Fishing Report

Bluewater Lake: Georgia Lee Manus of Loma, Colorado, caught and released a 39-inch tiger muskie using a water dog Nov. 2. JC Michel of Albuquerque caught a 38-inch tiger muskie using a countdown Rapala lure Oct. 29.

Eagle Nest Lake: Val Armijo of Albuquerque caught a 24-inch, 5-pound rainbow trout using salmon-peach PowerBait Nov. 3. Marissa and Samara Martinez, ages 10 and 12, of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch and two 14-inch rainbow trout using corn Oct. 30.

Navajo Lake: Cody, Wayne, Gary and Danny Werschem of Rio Rancho all caught their limits of kokanee salmon using 6/0 snagging hooks Nov. 1.

Rio Chama: Ronnie Vigil of Española caught a 21-inch and 22-inch rainbow trout using a Panther Martin spinner with a single barbless hook below Abiquiu Lake Nov. 5.

Rio Grande: Ian Smuczynski of Taos caught and released a 20-inch brown trout using a streamer fly Oct. 31.

Tingley Beach: Joseph Miera of Albuquerque caught a 16-inch rainbow trout using a leech pattern fly Nov. 2.

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. Fish weights and measurements are provided by the angler and printed here as received.

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

Charette Lakes: Closed to boating and fishing until March 2023.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 2 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Clayton Lake: Closed to boating and fishing until March 2023.

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

Costilla Creek: The department recently stocked 90,000 Rio Grande cutthroat trout, including 1,000 catchable-sized fish, into Costilla Creek and its tributaries as part of a long-term project to expand the distribution of Rio Grande cutthroat trout in 120 miles of the Costilla watershed in northern New Mexico. The department anticipates stocking Rio Grande cutthroat trout into this area over the next several years to assist with establishing a self-sustaining population of Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The public is reminded of the existing catch and release regulation for streams on the Valle Vidal and to release all fish at their point of capture — do not move fish above waterfalls, culverts or other fish barriers. The Valle Vidal remains open to fishing through Dec. 31.

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

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

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for rainbow trout was good when using salmon-peach PowerBait and corn.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using garlic PowerBait and salmon-peach PowerBait.

Gallinas River: National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access.Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using brown, leech-pattern flies and black Woolly Bugger flies.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was good when using size 20-22 flies and nightcrawler worms.

Los Pinos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Maxwell Lake 13: Closed to boating and fishing until March 2023.

Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using silver and black spinners, and worms.

Morphy Lake: Closed to boating and fishing until March 2023.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Monday morning was 77 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery Monday morning was 72 cfs.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 465 cfs. Fishing for trout was very good when using small mayfly dry flies, streamers and nymph flies.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Monday morning was 24 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Monday morning was 24 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Penasco Monday morning was 27 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using Woolly Bugger flies and PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week. The Valle Vidal remains open to fishing through Dec. 31.

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 vertical jigging with blade baits in 28-30 feet of water on flats. The main lake water surface temperature was in the upper 50 F range and the water was dirty.

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

Animas River: Streamflow below Aztec Monday morning was 318 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was good when using countdown Rapala lures and water dogs.

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

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

Cochiti Lake: We had no reports from angler this week.

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 can be accessed at the North El Vado Day Use Area on State Road 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 El Vado Lake State Park’s webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using garlic-peach PowerBait.

Grants Riverwalk Pond: The city is in the final stages of repairs; stocking will resume soon.

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

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 43 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms and salmon eggs near Battleship Rock.

Laguna del Campo: Closed to fishing until March 2023.

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

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

McGaffey Lake: Stocking efforts have been suspended due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions. Lake conditions will be monitored and stocking will resume once conditions improve.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for pike was good when using streamer flies and orange medium depth diving crankbaits. Fishing for kokanee salmon was good near the dam when using size 6/0 weighted snagging hooks.

Rio Chama: Streamflow below El Vado Lake and below Abiquiu Lake Monday morning was 103 cfs and 148 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was good when using nightcrawler worms and small Rapala trout-pattern lures. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was good when using Panther Martin spinners with a single barbless hook. 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.

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

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1): Fishing for trout was fair to good when using spinners and flies.

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

San Juan River: Streamflow near Archuleta Monday morning was 311 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was fair when using egg-pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using worms and PowerBait.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: We had no reports from angler this week.

Tiger Park Reservoir: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using spinners and flies.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was good when using leech pattern flies, green PowerBait, garlic PowerBait, rainbow trout pattern Rooster Tail spinners, black Rooster Tail spinners and black Joe’s Flies spinners.

Trout Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using copper Dardevle spoons.

Alumni Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using Velveeta cheese balls and small, chartreuse Gulp minnow jigs.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for bass was good when using yellow Rooster Tail spinners. Fishing for trout was good when using flies and red, orange and black Rooster Tail spinners. Fishing for crappie was fair to good when using flies.

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

Caballo Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait. Fishing for walleye was fair when using cut bait.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair to good when using live minnows, green spinners and Senko worms. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using homemade dough bait and nightcrawler worms.

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 307 cfs.

Glenwood Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using yellow spinners and brown dry flies.

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using chartreuse PowerBait and flies.

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 Dam Monday morning was 0 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait and nightcrawler worms north of Elephant Butte Lake.

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

Trees Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using homemade garlic dough bait.

Young Pond: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using nymph flies, worms and PowerBait.

Alto Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using small streamer flies. Fishing for trout was good when using peach PowerBait.

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

Berrendo Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week. Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 7 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.

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

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

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

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using yellow PowerBait and purple Pistol Pete spinners.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using Mepps spinners, worms and salmon-peach PowerBait.

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 0 cfs.

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

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

Rio Ruidoso: Streamflow at Hollywood Monday morning was 13 cfs.

Rock Lake Hatchery Kids’ Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

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

This past weekend Ben Allen, Justin Allen and Jace Widner went to Navajo Lake to do some kokanee salmon snagging. They caught their limits of salmon and wanted to share some tips and tricks with any fellow anglers thinking about trying their luck at salmon snagging.

The southwest corner of the Navajo Lake dam is the most popular spot for salmon snagging. This past weekend, there were multiple people in this spot catching their limits of salmon. Ben, Justin and Jace went east down the lake bank 60 yards or so to find a spot with not as many anglers. They found a big rock that they could fish from, and the rest is history! Here are a few tips that helped them succeed.

1. Cast about 20 yards straight out toward the deeper part of the lake.
2. Let your weighted snagging hook sink for about five seconds.
3. Jerk your fishing rod tip up or to the side so your hook darts through the water.
4. Reel up a few feet of line after the jerk, then pause for a second.
5. Repeat this process until your hook has been retrieved.
6. The salmon are often along the bottom of the lake, so you need to allow your hook to work in that area. If you retrieve your hook too fast, you likely are pulling your hook above where the salmon are. If you retrieve your hook too slow, you run the risk of snagging the bottom of the lake.
7. The salmon seem to come and go, so you might not catch anything until a school of fish swims by.
8. Ben, Justin, and Jace tried to snag salmon from a boat, but found the most successful technique was to park the boat on shore and fish from the bank.

A medium fishing rod with size 6/0 salmon snagging hooks works well. The type of reel does not seem to matter.

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.