Abiquiu Lake: Bryan Zuanetti of Santa Fe caught a 29.5-inch 8-pound walleye using a jig and plastic minnow April 3.

Bluewater Lake: Walter Sarracino of Grants caught a 24-inch rainbow trout using hot pink PowerBait April 2.

Brantley Lake: Michael Proctor of Carlsbad caught and released a 15-inch crappie using a yellow and green crankbait April 2.

Caballo Lake: Tina McClendis of Alamogordo caught a 16-inch largemouth bass using a minnow April 2.

Conchas Lake: Diego Baca and Bryan Novotny of Rio Rancho caught and released several largemouth bass ranging in size from 14.5-inches to 19-inches using medium diving crankbaits April 2.

Grindstone Reservoir: Jose Mendez of Roswell caught a 20-inch 2.4-pound rainbow trout using yellow PowerBait April 3.

Oasis Park Lake: Layla Rodriguez, age 12, of Portales caught a 22-inch catfish using PowerBait April 4.

Pecos River: Marcus Lucero, age 10, of Albuquerque caught a 10.5-inch brown trout using a pheasant tail nymph fly April 3.

Rio Grande: Cindy Maxwell of Rio Rancho caught a 28-inch 12-pound channel catfish south of Albuquerque using chicken liver April 2. George Torres of Stanley caught and released a 48-inch 38-pound 9-ounce flathead catfish using cut bait north of Elephant Butte Lake April 3. Jared Cash of Los Lunas caught a 28-pound flathead catfish using cut bait north of Elephant Butte Lake March 30.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Isaac, Felicia and Madalynn Gallegos, ages 12, 8 and 4, of La Puebla caught 11 trout using white PowerBait April 1.

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Cimarron River: Stream flow near Cimarron Monday morning was 11.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using worms, salmon eggs and peach PowerBait. Maverick campground (gravel pit) was clear of most ice and fishable.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was good using PowerBait.

Conchas Lake: Conchas Lake State Park has closed access to all boat ramps due to dropping water levels. The boat ramps on the south side of the lake managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are open. Fishing for walleye and crappie was fair to good using silver and blue crankbait lures, curly tail grubs and minnow swim jigs. Fishing for largemouth bass was good using medium diving crankbait lures.

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 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 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Eagle Nest Lake: The lake is now open to shore fishing. Fishing for pike was good using Mepps lures and spoons.

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 good using beadhead nymph flies.

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

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

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

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

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

Monastery Lake: Closed due to COVID-19 health concerns. Check the Open Gate webpage for future updates.

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was good using Blue Fox #2 spinners and gold Panther Martin spinners.

Pecos River: Stream flow near the town of Pecos Monday morning was 66.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using Panther Martin spinners, San Juan Worm flies and pheasant tail nymph flies.

Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery Monday morning was 47.6 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair using small bead head nymph flies.

Rio Grande: Stream flow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 411 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using gold Panther Martin spinners, Mepps spinners, PowerBait and salmon eggs.

Rio Hondo: Stream flow Monday morning near Valdez was 50.2 cfs.

Rio Mora: Stream flow Monday morning was not measured due to ice. Fishing for trout was fair to good using worms.

Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco Monday morning was 51.3 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good using white and green PowerBait. Boat fishing was good using silver Kastmaster lures, spinners and Woolly Bugger flies.

Shuree Ponds: Closed until July 1, 2021.

Springer Lake: Fishing for pike was fair to good using chicken hotdogs and chicken liver.

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

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for white bass was good in Ute Creek and the Upper Canadian casting curly tail grubs and swimbaits to the shallows. Fishing for walleye was good using jerk baits and swim baits just before sunup and after sundown. Fishing for bass was fair to good using vibrating jigs, squarebill crankbaits and spinnerbaits. The water surface temperature was in the low to mid 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for walleye was good jigging plastic minnows. Fishing for smallmouth bass was good using curly tail grubs.

Animas River: Water flow below Aztec Monday morning was 258 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains: Fishing for trout was fair using beadhead nymph flies, salmon eggs and PowerBait. Fishing for bass was fair to good using Monster Bugger leech pattern flies.

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good using pink, green and yellow PowerBait.

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 195 cfs and 463 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was fair to good using nightcrawlers and PowerBait. We had no reports from below Abiquiu Lake. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream seven miles to Abiquiu Dam’s base is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.

Cochiti Lake: Visitors to the lake 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. Fishing for pike was fair using Rapala jerk baits. Fishing for bass was fair using watermelon salt craw baits.

