NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Eagle Nest Lake: Nevaeh Olivas, age 8, of Chamita caught a 12-inch rainbow trout while ice fishing using Salmon Peach PowerBait on Jan. 5.

NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Cabresto Lake: Ice fishing for trout was good when using small, glow ice jigs tipped with wax worms.

Charette Lakes: Closed until March 1.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Clayton Lake: Closed until March 1.

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

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

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

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

Eagle Nest Lake: Ice fishing for trout was fair when using small jigs tipped with Salmon Peach PowerBait and small jigs tipped with wax worms. Ice fishing for perch was fair to good when using small, chartreuse jigs tipped with wax worms. The lake is now open to ice fishing; however, it is restricted to foot traffic only. Avoid ice fishing near feeder streams or known springs, brush, logs, plants,  docks, or areas with multiple cracks or ice that is popping or otherwise weak. Ice measurements are holding from 7-11 inches of total ice and 5-7 inches of clear, strong ice, though ice was only measured in the middle of the lake. 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: 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: Ice fishing for trout was very good when using small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Lake Alice: The lake surface is closed due to unsafe ice conditions.

Lake Maloya: Anglers reported unsafe ice conditions. The ADA dock is open to anglers, with priority given to mobility-impaired persons.

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

Maxwell Lake 13: Closed until March 1.

Monastery Lake: The lake is closed due to unsafe ice conditions. Monastery Lake is part of the Department’s Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property.

Morphy Lake: Closed until March 1.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 38 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 343 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair when using silver Panther Martin spinners and white Streamer flies.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

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

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Closed for the season.

Shuree Ponds: Closed until July 1.

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

Storrie Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using worms.

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

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

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Fenton Lake was stocked with 833 rainbow trout totaling 350 pounds last Wednesday.

NORTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Abiquiu Lake: The boat ramp will be closed periodically until April as part of dam maintenance efforts. Contact the Abiquiu Lake Main Office at 505-685-4371 for updated lake conditions and closure information.

Animas River: Streamflow below Aztec Monday morning was 195 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains: Fishing for trout was good when using worms and small lures. Fishing for bass was fair when using worms and small lures.

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

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

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

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

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: Ice fishing for trout was good when using small yellow and orange jigs tipped with Orange PowerBait. The lake is now open to ice fishing; however, it is restricted to foot traffic only. Avoid ice fishing near feeder streams or known springs, brush, logs, plants or docks, or areas with multiple cracks or ice that is popping or otherwise weak. For updated lake conditions and potential closure information, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630.

Grants Riverwalk Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 19 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair when using worms near Jemez Springs.

Laguna del Campo: Closed until March 1.

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

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

Liam Knight Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

Rio Chama: Streamflow below El Vado Lake Monday morning was 100 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Monday morning was 54 cfs. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was slow.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 only two trout.

Rio Grande: Fishing for white bass was good when using 2-inch, white swim grubs north of the Albuquerque Bio Park.

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 320 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using size-22 Annelid Flies and Oregon cheese-colored, egg-pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was very good when using worms and one-quarter-ounce spinners.

Seven Springs Kids’ Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Tiger Park Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using wax worms with a Carolina Rig.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Rooster Tail spinners.

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

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Escondida Lake: Hunter Duran of Los Lunas caught a 23-inch, 5-pound largemouth bass using a live worm on Dec. 31.

SOUTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Alumni Pond: Closed for repairs until further notice.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using Pistol Pete spinner flies and Joe’s Flies.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using Flicker Shad with anise scent and black-and-red Woolly Bugger flies.

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

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using cut carp bait.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for bass was fair when using live worms.

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

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 70 cfs.

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

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

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

Quemado Lake: Anglers reported that the lake was covered in a thin sheet of ice and unsafe to walk on.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Monday morning was 0 cfs.

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 spinners and Trout Magnet lures.

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Pecos River and Bataan Lake: Mark Enriquez of Albuquerque caught and released 15 rainbow trout and kept several for dinner using spinners below Power Dam near Carlsbad on Jan. 3.

SOUTHEAST FISHING REPORT

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

Bataan Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using spinners.

Berrendo Creek: Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 12 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: 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: Fishing for trout was good when using homemade tuna dough bait.

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

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

Dennis Chavez 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 good when using spoons.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using Yellow Garlic PowerBait, Green Garlic PowerBait and worms.

Harry McAdams Park Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

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

Oasis Park Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using black Panther Martin flies.

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 0 cfs. Fishing for trout was very good using spinners below the Power Dam near Carlsbad.

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

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

Rio Ruidoso: Streamflow at Hollywood Monday morning was 4 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.

Tips, Tricks and Stories – Air Fryer Walleye and Perch Recipe

Ice fishing for perch in New Mexico is picking up! Karen Roybal and her family are from Albuquerque and they enjoy fishing across New Mexico. She shares with us one of her favorite Air Fryer recipes that was designed for cod but also works great for walleye and perch.

Prep 15 minutes – Cook 10 minutes

Ready in 25 minutes

This recipe is a delicious place to start if you’ve decided to try cooking fish in an air fryer.

Fish:

• 4 fresh walleye/perch fillet, 1 inch thick, (4-5 ounces each)
• Oil for spraying
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp Garlic & Herb Rub
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛  tsp black pepper

Roasted Vegetables:

• 1  ear corn, husk removed
• 8 ounces asparagus (½ bunch), trimmed and sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ⅛ tsp salt

Herbed Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1 small lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

1. Pat the walleye/perch fillets dry using a paper towel. Spray one cooking tray for the air fryer with oil. Place the fillets on the cooking tray and brush each fillet with the mayonnaise using a basting brush.
2. Mix the melted butter, panko, rub, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Evenly divide the panko mixture onto the walleye/perch fillets, pressing firmly to adhere.
3. For the roasted vegetables, remove the kernels from the cob. Add the corn, asparagus, olive oil and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Transfer vegetable mixture to the other cooking tray.
4. Place the tray with the walleye/perch on the top rack and the tray with the vegetables on the bottom rack. Select the roast setting, adjust the time to nine minutes and press start. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 140 F, adding more time if needed.
5. For the vinaigrette, juice the lemon into a small bowl. Add the remaining vinaigrette ingredients and whisk to combine.
6. To serve, place the roasted vegetables on a serving platter. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on top of the vegetables. Carefully place the walleye/perch fillets on top of the vegetables and serve with remaining vinaigrette.

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!