Eagle Nest Lake: Anthony Dupree, Joseph Lueras and Fred Lawrence of Albuquerque caught many perch, several trout, with the biggest being 20-inches, and a 27-inch 7-pound pike using Gulp curly tail jigs Jan. 1-2. Greg and Lisa Hoch of Espanola caught a 19.5-inch and a 19.25-inch rainbow trout, along with many perch, using worms Dec. 28-29. Ice fishing advice from Anthony Dupree and Greg and Lisa Hoch are in this week’s Tips and Tricks section.

Elephant Butte Lake: Lochlan Cameron, age 8, of Rio Rancho caught a 22-inch 3-pound 15-ounce blue catfish using nightcrawlers Dec. 27.

Grindstone Reservoir: Kyle Kainer of Ruidoso caught a 16.5-inch rainbow trout using salmon peach PowerBait Dec. 21.

San Juan River: Robert Toledo of Los Lunas caught an 18-inch brown trout using a black leech fly Dec. 28. Dyllon Drake of Aztec caught a 23-inch rainbow trout using a size 24 black midge pupa pattern Dec. 27. Read about his catch in this week’s Tips and Tricks section.

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.

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

Charette Lakes: Closed for the season.

Cimarron River: Stream flow near Cimarron Monday morning was not measured due to ice. In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Clayton Lake: Closed until March 2021.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for walleye was slow using jigs tipped with worms.

Costilla Creek: The Department has implemented the final phase of a project to expand Rio Grande cutthroat trout in 120 miles of the Costilla watershed in northern New Mexico. The final phase involved the removal of fish within a designated area (Rio Costilla from Costilla Dam downstream to the Valle Vidal Boundary including all tributaries and Comanche Creek from the road culvert crossing on FR 1950 downstream to its confluence with Rio Costilla and all tributaries) with a tentative restocking of Rio Grande cutthroat in spring 2022. Places to fish nearby include Costilla Creek below the fish barrier, Upper Comanche Creek, Shuree Ponds, Middle Ponil Creek, Upper Powderhouse Creek, Little Costilla Creek, Vidal Creek and McCrystal Creek. The Department anticipates the completion of this final phase in the fall of 2021. Please check the Department website for additional information on the project and to identify alternative angling opportunities in the interim.

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

Coyote Creek: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Eagle Nest Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake was open to ice fishing. Fishing for trout was good using jigs tipped with worms. Fishing for perch was very good, using ice fishing jigs tipped with wax worms and earthworms in the mornings and afternoons.

Eagle Rock Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Gallinas River: Fishing for trout was fair using black Woolly Bugger flies.

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

Lake Alice: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake opened for ice fishing.

Lake Maloya: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for trout was good using dough bait.

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

Maxwell Lake 13: Closed for the season.

Monastery Lake: Closed due to COVID health concerns. Check the Open Gate webpage for future updates.

Morphy Lake: Closed for a renovation project on the dam and no firm opening date is set.

Pecos River: Stream flow near the Village of Pecos Monday morning was not measured due to ice. Fishing for trout was fair using worms.

Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery Monday morning was 45.0 cfs. Fishing for trout near the hatchery was good using egg pattern, zebra midge and beadhead nymph flies.

Rio Grande: Stream flow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 322 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using heavy bright-colored nymph, egg pattern and midge flies.

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

Rio Mora: Stream flow Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

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

Storrie Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

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

Ute Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks will reopen to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Fishing for walleye was slow to fair using vibrating blade baits in 40 to 50-feet of water. The main lake surface temperature was in the mid-40s F.

Abiquiu Lake: The boat ramp is open.

Animas River: Water flow below Aztec Monday morning was 122 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. It is closed to boating and ice-fishing due to recent weather conditions that have led to unsafe lake surface conditions. The lake is currently closed to all watercraft, including canoes, kayaks, inflatables and all types of motorboats.

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

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

Chama River: Monday morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 102 cfs and 47 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was good using big nymph flies fished deep, midge pattern flies, brown and black size 12-16 weighted bead head nymph flies, hare’s ear, pheasant tail and mayfly pattern flies.

Cochiti Lake: Scheduled to reopen for day use beginning Jan. 4. Visitors to the lake will need to make a reservation by purchasing a ticket at least 24 hours in advance through www.recreation.gov. Tickets and reservations will NOT be sold at the lake. The boat ramp will be open.

El Vado Lake: El Vado Lake State Park is open at the Dam Day Use Area only from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and New Mexico residents only. The lake is closed to boating and ice-fishing due to recent weather conditions that have led to unsafe lake surface conditions.

