NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Cowles Ponds: Arrow, age 5, was ecstatic after catching his first trout using worms on Sept. 13.

Hopewell Lake: Hugo Melchor, of El Paso, Texas, caught and released 12 trout using hand-tied jig flies on Sept. 6. “I am very grateful to continue to fish on the fly,” said Hugo, a 59-year-old disabled Navy veteran. “I appreciate the great state of New Mexico for all they do to provide us with such awesome therapy.”

Morphy Lake: Lilly Lovato, age 9, caught a trout using Salmon Peach PowerBait on Sept. 5. “Lilly wasn’t feeling like fishing much, and right before we decided to leave, she grabbed the fishing rod and cast it in,” her dad said. “Right when she was tightening her line, she yelled, ‘Dad, I have a bite!’ I told her to pull it in. She got the biggest fish.”

Red River: Stephanie Johnson caught five rainbow trout using worms below the Red River Hatchery on Sept. 12. “Texas will be proud of this catch,” she said.

Rio Grande: Seth Hardy caught and released several brown and rainbow trout, including this 18-inch rainbow, using an olive sled-tied streamer fly on Sept. 11 near Questa.

NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Cabresto Lake: The most recent report was received Aug. 28. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good when using olive bead head caddis flies.

Charette Lakes: Fishing for trout was very good when using worms.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Wednesday morning was 12.5 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Cowles Ponds: Fishing for trout was very good when using worms.

Coyote Creek: The most recent report was received Sept. 11. Fishing for trout was good when using spinners.

Eagle Nest Lake: The New Mexico Environment Department has reported a potentially harmful algae bloom at the lake and the public is advised to take precautions, including keeping pets out of the water and avoiding swimming in the algae bloom. For updated lake conditions and potential hazards, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was very good when using hand-tied jig flies.

Lake Maloya: The most recent report was received Aug. 28. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait Mice Tails and Pistol Pete flies.

Monastery Lake: The most recent report was received Aug. 28. At that time,fishing for trout was slow when using worms and Pistol Petes. 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 to good when using Salmon Peach PowerBait.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Wednesday morning was 96.3 cfs. The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for trout was very good when using PowerBait and good when using elk-hair caddis and Adams flies.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Wednesday morning was 43.7 cfs. Fishing for rainbow trout was very good when using worms below the Red River Hatchery.

Red River Hatchery: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for rainbow trout was good when using salmon eggs and slow to fair when using leech-like flies.

Rio Costilla: The most recent report was received Sept. 11. Fishing for trout was slow when using size 16-18 bead head Baetis Nymph flies past the fish barrier.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Wednesday morning was 229 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using flies. Fishing for smallmouth bass was very good when using Pete’s spinner flies. Fishing for northern pike was good when using spinnerbaits.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Wednesday morning was 13.6 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Wednesday morning was 43.3 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: The most recent report was received Aug. 28. At that time, fishing for trout was good when using worms.Streamflow near Peñasco Wednesday morning was 14.4 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for trout was slow when using PowerBait and spinners.

Shuree Ponds: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for trout was slow to fair when using leech-like flies from a kayak.

Storrie Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 11. Fishing for bluegill was good when using worms.

We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Clayton Lake, Conchas Lake, Eagle Rock Lake, Gallinas River, Harris Pond, Lake Alice, Los Pinos River, Maxwell Lake 13, Red River City Ponds, Springer Lake, Stubblefield Lake and Ute Lake.

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Canjilon Lakes: Larry Orona caught and released 10 trout using a variety of flies and lures on Sept. 5.

Fenton Lake: Hugo Melchor, of El Paso, Texas, caught and released 25 trout using hand-tied jig flies on Sept. 4. “It was just amazing,” he said.

Fenton Lake: Tessa caught a trout using PowerBait on her first cast during her first-ever fishing trip on Sept. 6.

Navajo Lake: Loren Worthen caught a largemouth bass using a Whopper Plopper on Sept. 13.