El Vado Lake: El Vado Lake Dam Day Use area is open. The main lake area, boat launch and campground opened April 1. Camping by reservation only.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was good using pheasant tail nymph flies, leech pattern flies, hare’s ear pattern flies, worms, salmon eggs, green and yellow PowerBait and green and yellow Pistol Pete spinner flies. Please remember, only two cutthroat trout are allowed to be harvested per day within the regular five-fish limit.

Heron Lake: The lake is open for fishing. All boat ramps are closed due to low water levels. Paddle craft can be launched from the shoreline. Limited campgrounds are open and camping is by reservation only.

Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez near the town of Jemez Monday morning was 72.7 cfs. Fishing for trout on the Rio San Antonio was good using nymph pattern flies.

Laguna del Campo: Closed for the season; will open May 1, 2021.

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

Lake Farmington: Fishing for trout was good using garlic PowerBait.

Manzano Lake: Closed until further notice.

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

Navajo Lake: Fishing for trout was slow to fair using spinners and jointed lures.

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

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

San Juan River: Stream flow Monday morning was 424 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good using black leech pattern flies, red annelid flies and midge larva flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good using corn and worms.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Closed due to COVID-19 health concerns. Check the Department’s Alerts page for future updates.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for trout was good using corn, salmon eggs, worms and yellow garlic-scented PowerBait.

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

Alumni Pond: Fishing for trout was fair to good using brown and yellow winged dry flies, garlic PowerBait, maggots and small spinners.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for trout was good using yellow PowerBait and Baetis nymph flies.

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

Caballo Lake: Fishing for white bass was good using small deep-diving Bandit crankbaits. Fishing for crappie was fair to good using curly tail grubs. Fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good using minnows.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was good trolling white crankbaits. Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair to good using crankbaits. Fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good using drop shot worms. Fishing for catfish was good using shad, cut carp bait and worms. The water surface temperature was in the low to mid 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

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

Gila River: Stream flow Monday morning was 53.6 cfs.

Glenwood Pond: Anglers reported fishing for trout was slow.

Lake Roberts: Anglers reported fishing for trout was slow.

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

Quemado Lake: Anglers reported fishing for trout was slow.

Rancho Grande Ponds: Fishing for trout was fair using rainbow-colored PowerBait.

Rio Grande: Stream flow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 0 cfs. Fishing for catfish north of Elephant Butte Lake was good using cut bait.

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

Trees Lake: Fishing for trout was good using worms, PowerBait, salmon eggs, corn and small spinners.

Young Pond: Fishing for trout was good using brown and yellow winged dry flies, marshmallows, rainbow-colored PowerBait and corn.

Alto Lake: Fishing for trout was good using PowerBait.

Bataan Lake: Fishing for trout was good using salmon peach Powerbait with glitter.

Black River: Stream flow at Malaga Monday morning was 6.18 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 that the lake will be out of commission until 2022.

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

Bottomless Lakes: Fishing for trout was fair using white PowerBait.

Brantley Lake: Fishing for crappie was fair to good using yellow and green crankbaits.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Corona 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 fair to good using white PowerBait and spinners.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good using salmon peach PowerBait and yellow PowerBait.

Jal Lake: Fishing for trout was fair using dough bait.

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

Oasis Park Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good using PowerBait and worms. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using PowerBait.

Pecos River: Stream flow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 65.0 cfs.

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

Ruidoso River: Stream flow Monday morning at Hollywood was 4.54 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair using salmon eggs.

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair using minnows and curly tail grubs. Fishing for crappie was fair using curly tail grubs and minnows. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using minnows and worms.

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

With water temperatures in the low 50 degrees Fahrenheit, we chose to fish for the aggressive shallower fish, which meant covering a lot of water. With the trolling motor down, Diego and I rotated between lipless crankbaits, medium diving crankbaits and squarebill crankbaits until we dialed the fish into one particular pattern. The 5-foot to 9-foot zone on sunny main lake chunk rock banks with a slight sloping drop mixed with sporadic boulder rocks was the final established pattern. Some smaller fish were caught shallower on lipless crankbaits and squarebill crankbaits as well.

For larger fish, Bandit 200/300 series and Bomber 7A crankbaits in white and firetiger colors were the lure of choice. We were using Daiwa Tatula bait casting reels spooled with eight-pound P-Line CXX with seven-foot custom-built Batson RX-7 crankbait rods.

Spring bass fishing is starting to get good!

Share your tips and tricks with your fellow angler’s by emailing us at funfishingnm@gmail.comand let’s help the next generation of anglers find success.

Thanks for reading and supporting our angling community!