Fenton Lake: Fenton Lake State Park opened to ice fishing beginning Saturday, Jan. 2. Fishing for trout was good using small pink jigs tipped with worms and PowerBait.

Heron Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. The lake can be accessed at Ridge Rock or La Laja. The lake is closed to boating and ice-fishing due to recent weather conditions that have led to unsafe lake surface conditions.

Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 17.9 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using midge and bead head nymph flies.

Laguna del Campo: Closed for the season.

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

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

Manzano Lake: Closed until further notice.

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

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

San Gregorio Lake: Anglers reported that the lake is frozen.

San Juan River: Stream flow Monday morning was 320 cfs. In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for trout was good using black leech pattern flies, black midge pupa pattern flies and black midge cluster pattern flies.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Closed due to COVID health concerns. Check the Department’s Alerts page for future updates.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was good using yellow and garlic flavored PowerBait.

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

Alumni Pond: Closed by NMSU due to COVID health concerns.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good using beadhead pheasant tail nymph flies and sinking Rapala lures fished with a casting bubble.

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

Caballo Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Elephant Butte Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for catfish was fair, using nightcrawlers, cut carp bait and dough bait. Fishing for walleye was good at the north end of the lake using plastic crawdad lures.

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

Gila River: Stream flow Monday morning was 52.4 cfs.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was good using nymph flies, marshmallows and spinners.

Percha Dam: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

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

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

Rio Grande: Stream flow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was .74 cfs.

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

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

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

Alto Lake: Fishing for rainbow trout was good using salmon peach PowerBait. Anglers reported the lake was limited to residents and to check openings before you go.

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

Black River: Stream flow at Malaga Monday morning was 9.57 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. It appears now that the lake will be out of commission until 2022.

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

Bottomless Lakes: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Brantley Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing for trout was good using white PowerBait.

Chaparral Park Lake: Fishing for trout was good using salmon eggs, cheese dough bait, nightcrawlers and PowerBait.

Corona Pond: Fishing for trout was good using earthworms.

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

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing for trout was good using cheese dough bait and salmon eggs.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good using salmon peach PowerBait and marshmallows. Anglers reported the lake was limited to residents and to check openings before you go.

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

Lake Van: Fishing for trout was good using PowerBait.

Oasis Park Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for trout was fair to good using PowerBait and spoons.

Pecos River: Stream flow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 21.4 cfs.

Perch Lake: Fishing for trout was good using cheese yellow and salmon peach PowerBait.

Ruidoso River: Stream flow Monday morning at Hollywood was 4.09 cfs.

Santa Rosa Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information. Fishing for walleye was good using nightcrawlers on trolling hooks.

Sumner Lake: In accordance with the Public Health Order, effective Dec. 3, NM State Parks reopened to New Mexico residents for day-use only. Please check the State Parks’ website for more information.

My name is Dyllon Drake. I am 28-years-old and grew up and still live in Aztec. On Sunday, Dec. 27, I was fly-fishing in the San Juan River’s upper Quality Waters section during a very cloudy day with a snowflake falling occasionally. While walking out of the river for the day, I could not help but notice what looked like a really good rainbow trout rising to what looked like emerging midges. Only his back and fin were coming out of the water.

I quickly tied on a size 24 black midge pupa pattern, adjusted my setup and took one cast about 15-feet above the rising fish and sure enough, I saw my indicator go down. I set the hook and the fight was on!

Anyone who has ever fished a size 24 fly with 6x/3lb test line knows that when you hook into a big fish, he controls you and you can only “motivate” him to move at best, so to net the fish as quickly as possible, I had to go to him instead of him coming to me.

The first two attempts to move him in and net him resulted in him fighting and taking out more line. On the third try, I got downstream of him, guided him to my net and luckily, he was tired enough to let me net him. The fish was outrageously beautiful, full of different shades of pinks, oranges and everything in between.

Though I am no fish expert, I believe that it was getting ready to spawn because of the coloration of the fish. A quick measurement proved to me what I thought: It was a very nice rainbow, coming in at 23-inches long. After a quick photo op, I revived and released the fish healthy to live another day. The fish safely swam away and went right back to the hole I had caught it in.  This was the last fish I caught in 2020, a big 23-inch, beautiful, healthy rainbow trout. I think it was a sign from above, and the more I think about it, it was a sign that told me that no matter how long or tough times are there is and always will be great moments in our life; it is just up to us to put things into perspective and appreciate what we have – or in this case, what we catch.

Thanks for your time and God bless,

Dyllon