San Juan River: David Ivey caught and released 10 brown trout using a Baetis WD-40 fly on Sept. 12. “We had an absolutely awesome day on the quality water section of the San Juan River,” he said. “The brown trout were especially beautiful in color this time of year as they prepare for spawning.”

Seven Springs Kids’ Pond: Lincoln Gill caught 14 trout in less than two hours using black Woolly Buggers for his first time fly fishing on Sept. 14.

Tingley Beach: Jackson Martinez caught his personal-best bluegill using Siberian Titan Salmon Eggs on Sept. 8.

NORTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Abiquiu Lake: The most recent report was received Aug. 28. At that time,fishing for smallmouth bass was slow to fair when using wacky-rigged Senkos.Contact the Abiquiu Lake Main Office at 505-685-4371 for updated lake conditions and closure information.

Animas River: Streamflow below Aztec Wednesday morning was 307 cfs.

Bluewater Lake: Visit Bluewater Lake State Park’s webpage or call 505-876-2391 for more information.

Canjilon Lakes: Fishing for trout was very good when using a variety of flies and lures.

Cochiti Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 11. Fishing for northern pike was slow to fair when using frogs.

El Vado Lake: The lake is open to boating and angling with a primitive boat ramp available at the Dam Day Use Area, as well as the main (concrete) boat ramp and courtesy dock at El Vado Lake State Park. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Park’s webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait and very good when using hand-tied jig flies. Visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630 for updates.

Heron Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for smallmouth bass was slow when using gold Blue Fox Vibrax Wildeye Inline Spinners.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Wednesday morning was 17.8 cfs. The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for rainbow trout was good when using nightcrawlers on the Cebolla River.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass was slow to fair when using Whopper Ploppers and good when using worms.

Rio Chama: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was slow when using PowerBait, salmon eggs and nightcrawlers. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was good when using nightcrawlers. Streamflow below El Vado Lake Wednesday morning was 97.1 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Wednesday morning was 123 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: Streamflow at Albuquerque Wednesday morning was 232 cfs.

San Juan River: Streamflow near Archuleta Wednesday morning was 596 cfs. Fishing for brown trout was very good when using Baetis WD-40 flies in the quality waters.

Seven Springs Kids’ Pond: Fishing for trout was very good when using black Woolly Buggers. If you catch a native Rio Grande chub in the Kid’s Pond, please do not leave it on the bank; return it to the water where it can survive as part of our native ecosystem.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for bluegill was slow to fair when using Siberian Titan Salmon Eggs.

We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Albuquerque Area Drains, Brazos River, Grants Riverwalk Pond, Jackson Lake, Laguna del Campo, Lagunitas Lakes, Lake Farmington, Liam Knight Pond, McGaffey Lake, Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1), San Gregorio Lake, Tiger Park Reservoir and Trout Lakes.

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Elephant Butte Lake: Tony Pistilli and his group of five had a great day catching white bass using spoons on Sept. 11.

SOUTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing conditions have been adversely affected in the aftermath of the Trout Fire.

Bill Evans Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for largemouth bass was good when using 3-ounce white spinners.

Caballo Lake: The lake is now open to motorized boat use and the boat ramp has reopened, as water levels have returned to normal after work to remove excessive debris from the dam’s intake structure. Visit Caballo Lake State Park’s website for more information.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was very good when using spoons.

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Wednesday morning was 43.3 cfs.

Gila Waters: Streamflow near Gila Hot Springs Wednesday morning was 29.2 cfs.

Quemado Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 11. Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using PowerBait.

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

We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Escondida Lake, Glenwood Pond, Lake Roberts, Percha Dam, Rancho Grande Ponds, Snow Lake, Trees Lake and Young Pond.

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Eunice Lake: Robert Perez caught four largemouth bass using Megabass and Yozuri jerkbaits on Sept. 14. “The water is getting slightly cooler and jerkbait fishing is heating up,” he said. “Slow darting action is getting their attention.”

SOUTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Bataan Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 11. Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using shrimp.

Berrendo Creek: The most recent report was received Aug. 28. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good when using bacon. Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Wednesday morning was 17.1 cfs.

