NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Eagle Nest Lake: Karsen Patten of Santa Fe (above left) caught a 22-inch rainbow trout and several others in the 15-to-18-inch range using Yellow PowerBait and Rapala lures on June 22 and 23. Magdalena Salazar of Albuquerque (above right) caught her limit of trout using Salmon Egg Glitter PowerBait on June 15.

Hopewell Lake: Isaiah Martinez of Chimayo (above left) caught a 14-inch brook trout using a dry fly on June 22. Kiana and Cruz Martinez, ages 6 and 3, of La Mesilla (above right) caught seven rainbow trout using olive-green Pistol Pete spinner flies on June 16.

Los Pinos River: Francis Twocrow, age 10, of Corrales caught a 12-inch brown trout using a Mayfly Nymph on June 20.

Pecos River: Alan Leyba of Albuquerque (above left) caught a 23-inch brown trout using a nightcrawler worm on June 21. Carlos Zamora of Belen (above right) caught a 29-inch rainbow trout using salmon eggs on June 16. 

Red River: Adelynn Thompson, age 7, of Stanley caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using salmon eggs at the children’s pond in the town of Red River on June 16.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Nino Furneri of Santa Fe caught an 18-inch brown trout using Garlic PowerBait on June 20.

NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT

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

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

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 35 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was fair to good when using bead-head nymph flies.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait and worms. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using plastic worms.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using Senko worms. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms and Flicker Shad lures.

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

Cowles Ponds: Fishing for trout was good when using dry flies in the evenings.

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

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using Yellow PowerBait, Rapala lures, red wiggler worms and Salmon Egg Glitter PowerBait. Fishing for pike was slow to fair when using white paddle-tail swimbaits and Streamer flies. 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: Fishing for trout was good when using dry flies and olive-green Pistol Pete spinner flies.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was good when using silver spoons. The ADA dock is open to anglers, with priority given to mobility-impaired persons.

Los Pinos River: Fishing for trout was good when using Mayfly Nymph flies, Prince Nymph flies and Hare’s Ear flies.

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

Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using Garlic PowerBait. The 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 when using PowerBait and spinners.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Monday morning was 71 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using nightcrawler worms, salmon eggs and Rapala Countdown lures.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 85 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using salmon eggs at the kid’s pond in the town of Red River.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 849 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using homemade white Streamer flies. Fishing for pike was fair when using Streamer flies.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Monday morning was 54 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Monday morning was 19 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 36 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using garlic PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds: Closed until July 1.

Springer Lake: Fishing for pike was fair to good when using spoons.

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

Stubblefield Lake: Fishing for all species was slow.

Ute Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair when using nightcrawler harness rigs and bottom bouncers. Fishing for white bass was very good when trolling using Berkley Flicker Shad lures, Bandit lures, Wally Diver lures and 3-inch swimbaits. Fishing for smallmouth bass was good when using tubes, Berkley Generals and Gulp minnows. Fishing for largemouth bass was good when using Pop R’s and Whopper Plopper lures. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken liver, nightcrawler worms and punch bait. Fishing for bluegill was good when using worms. The main lake’s water surface temperature was in the high-70 F range, and the water’s color was clear.

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Cochiti Lake: Mike Cooper of Belen caught a 36-inch, 11-pound pike using a 4.5-inch swimbait on June 24.

Fenton Lake: Uriah Lucero, age 5, of Isleta Pueblo caught several rainbow trout 12-15 inches long using Rainbow PowerBait on June 17.

Navajo Lake: Daxon Ferguson, age 5, of Albuquerque (above left) caught a 19-inch smallmouth bass using a jerk bait on June 23. Dominic Padilla of Los Lunas (above center) caught a 38-inch, 13.12-pound pike using cut bait on June 17. Andres Vallejos of Los Lunas (above right) caught a 2.88-pound smallmouth bass using a wacky-rigged, soft plastic worm on June 17.

NORTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair to good when using plastic worms. Fishing for crappie was fair when using small crappie-pattern lures. 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 1,850 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using deep-diving crankbaits. Fishing for tiger muskie was slow to fair when using swimbaits.

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

Canjilon Lakes: Fishing for trout was slow. Anglers reported lots of debris in the water.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing for white bass was good when using white swimbaits. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using 4.5-inch swimbaits, Rapala lures and ADz custom-jointed lures. Fishing for crappie was fair when using ADz custom-jointed lures.

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 fair when using Rainbow PowerBait. 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: Fishing for trout and sucker fish was slow when using JBT Boilie baits and Joel-O-Shotz.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 41 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using multi-colored PowerBait and dry flies. Fishing the East Fork was very good when using spinners, Copper John flies, Pheasant-Tail Nymph flies, Prince Nymph flies and Caddis Stimulator dry flies.

Laguna del Campo: Fishing for trout was fair when using blue and pink Mepps spinners, various PowerBait and salmon eggs.

Lagunitas Lakes: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using flies, salmon eggs and PowerBait.

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

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

McGaffey Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using Salmon-Peach PowerBait.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for kokanee salmon was fair to good when using spinners tipped with corn. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using cut bait. Fishing for bass was good when using jerk baits and wacky-rigged, soft plastic worms.

Rio Chama: Streamflow below El Vado Lake Monday morning was 492 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Tuesday morning was 109 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: Fishing for catfish was good when using shrimp.

