NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Cimarron River: Petra Truitt (above), age 9, of Shallowater, Texas, caught a 14-inch rainbow trout while fly-fishing for the first time using black Creek Bugz on July 18. 

Lake Alice: Celeste Edwards-Garcia (above) of Santa Fe caught an 18-inch, 3-pound rainbow trout using Red, White and Blue PowerBait on July 13.

Pecos River: Kelcey Walker (above) of Albuquerque caught a 9-pound rainbow trout using a size-16, purple Copper John fly under a strike indicator on July 14.

NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT

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

Charette Lakes: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Garlic PowerBait.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 35 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good when using stimulator dry flies, Hare’s ear nymph flies, worms, black Creek Bugz and yellow salmon eggs. Fishing for trout at Gravel Pit Lakes was fair to good when using Yellow Garlic PowerBait, worms and salmon eggs.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was slow. Fishing for catfish was fair when using chicken liver.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using topwater Spook Jr. lures.

Costilla Creek: Fishing for trout was fair when using Yellow Sally flies and grasshopper dry flies.

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 trout was good when using brown Pistol Pete spinner flies, Salmon Peach PowerBait, Sherbet PowerBait and nightcrawler worms. Fishing for perch was fair when using worms. For updated lake conditions, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using white Mepps spinners, salmon eggs, worms and 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 fair to good when using Orange Glitter PowerBait.

Lake Alice: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Red, White and Blue PowerBait.

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout from boats was good when using PowerBait, Rapala lures and Panther Martin spinners at depths of 15-20 feet. The ADA dock is open to anglers, with priority given to mobility-impaired persons.

Los Pinos River: Fishing for trout was slow when using dry flies.

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

Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using dry flies. Benedictine Monastery Lake is part of the Department’s Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property.

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Garlic PowerBait and salmon eggs.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Monday morning was 48 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using purple copper John flies, gold Panther Martin spinners and worms.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 70 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using dry-dropper fly setups and size-10 Mayfly dry flies.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 510 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using white Mepps spinners and black Panther Martin spinners with red dots.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Monday morning was 38 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Monday morning was 9 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 9 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using Brown Garlic PowerBait and worms. The lake is open from 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday-Sunday.

Shuree Ponds: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using black Panther Martin spinners.

Springer Lake: Fishing for catfish at night was fair to good when using chicken liver.

Storrie Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using olive leech-pattern flies, Rainbow PowerBait and Garlic PowerBait.

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for walleye was slow when trolling using Wally Diver lures. Fishing for white bass was fair when using lures that run 2-3 feet deep. Fishing for bass was fair when using wacky-rigged plastic worms. Fishing for catfish was fair when using Magic Bait and Danny King’s Punch Bait. Fishing for bluegill was good when using nightcrawler worms. The main lake water surface temperature was in the mid-80 F range and the water was clear.

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Abiquiu Lake: Evan McAllister (above) of Santa Fe caught an 18-inch walleye using a Yum white, curly-tail grub with a pink jig head on July 16.

Bluewater Lake: Westin Hamilton (above, left), age 14, of Peralta caught a 33-inch tiger muskie using a Whopper Plopper lure on July 20. Madison Hamilton (above, center), age 21, of Peralta caught a 35-inch tiger muskie using a waterdog on July 20. Dennis Hamilton (above, right) of Bosque Farms caught a 36-inch tiger muskie using a waterdog on July 20.

Canjilon Lakes: Josias Valles (above), age 7, of Española caught his limit of rainbow trout using rainbow PowerBait on July 21.

Cochiti Lake: Patrick Cordova (above) caught a 37-inch pike using a white spinnerbait on Jul 16.

San Juan River: Jannine Cabossel (above) caught a 23.5-inch rainbow trout using a Pheasant-tail Nymph fly near the dam on July 23.

Tingley Beach: Carson Rose (above), age 8, of Tijeras caught a 6-pound catfish using antelope liver with a slip-sinker rig on July 17.

NORTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair when using Yum white, curly-tail grubs with pink jig heads. Fishing for panfish was good when using live worms in the back of lake coves.

Animas River: Streamflow below Aztec Monday morning was 537 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for tiger muskie was fair to good when using Whopper Plopper lures and live waterdogs.

Brazos River: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Panther Martin spinners.

Canjilon Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using Rainbow PowerBait, Copper John flies and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing for pike was fair to good when using white spinnerbaits. Fishing for catfish was fair when using shrimp.

El Vado Lake: Closed due to dam construction project. 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 earthworms and PowerBait. For updated lake conditions, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630.

Grants Riverwalk Pond: Fishing for bluegill was fair to good when using worms.

Heron Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using orange Rapala lures.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 12 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using Mayfly flies and black Parachute Adams flies.

Laguna del Campo: Fishing for trout was slow.

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

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

McGaffey Lake: Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using Rooster Tail spinners and PowerBait.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for kokanee salmon was slow to fair when using white spinners, and pink and orange squid tipped with corn. Fishing for pike was fair to good when trolling using deep-diving crankbaits that dive 25 feet deep. Fishing for bass was fair when using KVD Spinners.

Rio Chama: Streamflow below El Vado Lake Monday morning was 500 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Monday morning was 614 cfs. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair to good when using worms and Countdown Rapala lures. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was slow to fair when using black Woolly Bugger 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.

