Fishing Report

Bill Evans Lake: Noa Soliz, age 2, of Silver City caught an 11-inch catfish using blood dough bait May 25.

Bluewater Lake: Esmeralda Marquez Chavez and Emma Marquez Chavez, ages 14 and 11, of Albuquerque each caught a 36-inch tiger muskie using hotdogs May 26. Rio Lynn Fifer, age 6, of Aztec caught a 43-inch tiger muskie using an earthworm May 23. Aaron Hopkins of Albuquerque caught a 47-inch, 18-pound tiger muskie using a homemade crankbait May 23. Jimmie Begay Jr. of Pine Hill caught and released a 40-inch tiger muskie using a Panther Martin spinner May 22. Abel Lovato Jr., age 16, of Albuquerque caught a 41.5-inch tiger muskie using a hotdog May 21.

Eagle Nest Lake: Oscar Fierro and his father of Peña Blanca caught a 22- and 24-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait May 28.

Escondida Lake: Robert Elias Barba, age 2, of Belen caught an 18-inch catfish using red worms under a bobber May 23.

Rio Bonito: Ruben-Micah, age 3, of Ruidoso caught his first fish, a 12-inch rainbow trout, using worms May 24.

Rio Grande: David Shelle of Tecumseh, Michigan, caught and released a 40-inch pike using a nightcrawler worm north of Bernalillo May 24.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Joonas Iivanainen of Albuquerque caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using Berkley Gulp nightcrawlers May 27.

Storrie Lake: Cheyenne Fahey of Mora caught a 30-inch catfish using green chartreuse glow worms May 17.

Tingley Beach: Cora Brown, age 12, of Albuquerque caught an 18-inch catfish using chartreuse PowerBait May 28.

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 good when using garlic PowerBait and salmon peach PowerBait.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 30.2 cubic feet per second (cfs). Cimarron Canyon State Park is closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (575) 377-6271.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using chartreuse and salmon peach PowerBait. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using chartreuse curly tail grubs and crankbaits.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was good when using 3.5-inch blue tube baits and soft plastic worms. Fishing for walleye was fair when using green curly tail grubs and orange Rat-L-Trap crankbaits. Fishing for white bass was good when using white curly tail grubs and Rat-L-Trap crankbaits. Fishing for crappie was very good when using 3.5-inch tube jigs in 12-feet of water.

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 the 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. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

Cowles Ponds: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Fe National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300.

Coyote Creek: Coyote Creek State Park is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (575) 387-2328.

Eagle Nest Lake: The lake is closed to boating for water resource firefighting activities. However, fishing from the shore is open. Fishing for rainbow trout was good when using salmon peach PowerBait. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (575) 377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

Gallinas River: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Fe National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300.

Hopewell Lake: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was good when using green homemade dough bait, lime green PowerBait and rainbow PowerBait.

Los Pinos River: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Fe National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300.

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

Monastery Lake: The lake is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information,visit the Open Gate webpage.

Morphy Lake: Morphy Lake State Park is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (575) 387-2328.

Pecos River: Fishing for trout was good when using salmon eggs near the town of Pueblo. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Fe National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns, as is the Pecos Canyon State Park. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300. For more information on the Pecos Canyon State Park closure, visit the park’s webpage or call (505) 670-8196.

Red River: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 97.9 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow when using San Juan worms and large, heavy nymph flies. The water levels were high, and the river was muddy. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

Rio Grande: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 685 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using black Pistol Pete spinners. Fishing for pike was fair when using chartreuse Panther Martin spinners near Pilar. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson and Santa Fe National Forest districts is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Carson National Forest or Santa Fe National Forest webpage. You can also call the call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200or the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 60.9 cfs. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

Rio Mora: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Fe National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns, as is the Pecos Canyon State Park. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300. For more information on the Pecos Canyon State Park closure, visit the park’s webpage or call (505) 670-8196.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 29.0 cfs. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using Berkley Gulp nightcrawlers and yellow garlic PowerBait.

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

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

Storrie Lake: Storrie Lake State Park is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (505) 425-7278.

