NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Eagle Nest Lake: Austyn Riley, age 12, of Laguna Pueblo poses with two rainbow trout caught during NMDGFs “A Day of Ice Fishing Event” using PowerBait and red worms Jan. 20. Matthew Medina of Albuquerque caught multiple perch using a Rapala Jigging Rap tipped with a mealworm, including one measuring 12.5-inches in length and 9.5-inches in girth, on Jan. 18.

Lake Maloya: Sofia Herrera, age 15, of Las Cruces caught a 19.5-inch rainbow trout using Garlic PowerBait on Jan. 20.

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. Fishing for trout was slow.

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 red worms, small jigs tipped with Salmon Peach PowerBait and small jigs tipped with wax worms. Ice fishing for perch was fair to good when using Rapala Jigging Rap lures tipped with meal 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. 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Lake Maloya: Ice fishing for trout was fair to good when using Garlic PowerBait. 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 39 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 399 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair when using gold-and-black Panther Martin spinners.

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 CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Fenton Lake: Lowell Smith of Paraje caught multiple rainbow trout, including this one measuring 11 inches, using a gold Kastmaster lure tipped with Joel-O Shotz Fish Bait on Jan. 16.

Tingley Beach: Zayden Baca of Albuquerque caught 13- and 14-inch rainbow trout using Marshmallow PowerBait Jan. 20.

NORTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for all species was slow when using worms. 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 206 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using red worms near the Alameda Bridge.

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 very good when using gold Kastmaster lures, Joel-O Shotz fish bait, small jigs tipped with wax worms and silver Super Duper lures. The lake is now open to ice fishing. Chainsaws are not allowed to cut holes in the ice. Fires are not allowed on the ice. In areas around the shoreline, the ice is thin due to runoff—be aware of where you step onto the ice. As of Sunday, ice measurements are 5 inches of clear ice and 8 inches of white ice 6 feet from shore, and 7 inches of clear ice and 4 inches of white ice at 20 feet out. 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 18 cfs.

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 99 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Monday morning was 54 cfs. 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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 338 cfs. On Jan. 29 (Monday), the release at Navajo Dam will be reduced to 250 cfs. The minimum release will accommodate in-stream work in support of irrigation projects. The release will be transferred back to its current level of 350 cfs at 8 a.m. the following day, Jan. 30. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was fair to good when using bling midge-pattern flies.

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

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

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Marshmallow PowerBait.

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

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Bill Evans Lake: Elila Valles, age 6, of Silver City caught an 11-inch rainbow trout while trolling with a spinner bait on Jan 16.

SOUTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Alumni Pond: Closed for repairs until further notice.

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

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when trolling with spinner baits.

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

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

Escondida Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using salmon eggs and live worms.

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

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 90 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 open to ice fishing with an ice thickness of about 6-8 inches. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Rainbow PowerBait and Chartreuse Power Eggs.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Monday morning was 0 cfs. Fishing for walleye was slow to fair when using swimbaits near Caballo Lake.

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 good when using Cheese PowerBait.

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Lake Van: Valerie Wyatt of Roswell caught her limit of trout using a Kastmaster lure Jan. 21. 

SOUTHEAST FISHING REPORT

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

Bataan Lake: Fishing for trout was 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 11 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.

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 fair to good when using PowerBait.

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

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 good when using Kastmaster lures 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 good using spinners below the Power Dam 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 8 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 – Ice Fishing Tips for Success

Are you getting ready for the big ice fishing tournament at Eagle Nest Lake this weekend (https://www.friendsofeaglenestlake.org/events), or headed out to Fenton Lake where anglers have been catching Rio Grande cutthroat trout through the ice? The season is upon us and now is as good a time as any to try the increasingly popular sport / hobby of ice fishing. Matthew “Ice Fisherman” Medina is a very successful New Mexico ice fisherman who we have had the pleasure of working with over the years. This week, he shares some insight with tips and tricks that have helped to make him a successful angler.

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Ice fishing only requires a few things to get started: an auger, a fishing pole and some bait. But there are so many other items that can help you enjoy this sport even more, and I am going to share some of those with you. The first thing I would recommend to any ice angler is to invest in a pair of Yaktrax or some type of spikes to put on your boots while on the ice. I have had my fair share of falls on the ice and safety is of high importance. These items will help decrease your chances of falling and potentially being injured. These items will not completely prevent you from falling, but they help with the traction and provide more stability.

