 to 40 feet of water. The water surface temperature was in the mid 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the main lake color was clear.

Abiquiu Lake: The boat ramp is closed for improvements.

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 274 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was fair to good when using rainbow trout pattern swimbaits.

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

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

Chama River: Monday-morningflows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 35.9 cfs and 74.5 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was good when using nightcrawler worms and Panther Martin 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 pike was good when using shad jerkbaits and white and silver spinnerbaits. Fishing for white bass was good when using shad pattern lures.

El Vado Lake: Kokanee salmon snagging season is from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms and 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. Kokanee salmon snagging season is from Nov. 13. through Dec. 31. 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 9.62 cfs. Fishing for trout on the San Antonio River was fair to good when using midge emerger flies.

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 pike was fair to good when using jerkbaits.

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 pike was good when using big streamer flies, Rumble Monster lures and blue Super Ciscos. Fishing for kokanee salmon was good when using snagging hooks near the dam.

Rio Grande: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms near Albuquerque.

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

San Juan River: Streamflow Monday morning was 435 cfs. In response to decreasing irrigation and increasing flows in the critical habitat reach, the Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled a decrease in the release from Navajo Dam from 400 cfs to 350 cfs Oct. 26. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using olive, brown and grey midge pattern flies, annelid flies, crystal flash midge pattern flies and leech 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 green PowerBait and worms.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using white and orange PowerBait.

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

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait salmon eggs.

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 nightcrawler worms.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 2.66 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 bass was slow to fair when using Mepps spinners.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

Eunice Lake: Fishing for all species was slow.

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawler worms.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using garlic PowerBait.

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

Lake Van: Fishing for catfish was fair when using worms.

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

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 88.3 cfs.

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

Ruidoso River: Streamflow Monday morning at Hollywood was 5.03 cfs.

Santa Rosa Lake: Due to low lake levels, Santa Rosa Lake State Park will operate as a no-wake lake until conditions improve.

Sumner Lake: Fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using chicken liver and cut bait.

Aggressive brown trout begin to spawn in October and November. During this time of year, you might catch a big elusive trout removed from wherever it has been hiding all summer.

To target these big brown trout, you must first know what their instincts are driving them to find. They are looking for gravel banks with a good flow of fresh water. This is where they can lay eggs with optimal chance for survival once they hatch.

Fly fishermen often use larger streamer flies to catch big brown trout. Some popular colors are black, brown and white. Spinner fishermen have good success using large spinners that are black, gold, silver, red or yellow.

These fish are spawning this time of year, and the bigger the fish, the more eggs they lay. Practicing catch-photo-and-release with these big breeding fish helps ensure a healthy population of fish to catch in the future. Of course, send your photo in to Catches of the Week!

 Let us know how your fishing trip goes! Share your tips and tricks with your fellow anglers by emailing us at funfishingnm@gmail.com and let’s help the next generation of anglers find success.

Thanks for reading and supporting our angling community!