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for walleye was good when using bottom bouncers with nightcrawler worm harnesses and trolling medium diving crankbaits. Fishing for white bass was fair when trolling Flicker shad lures and casting spinners. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was good when using swimbaits, Chigger craws and wacky rigged worms. Fishing for crappie was good when using live minnows. Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawler worms and chicken liver. The main lake water surface temperature was in the upper 60-degrees Fahrenheit and the water clarity was stained.

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

Animas River: Waterflow below Aztec Monday morning was 1,230 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was fair to good when using homemade crankbaits, Panther Martin spinners, earthworms, large chartreuse swimbaits and hotdogs.

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

Canjilon Lakes: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

Chama River: Monday-morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 232 cfs and 442 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair to good when using Rapala lures. 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. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson and Santa Fe National Forest districts is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Carson National Forest or Santa Fe National Forest webpages. You can also call the call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200 or the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using plastic worms. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver.

El Vado Lake: El Vado Lake can be accessed at Hargroves Day Use Area off State Road 322 and the Main Park area off State Road 112. The Rio Chama River can be accessed at the North El Vado Day Use Area on SR 95, 10 miles west of U.S. Highway 84. Lake levels are steady but expected to drop as crews work on the El Vado Dam. The Dam Day Use Area is closed due to the ongoing construction. State Road 112 over the dam will experience periodic closures. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (575) 588-7247.

Fenton Lake: Fenton Lake State Park is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (575) 829-3630.

Heron Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week. For more information, visit the park’s webpage or call (575) 588-7470.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow on the Jemez River near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 48.4 cfs. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Fe National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure, visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300.

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

Lagunitas Lakes: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

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

McGaffey Lake: Stocking efforts have been suspended due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions. Lake conditions will be monitored and stockings will resume once conditions improve. All U.S. Forest Service land in the Cibola National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Cibola National Forest webpage or call the Cibola National Forest office at (505) 346-3900.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for pike was fair to good when using jerkbaits. Fishing for crappie was fair to good when using live minnows and small jigs. Fishing for smallmouth bass was slow to fair when using crankbaits and skirt jigs.

Rio Grande: Fishing for catfish near Albuquerque was good when using chicken liver and cut bait. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms north of Bernalillo.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1): We had no reports from anglers this week.

San Gregorio Lake: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Santa Fe National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at (505) 438-5300.

San Juan River: Streamflow Monday morning was 293 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using leech pattern flies, Baetis and midge pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using nightcrawler worms.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: The lake is currently closed due to wildfire concerns.

Tiger Park Reservoir: Fishing for rainbow trout was good when using salmon egg scent PowerBait.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using black spinnerbaits. Fishing for catfish was good when using chartreuse PowerBait, chicken liver, nightcrawler worms and shrimp.

Trout Lakes: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Carson National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at (505) 758-6200.

Alumni Pond: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using cut carp bait, cut shad bait, red worms and beef liver.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using dough bait and live worms.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for bass was slow to fair when using 5-inch maroon plastic worms. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using dough bait.

Caballo Lake: Fishing for crappie was fair to good when using live minnows and small jigs. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using live minnows and trolling medium diving crankbaits.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using live minnows and cut gizzard shad bait. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was good when using chartreuse crankbaits, jigs and soft plastic lures. Fishing for white bass was good when using Blue Fox spinners and white Bombers. Fishing for crappie was fair to good when using small jigs and live minnows. Fishing for walleye was good when using nightcrawler worms and curly tail grubs.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using red worms, nightcrawler worms and cut bait.

Gila River: Streamflow Monday morning was 20.7 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using live minnows.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for catfish was good when using blood dough bait and worms.

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

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 668 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using live minnows. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using curly tail grubs.

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

Trees Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms and PowerBait. Fishing for catfish was fair when using shrimp. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using maroon plastic worms rigged with a small spinner in front.

Young Pond: Fishing for all species was slow.

Alto Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms.

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

Berrendo Creek: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using Whopper Plopper lures. Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 18.9 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Brantley Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair when using red crankbaits. Fishing for white bass was good when using red crankbaits.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing for bass was good when using drop shot Robo worms.

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 catfish was good when using green worms with bass attractant spray.

Greene Acres Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using nightcrawler worms and cut bait.

Grindstone Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

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

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 97.2 cfs. Fishing for bass was good when using Texas-rigged soft plastic blue crawdad pattern baits.

