Fishing Report

Alto Lake: Dmitri Hewitt, age 6, and his dad, both of Las Cruces, each caught their limits of trout using salmon eggs and worms April 8.

Bill Evans Lake: Jacob Garcia of Silver City caught a 24.5-inch, 12.4-pound largemouth bass using a homemade drop shot soft plastic crawdad pattern bait April 1.

Elephant Butte Lake: John Falcon of Las Cruces caught a 4.16-pound largemouth bass using an Old Trapper Beef Stick April 3.

Gila River: Joseph Uresti of Bayard caught a 20-inch, 3-pound Gila trout using a small white crappie jig near the Catwalk April 4.

Kids Pond at Santa Rosa Fish Hatchery: Maribel Romero, age 8, of Santa Rosa caught a 24-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait April 5.

Morphy Lake: Shawn and Melanie Trujillo of Santa Fe caught their limit of rainbow trout ranging in size from 13-17 inches using gold and silver spinners, and worms under a bobber April 9.

Pecos River: Jordan and Joeziah Archibeque, ages 9 and 11, of Carlsbad caught their limits of rainbow trout using bright green PowerBait April 2. Joaquin Lucero of Santa Fe caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait March 26.

Red River Hatchery: Athena Rose, age 3, of Rio Rancho caught her very first fish, a 12-inch rainbow trout, using salmon eggs April 8.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1): Westin Randall, age 10, of Aztec caught a 20.5-inch, 3.02-pound rainbow trout using a green and black Rooster Tail spinner April 10.

San Juan River: Chuck Lees of Rio Rancho caught a 30-inch brown trout using an olive leech pattern fly in the Texas Hole April 3. Scott Sheward of Midland, Texas, caught and released a 23-inch rainbow trout using a size 24 Yong Flasher midge emerger March 23.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Lucas McClellan and Vivienne Cranor, both age 4, of Phoenix caught their limits of rainbow trout using salmon eggs April 2.

Timberon Ponds: Rhys Jaramillo, age 7, of Las Cruces caught a 13-inch rainbow trout using pink PowerBait April 3.

Ute Lake: Jim O’Conner of Amarillo, Texas, caught and released a 6.48-pound smallmouth bass using a jig with a curly tail grub April 7. Joe Gomez of Clovis caught a 4.95-pound smallmouth bass in 5 feet of water using a spinnerbait April 3.

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 to good when using black and silver Joe’s Flies.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 27.4 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using various PowerBaits and nightcrawler worms.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair to good when using shallow diving jerkbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair when using crankbaits and curly tail grubs. Fishing for white bass was good when using Bomber and Rat-L-Trap crankbaits.

Costilla Creek: The Department is implementing 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 involves 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 2023. 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’s 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: Temporarily closed to ice fishing due to unsafe ice conditions. For updated lake conditions visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at (575) 377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

Lake Alice: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using corn.

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout from the bank was good when using salmon eggs and green PowerBait.

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 olive black Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using gold and silver spinners and worms fished under a bobber.

Pecos River: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 124 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using beadhead pheasant tail nymph flies, worms, PowerBait and salmon eggs.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 55.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using green beadhead caddis nymph flies and salmon eggs.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 387 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using caddis dry flies.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 18.3 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow Monday morning near Tererro was not measured due to ice.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 45.2 cfs

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using garlic PowerBait and Rapala Countdown lures.

Shuree Ponds: Closed for the season. The ponds will reopen in July.

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 walleye was good when using suspending jerkbaits and swimbaits in shallow water. Fishing for white bass was fair when using spinners and Bomber crankbaits. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was good when using spinnerbaits, Berkley Generals, white curly tail grubs, jerkbaits and jigs with crawler trailers in shallow water. Fishing for crappie was fair when using live minnows in 15 to 20 feet of water. The main lake water surface temperature was in the mid to upper 50-degrees Fahrenheit and the water clarity was clear.

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

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 487 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using black spinners.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using Whopper Ploppers, large spinners and swimbaits.

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

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

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 403 cfs and 346 cfs, respectively. 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 small jerkbaits. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was fair to good when using crankbaits and jigs. Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait and nightcrawler worms.

