Fishing report

Bluewater Lake: Karis and Elias Harvey of Albuquerque caught and released a 32-inch tiger muskie using a floating orange Rapala lure Nov. 28.

Fenton Lake: Ellie Hicks and Edward Forman, ages 3 and 1.5, of Rio Rancho caught three rainbow trout using green PowerBait Nov. 27.

Gila River: Hugo Melchor and Frank Melchor of El Paso, Texas both caught 17-inch Gila trout near the Catwalk Recreation Area in Glenwood using homemade barbless size 18 hare’s ear flies and egg worm combo flies Nov. 21.

Green Meadow Lake: Scott Keller of Hobbs, along with his family, caught their limit of trout using lures and garlic dough bait Nov. 27.

Lake Roberts: Hugo Melchor of El Paso, Texas caught an 11-inch rainbow trout using a homemade beaded egg worms combo fly Nov. 20.

Navajo Lake: Shyla and Hunter Ervin of Roswell caught their limits of kokanee salmon using snagging hooks Nov. 22.

Pecos River: Josh Cde Baca of Santa Fe caught a 15-inch white sucker and an 18-inch rainbow trout using a yellow Panther Martin spinner Nov. 23. Alex Morton of Santa Fe caught and released a 10-inch rainbow trout using a size 20 black and silver zebra midge fly Nov. 22.

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: Closed for the season. The lake will reopen in March 2022.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 3.51 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good when using small attractor dry flies and grey nymph flies.

Clayton Lake: Closed for the season. The lake will reopen in March 2022.

Conchas Lake: New winter season hours – open for day-use access only Thursday-Sundayfrom 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Please contact State Parks at 1-888-667-2757 with any questions.

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Eagle Nest Lake: New winter season hours – open for day-use access only Thursday-Sundayfrom 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The Moreno and Six Mile free access areas for New Mexico licensed anglers and hunters at Eagle Nest will remain open for day-use daily. Please contact State Parks at 1-888-667-2757 with any questions. Fishing for trout was slow when using peach PowerBait. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using streamer flies and swimbaits. Fishing for perch was fair when using worms.

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

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

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

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using salmon pink PowerBait.

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

Maxwell Lake 13: Closed for the season. The lake will reopen in March 2022.

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

Morphy Lake: Closed for the season. The lake will reopen in March 2022.

Pecos River: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 27.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using size 20 black and silver zebra midge flies and yellow Panther Martin spinners.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 35.1 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using dry flies with dropper nymph flies.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 405 cfs. Fishing for trout near Pilar was good when using size 18 mayfly dry flies, emerger flies, worm pattern flies and leech pattern flies.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 8.34 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was 28.6 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using earthworms.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 7.72 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair when using beadhead nymph flies beneath a stimulator dry fly.

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

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 and walleye was fair to good when using vertical jigging blade baits in 20 to 30 feet of water near the main lake channel. The water surface temperature was in the low 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the water’s color was stained.

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

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 233 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was fair to good when using floating orange Rapala lures.

Brazos River: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using brown Woolly Bugger flies.

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

Chama River: Monday-morningflows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 2,990 cfs and 45.9 cfs, respectively. We had no reports this week from below El Vado Lake. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was good when using Woolly Bugger and leech pattern 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

El Vado Lake: A release of water from the El Vado dam has begun to lower the lake in preparation for dam reconstruction. Fishing for kokanee salmon was fair when using snagging hooks north of where the Chama River enters El Vado Lake. Snagging is allowed between the Heron Lake release and the El Vado Lake dam. Snagging is prohibited in the quality waters upstream from the Heron Lake release as it violates quality waters rules.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using nymph flies, salmon eggs, Woolly Bugger flies and green PowerBait. Please remember, only two cutthroat trout are allowed to be harvested per day within the regular five-fish limit.

Heron Lake: All boat ramps are currently closed. Small watercraft such as kayaks and paddleboards can launch from the shoreline. Fishing for kokanee salmon was fair to good when using snagging hooks near Sierra Vista boat launch at Ridge Rock and at the bottom corner of the dam at Ridge Rock.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 18.2 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using pheasant tail nymph flies.

Laguna del Campo: Closed for the season. The lake will reopen in May 2022.

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 kokanee salmon was good when using snagging hooks near the dam.

Rio Grande: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

San Juan River: Streamflow Monday morning was 289 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using hare’s ear nymph flies, size 22 chocolate foamback midge emerger flies and size 26 black crystal flash midge flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using worms, salmon eggs and brown and yellow streamer flies.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using garlic dough bait, green PowerBait and worms.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using white PowerBait power eggs.

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

Alumni Pond: Fishing for trout was slow when using PowerBait.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for all species was slow.

Bill Evans Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Caballo Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using live minnows.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut carp bait and shad.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait, worms and salmon eggs.

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 59.9 cfs. Fishing for trout near the Catwalk Recreation Area in Glenwood was good when using size 18 hare’s ear flies and barbless egg worm combo flies.

Glenwood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using egg worm combo flies.

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was good when using beaded egg and worm flies.

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

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

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 0.17 cfs.

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

Trees Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait and small red worms.

Young Pond: Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using garlic PowerBait and Velveeta cheese.

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using silver spoons and pink 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.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 8.26 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 fair when using shad pattern crankbaits and wacky rigged Senko worms.

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 trout was good when using lures and garlic dough bait.

Greene Acres Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

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

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

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 16.7 cfs. Fishing for largemouth bass south of Brantley Lake was good when using black and gold Rat-L-Trap lures.

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

Ruidoso River: Streamflow Monday morning at Hollywood was 4.09 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 walleye was fair to good when using 3-inch transparent swimbaits. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using beef liver and chicken liver.

Contribution from Eric Ockerhausen 

Eric says his favorite trout recipe is quite simple.

– Flour, salt, and pepper the fish.
– Put enough oil in the skillet to fry a fillet and heat.
– When the oil is hot, add a plug of butter for more flavor.
– Once all the butter has melted, place the trout in the oil.
– Cook hot and fast.
– Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Cooked trout meat will be flaky.

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

Thanks for reading and supporting our angling community!