Rio Grande: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver near Albuquerque.

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

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

San Juan River: Streamflow near Archuleta Monday morning was 515 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using red annelid flies, size-22 chocolate foam-wing emerger flies and Pheasant-tail Nymph flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was fair to good when using red wiggler worms.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms.

Tiger Park Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for catfish was fair when using antelope liver. Fishing for bluegill was fair when using small hooks and worms.

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

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Bill Evans Lake: Roman Gonzales (above), age 19, of Lordsburg caught a 22-inch largemouth bass using a topwater lure on July 23.

Lake Roberts: Ryan Miller (above), age 11, of Tucson, Arizona, caught his first catfish (2.5 pounds) using homemade stink bait on July 16.

SOUTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Alumni Pond: Fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using cheese, beef liver, chicken liver, cut carp bait and live worms.

Bear Canyon Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using topwater lures.

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

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair to good when using crankbaits and bullhead minnows. Fishing for white bass was fair when using white crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using jigs with paddle-tail swimbaits and trolling using dark-green lures. Fishing for catfish was good when using minnows and fresh cut bait.

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

Estancia Park Lake: Fishing for bass was good when using live worms and Hopper flies.

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 48 cfs.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for catfish was fair when using chicken liver and homemade stink bait.

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

Quemado Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using Chartreuse PowerBait.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Monday morning was 2,400 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using beef liver and chicken liver at Leasburg Dam.

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

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

Young Pond: Fishing for catfish was good when using live minnows and cut carp bait.

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Alto Lake: Chris Marquez (above) of El Paso, Texas, caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using Yellow Garlic PowerBait with gold flakes on July 16.

Grindstone Reservoir: Slick (above) of Braunsfield, Texas, caught a 24-inch rainbow trout using peach PowerBait on July 16.

Oasis Park Lake: Ronald Yazzie (above) of Portales caught an 18-inch catfish using worm-flavored catfish bait on July 22.

SOUTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using Yellow Garlic PowerBait with gold flakes.

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 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. The lake is full but needs time for aquatic habitat to develop in order to sustain a healthy fish population. The city hopes to reopen the lake for recreational purposes in June 2024.

Bosque Redondo Lake: Fishing for catfish and bluegill was fair when using live crickets.

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

Brantley Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass was fair when using Whopper Plopper lures.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing for carp and catfish was fair to good when using corn and a bobber.

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 catfish was fair to good when using hot dogs and corn.

Green Meadow Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using Peach PowerBait and Garlic PowerBait.

Harry McAdams Park Pond: Fishing for bluegill was good when using Garlic PowerBait.

Jal Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using shrimp.

Lake Van: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver-flavored Magic Bait.

Ned Houk Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Oasis Park Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worm-flavored catfish bait and chicken liver.

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 100 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worms near Carlsbad.

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 5 cfs.

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

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using Firecracker Moxi lures and chartreuse jigs.

Sumner Lake: Fishing for all species was slow.

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

Tips, Tricks and Stories – Selso Picks Up a Few New Tricks

Selso Fernandez of Albuquerque recently made a trip to Navajo Lake State Park. It had been quite a while since he had done any fishing.

Technology has changed the way we function in our daily lives. He decided to pull out his old equipment and see if he remembered enough to catch a few fish for dinner. Water levels and clarity on the San Juan River made it difficult to catch any fish. In fact, Selso was unsuccessful in catching any fish.

While fishing the San Juan River, Selso talked to a fisherman who had caught a limit of trout. He noticed that the fisherman was using very small and different-looking hooks. The way the fisherman rigged his line with hook placement and different weights was also new to Selso. He came home from his adventure to Navajo Lake State Park determined to learn how to use new fishing techniques and equipment. On July 1, Selso ventured out to the Jemez Mountains with a friend who was a longtime fisherman skilled in different fishing techniques. Determined to get back to enjoying the art of fishing, Selso asked his friend to teach him how to fish with the newer equipment available to sportsmen today. They arrived in the Jemez Mountains at 5 a.m. while there were no other anglers on the water. Selso was told fish bite better early during summertime hours when the temperatures are still cool. Next, he was instructed to use a lighter fishing line: 4-to-8-pound test. The fishing line he was using before was too heavy and very visible to the fish, as it did not flow easily and naturally in the water. The proper knots were covered. And then hooks. Small, barbless hooks were attached to his fishing line. I mean, really small! Selso wanted to cover all types of fishing methods, but decided using bait such as worms, insects and PowerBait would be a good starting place with his newly implemented fishing tips and tricks. A jar of highly visible red-and-yellow PowerBait was given to Selso. He was instructed to use a small amount: enough only to cover the hook and roll it into a little ball. Then, he learned the stealth concept! In small streams where water clarity allows you to see everything in the water, standing directly over the water allows the fish to see you, too – and they swim off scared and hide! So, he made himself as invisible as possible. In the end, he put into practice the methods he had learned. The result was a joyful and productive outing! He caught his limit of rainbow trout, and his friend did as well. The fish averaged in length from 10-12 inches – just right for a trout dinner! It’s never too late to experience or re-experience the art of fishing and learn a few new tricks! Look for Selso as he learns nymphing techniques!  Have fun fishing, New Mexico!

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!