Perch Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using green jigs.

Rio Bonito: Fishing for rainbow trout was good when using worms.

Rock Lake Hatchery Kids’ Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using PowerBait.

Ruidoso River: All U.S. Forest Service land in the Lincoln National Forest Service district is currently closed due to wildfire concerns. For more information on the Forest Service closure,visit the Lincoln National Forest webpage or call (575) 434-7200. Streamflow Monday morning at Hollywood was 3.09 cfs.

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using Flicker shad lures, live minnows and Ned rigs. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using crankbaits. Fishing for crappie was slow to fair when using live minnows.

Sumner Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using green Senko worms. Fishing for walleye was fair when using nightcrawler worms and green plastic worms. Fishing for catfish was good when using hotdogs and worms.

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

For nearly 15 years, introducing new anglers to the art, recreation and sport of angling has been a significant part of my life. It is one of my favorite things to do. There is something magical about the moment someone catches their first fish. Typically, the person is filled with joy, experiencing excitement and appreciation for the great outdoors. A kid catching their first fish captures the quintessential embodiment of that feeling. This excitement happens to adults, too. If you have helped someone experience this moment, you know what I mean. If you have not, it is such a neat thing to be a part of!

This Saturday is Free Fishing Day and an excellent opportunity to take someone new fishing. Learn more about Free Fishing Day here.

Since taking on the author responsibilities for the Department of Game and Fish’s weekly fishing report, I have met so many different people from all walks of life. Naturally, our crossing paths derive from our shared interest in fishing. It has been fun to share tactics, strategies and techniques with many skilled anglers. It has been equally fun to meet people who are just entering angling endeavors and who want to prepare themselves for the journey into uncharted territory. It is new to them, and just like any new hobby, it can be overwhelming.

In this week’s fishing tips and tricks, we are laying out a plan to help you introduce new anglers to fishing.  The key is to keep it simple, have fun, catch fish and enjoy nature – well, hopefully, catch fish. As John Buchan said, “the charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.”

In my interpretation, we hope we catch fish, but we always have fun.

Now, to set up any beginner to have fun and have a high probability of catching fish:

1. Buy a rod with a fishing reel you can easily operate. A push-button cast reel is the easiest. It’s underrated and especially great for kids. A spin cast reel is suitable for any angler, and although the reel is slightly harder to learn to use compared to the push-button reel, it is much more capable. Here are video demonstrations of casting using a push-button reel, as well as using a spin cast reel.
2. Use worms if you are a beginner. Pretty much any fish eats worms. If you are not catching, try different size worms: half a worm; a quarter of a worm; a whole worm; etc.
3. If you are going for large-mouthed fish such as bass, use a 1-inch long hook. If you are going for smaller fish or fish with smaller/softer mouths, such as trout/bluegill, use smaller hooks – maybe a ¼ to ½ inch long.
4. Bring bobbers and weights. If one does not work, try the other. If you are fishing a stream or river, you will often need neither a bobber nor weight – the weight of the baited hook with a worm is enough.

Remember that fish live off what their environment provides. Sometimes the best bait is the bait you can catch near where you are fishing. You can have a whole separate adventure searching for bait. Look under rocks and logs for worms and crickets. Look in grassy areas for grasshoppers. Natural bait is often the best bait for catching fish because that is what the fish are used to eating. And the bait is fun to catch, especially for kids.

Be respectful of the environment – #ResponsibleRecreation

In New Mexico, we have beautiful streams, rivers and lakes that people are encouraged to enjoy. Part of enjoying these places is to experience and not destroy. Encourage others to be stewards of the land. Lead by example. It is devastating to these locations when people show up and leave their trash. Besides the point that leaving your trash turns an otherwise natural environment into an unsightly litter box, it passes on a terrible lesson to the next generation of outdoors enthusiasts.

It also harms wildlife. If two out of 10 people leave their trash and 500 people visit the area, it equals a lot of nasty waste left in the outdoors. Many wild animals rely on New Mexico’s limited water sources, and could easily consume or become entrapped in discarded trash. Think of the wildlife and the people who are learning from you.

Lead by example and take the easy steps to haul your trash home or to a proper disposal site. Do it for your enjoyment of the outdoors and the sake of everything wild in our great outdoors.

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!