El Vado Lake: The State Park isopen for day use and can be accessed at the Main Park area, North El Vado Day Use Area off Hwy 95 and Hargroves Day Use Area off Hwy 322.

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

Heron Lake: The lake is free of ice and open to bank fishing or fishing from paddle craft and small boats that can be launched from the shoreline.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 87.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms.

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

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

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

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 fair when using jerkbaits. Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using trout pattern lures. Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair when using crankbaits and skirt jigs.

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

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1): Fishing for trout was good when using green and black Rooster Tail spinners.

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

San Juan River: Streamflow Monday morning was 320 cfs. The Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled an increase in the release from Navajo Dam from 300 cfs to 500 cfs for Tuesday, April 12. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using chocolate foam wing midge emerger flies and dry fly midge pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was fair to good when using garlic PowerBait and worms.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using gold beadhead nymph flies, black and orange leech pattern flies, pheasant tail nymph flies and salmon eggs.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs and pink PowerBait.

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

Alumni Pond: Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using Velveeta Cheese. Fishing for largemouth bass was slow to fair when using streamer flies. Fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using worms.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs and yellow PowerBait.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good when using soft plastic crawdad pattern baits.

Caballo Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair when using hot dogs and nightcrawler worms.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait and nightcrawler worms. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair to good when using jigs and plastic crawdads. Fishing for white bass was fair to good when using white Bombers, jointed Rapalas and Rat-L-Trap lures. Fishing for crappie was good when using small jigs and live minnows. Fishing for walleye was slow when using curly tail grubs.

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

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 75.3 cfs. Fishing for trout on Whitewater Creek was fair to good when using small white crappie jigs.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using streamer flies and dry flies.

Percha Dam: Anglers reported low water levels and poor fishing.

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

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 0.25 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using garlic dough bait.

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

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

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

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs and worms.

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 4.8 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 later this year.

Bosque Redondo Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bottomless Lakes: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using orange PowerBait.

Brantley Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using red flake plastic worms and crawdad imitation lures.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using chartreuse PowerBait.

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 trout was fair to good when using Thomas Buoyant Colorado spoons. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using 3-inch plastic worms.

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

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

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

Kids Pond at Santa Rosa Fish Hatchery: Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait.

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

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

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 92.3 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair when using worms. Fishing for trout was good when using bright green PowerBait.

Perch Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using yellow and orange PowerBait.

Ruidoso River: Streamflow Monday morning at Hollywood was 7.63 cfs.

Santa Rosa Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Sumner Lake: Fishing for catfish below the dam was fair to good when using worms.

Timberon Ponds: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using pink PowerBait.

Fishing with your kids is something many people enjoy, whether you come from a long lineage of epic anglers or a family of newbies to the sport. Here are a few tips to consider when teaching new young anglers how to fish.

1. There are so many ways to go about picking a location to teach young anglers how to fish. A good option to consider is somewhere well stocked, so that the new anglers have a good chance at successfully catching fish. There are kids’ ponds across the state that only allow anglers 11 and younger to fish. Here are several locations with great kid-only ponds: Red River Hatchery, Seven Springs Hatchery, Santa Rosa Hatchery and Tingley Beach.
2. Consider de-barbing your hooks (especially if teaching fly-fishing). Getting a hook stuck in your skin past the barb is a painful experience, and not how you want your first fishing trip to go. A de-barbed hook on the other hand can be removed easily and contributes far less to residual pain. When using de-barbed hooks, your focus should be on maintaining tension on the line. When the line goes slack is when the fish might be able to wiggle free of the hook.
3. Plan to have fun regardless of how good the fishing is. Bring snacks and nets. Kids often have just as much fun fishing for aquatic insects, minnows and crawdads with a net as they do fishing with a rod and reel.

A group from Kids Hooked on Fishing recently went to Seven Springs Brood Pond in the Jemez Mountains. All the kids caught multiple fish, some up to 22 inches long. Some of the hot baits were gold beadhead nymph flies, black and orange leech pattern flies, pheasant tail nymph flies and salmon eggs.

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!