Yaktrax attached to your boots improve traction while walking on ice.

An auger is very important. There are three different types of augers to use: the hand auger, the gas auger and the electric auger. I remember when I first started ice fishing, I had an Eskimo 8-inch hand auger. Hand augers do exactly what they are intended for, and that’s drilling holes in the ice. Now, depending how thick the ice is, it can be difficult. I remember being at Cabresto Lake in late January one year with 20 inches of ice. I was exhausted after punching one hole. It was at this moment when I decided I needed to buy either a gas auger or an electric auger.

I did some research on both and the one item that kept popping up was the Clam Plate. The Clam Plate is by far one of the best investments I purchased when it comes to ice fishing. All you need to do is attach your drill to it and connect your hand auger. I went from taking 2-3 minutes to drill a hole by hand to drilling one in less than 10 seconds. Like I said, there are tons to choose from; however, this attachment has made ice fishing a lot more convenient for me.

The next item I want to share with you is the one item that has made me catch tons of fish: an ice-fishing flasher. This tool has helped me tremendously over the years get on more fish. An ice-fishing flasher is a machine that will track your depth and any fish below it. Like augers, there are many to choose from like Marcum, Hummingbird and Garmin; however, I prefer Vexilars. I have had many people tell me that using fishing electronics is cheating, but when I let them use one of mine, it is amazing how quickly their mindset changes. I’ve seen people dropping their lines all the way to the bottom of the lake when the fish were cruising halfway down, and they never knew the fish were there because they were not tracking the fish with one of these units. These units can get costly; however, they will help you locate fish faster and increase your chances of landing more fish.

An ice shelter can help keep you warm even in extremely cold conditions.

Ice-fishing weather can be very frigid. This is why I use ice shelters when the weather is extremely cold. An ice shelter will increase warmth on a cold, breezy morning while out on the lake. Last year, I was at Eagle Nest Lake when it got down to -35 F. I was thankful for having my insulated ice shelter to help keep me warm, along with my Mr. Buddy heater. Ice shelters are a luxury while on the ice, but not necessarily a necessity. If you want to stay warmer and potentially stay out on the ice a little longer, I recommend purchasing one.

An ice sled will make it easier to haul all of your gear across the ice.

I have written about a few items and you’re probably thinking, “how am I going to take all of this out on the ice?” Well, that’s why you need to get a sled. Shappell ice sleds are almost a necessity while ice fishing. As your hobby grows, you will notice you start taking more and more items with you. An ice sled will help you to haul all these items on the ice much more conveniently.

Imagine you are walking across the ice for several hundred yards with your sled being dragged behind you. Your arm starts to go numb from all the weight from the gear that you brought. I’ve been there and done that. The best thing you can get for your sled to pull it much easier is a sled harness. Throw it over your shoulders and waist and save your body the headache and soreness. Your body will thank you, believe me!

Tungsten glow ice jigs tipped with mealworms or wax worms are the secret to success for Matthew “Ice Fisherman” Medina.

The last thing I want to share with you all is bait. I have been successful using tungsten, glow-ice jigs for catching many species of fish. But my secret sauce to using these jigs is mealworms or wax worms. These two types of worms hooked onto a jig is a fish’s favorite meal. I don’t know what it is, but either a mealworm or wax worm attached to your hook will bring the fish in. Mealworms and wax worms can be found at a few different places in the Albuquerque area. I usually buy mine from Quality Baits or Sportsman’s Warehouse, but you can also find them at PetSmart.

Ice fishing has brought me so much joy and is something I am very passionate about. I have met many awesome people on the ice these past years that have enjoyed this sport as much as I have. I am happy to be a resource if you have any questions about New Mexico ice fishing. I am always willing to talk ice fishing and give my advice.  I hope you find success out on the ice, and if you have any questions, I would be happy to assist!

Respectfully,

Matthew “Ice Fisherman” Medina

Find Matthew “Ice Fisherman” Medina on Instagram @mattmedina8 to learn more about ice fishing.

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!