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 Tuesday morning was 333 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was fair to good when using size 20-24, midge-emerger-pattern flies and size 20 baetis pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was fair to good when using PowerBait.

Seven Springs Kids’ Pond: Fishing for trout was good when using olive Woolly Bugger flies, rainbow-colored PowerBait and worms. Rio Grande chub are a native fish in the Jemez River drainage and can be found in the Seven Springs Kids’ Ponds. Anglers often mistake these awesome native fish for an invasive species and leave them on the banks to die. If you catch a Rio Grande chub, please do not leave it on the bank; return it to the water where it can survive as part of our native ecosystem.

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

Tingley Beach: Fishing for catfish was fair when using chicken liver. Fishing for bass was slow to fair when using watermelon-red-flake plastic worms. Fishing for bluegill was good when using small worms.

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

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Elephant Butte Lake: Gavin Finch of Alamogordo caught a 4-pound, 11-ounce largemouth bass using a silver spinner on June 22.

Estancia Park Lake: Malachi Banghart, age 8, of McIntosh caught an 8-inch largemouth bass using a soft plastic pink worm on June 19.

Quemado Lake: Christian Lee Apachito of Alamo, along with his nephew, caught their limits of trout using Panther Martin spinners and Peach-Salmon Egg PowerBait on June 15.

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 bass was fair to good when using spinnerbaits.

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

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for bass was good when using crankbaits. Fishing for white bass was very good when using Rat-L-Trap lures, Flicker Shad lures, chrome Kastmaster lures and shad-pattern swimbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair when using Kastmaster lures. Fishing for crappie was fair when using Berkley Gulp minnows and live minnows. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using live minnows, cut shad bait and cut carp bait.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken liver.

Estancia Park Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using Whopper Plopper lures and soft plastic pink worms.

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 44 cfs.

Glenwood Pond: Fishing for trout was fair when using PowerBait. Anglers reported an accumulation of moss in the pond.

Lake Roberts: Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawler worms.

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

Quemado Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Panther Martin spinners and peach-salmon egg PowerBait.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Tuesday morning was 2,340 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worms and chicken liver.

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 chicken and nightcrawler worms.

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Fire activity and hot temperatures made for light fishing pressure in southeastern New Mexico last week.

SOUTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Alto Lake: Evacuation orders in the Ruidoso area have been lifted.

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 6 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bonito Lake: The lake remains closed due to the Blue 2 Fire. Visit https://www.nmfireinfo.comfor the latest information.

Bosque Redondo Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worms.

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 bass was fair to good when using live minnows.

Chaparral Park Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using Texas-rigged, green-colored Bandito Plastic Bugs.

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: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait.

Grindstone Reservoir: Evacuation orders in the Ruidoso area have been lifted.

Harry McAdams Park Pond: 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.

Ned Houk Ponds: 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 90 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken breast and hot dogs.

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 Tuesday morning was 4 cfs. Evacuation orders in the Ruidoso area have been lifted.

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

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing was good with little fishing pressure. The boat ramp was closed due to the recent block release of water.

Spring River Pond: Fishing for catfish was good when using shrimp bait.

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

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

Tips, Tricks and Stories – Weather nor DisabilityStopping Fishing!

By Dustin Berg

The rain and wind can do their best to ruin a fishing trip, but that hasn’t stopped many an angler from charging on into the elements and reaping an epic experience. We learn a lot about ourselves when we are faced with challenges. Those uncomfortable circumstances can often lend themselves to being fertile territory for growing one’s character.

Such was true this past weekend when it rained most of Friday night and into the morning of a Saturday that was host to a long-awaited trip planned months in advance. This trip was to be the second of a new venture between GO Unlimited and Adelante’s Destination Accessibility. The mission of the trip was to teach kids and others with disabilities how to use adaptive equipment while fishing and traversing terrain that is not ADA accessible.

It was a soggy morning when we arrived at Isleta Lakes to set up for the event. Eighty-six people had RSVPed, but how many were going to show up given unanticipated weather?

Fortunately, this group was undeterred. Shortly after 9:30 a.m., the lakeshore began to look like a wheelchair and adaptive equipment “car show.” The anglers were ready, and in fact the weather was perfect. Instead of blistering heat, we had beautiful overcast clouds and cool temperatures–and no more rain.

With the support of a couple trusty Department employees, Dennis Segura and Storm Usrey, anglers were fashioned with fishing rods baited for catfish. It didn’t take long for the fish to track down the scent of chicken, shrimp and worms that had been cast into the lake. With each fish caught, you’d hear the joyous roar of the crowd with a couple hoots and hollers. And with each fish lost just before landing, you’d hear the long “Aweeee” as the crowd watches “the one that got away.”

It turned out to be a fantastic day, made even better with a brick-oven pizza lunch provided by Papa Cano’s Pizza. The event officially ended at 2 p.m., but it was going so well that some of the group stayed right up until Isleta Lakes’ closing time.

You just never know unless you go and give it a try. We sure were glad that we did. I’d like to give a huge shout out to Chris and his Explore Beyond You Limits group for helping organize the kids’ participation in this event. It was a ton of fun!

For more information about GO Unlimited’s adaptive fishing and other outdoor services for people with disabilities, please visit our website (currently under construction) and our social media pages.

Website: Global Opportunities Unlimited | Albuquerque, NM Disability Charity (gounlimited.org)

Instagram: Global Opportunities Unlimited (@gounlimitednm) • Instagram photos and videos

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NMUnlimited

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!