Bonito Lake: Fishing for trout was very good when using Panther Martin spinners and all forms of PowerBait. Only fishing activities are permitted at Bonito Lake.

Corona Pond: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using chicken liver and hot dogs.

Eunice Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good when using Megabass and Yozuri jerkbaits.

Greene Acres Lake: The most recent report was received Aug. 28. At that time, fishing for catfish was fair to good when using liver and nightcrawlers.

Grindstone Reservoir: Grindstone Reservoir is currently open for fishing. Due to changing wildlife impact closures, please see the Grindstone Reservoir Webpage before planning a visit.

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Wednesday morning was 40.6 cfs.

Rio Ruidoso: Streamflow at Hollywood on Wednesday morning was 61.2 cfs. Fishing conditions will be adversely affected for an extended period of time due to recent flooding in the area.

Santa Rosa Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 11. Fishing for walleye was good when using green spoons. Fishing for largemouth bass was very good when using “anything green.”

Sumner Lake: The most recent report was received Sept. 4. At that time, fishing for largemouth bass was good when using Texas-rigged Senkos.

We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Alto Lake, Blue Hole Park Pond, Bosque Redondo Lake, Bottomless Lakes, Brantley Lake, Carlsbad Municipal Lake, Chaparral Park Lake, Corona Pond, Dennis Chavez Pond, Estancia Park Lake, Green Meadow Lake, Harry McAdams Park Pond, Jal Lake, Lake Van, Ned Houk Ponds, Oasis Park Lake, Perch Lake, Rio Bonito, Rock Lake Hatchery Kids’ Pond, Spring River Pond and Timberon Ponds.

TIPS, TRICKS AND STORIES

‘Big Cat’ Stocking Begins this Summer

Editor’s Note: We are digging into our archives to bring you some tips, tricks and stories from the past. This week, we’re going back to the July-August 1993 edition of New Mexico Wildlife for a look back at The Department’s catfish stocking efforts in the early-to-mid 1990s.

Green Meadow Lake, near Hobbs, is one of seven locations the Department of Game and Fish stocked with catchable-size channel catfish in 1993. Daily bag limits were two catfish at those waters. (Photo by Miles McInnis)

Get ready for summer excitement because the “big cats” are arriving at seven New Mexico locations. We’re not talking about lions or tigers; the “big cats” are channel catfish.

In three rounds of stockings this season—in May, June and September—the Department of Game and Fish is planting approximately 12,667 catfish at Tingley Beach in Albuquerque, Lake Van near Dexter, Oasis State Park Lake near Portales and Clovis, Burn Lake in Las Cruces, Green Meadow Lake at Hobbs, and at Eunice and Jal lakes. Each catfish weighs about 1¼ pounds and measures 14 to 16 inches long.

What anglers should look for.

The goal in stocking the catfish is to provide more fishing opportunities where feasible in warm weather, said Department of Game and Fish Director Bill Montoya. In the summer and early fall, many of the smaller lakes in southern New Mexico are too warm for trout and, in the past, have provided few prospects for local anglers. (Designated as winter trout waters, these lakes are stocked with catchable-size rainbows from Nov. 1 to March 31 each year.)

“We decided to stock channel catfish because they can tolerate warm water, they are readily available from commercial sources, and anglers like to catch them,” said fisheries biologist Luke Shelby of Albuquerque. “Catfish are second only to trout in popularity among anglers who fish at small urban waters.”

(The channel catfish is the most widely cultivated warm-water species in North America, according to R.R. Stickney, inCulture of Nonsalmonid Freshwater Fishes, CRC Press, 1986).

The state will spend at least $19,000—about $1.50 per fish—in 1993 for this new program. To make fish available to more anglers, the State Game Commission changed the bag limits on the municipal and urban lakes shown at right to two catfish a day, four in possession. For catch-and-release fishing, an angler could fish the entire day on these waters and not travel far from home.

The new catfish waters tend to be shallow and broad, with limited water sources, so they constantly recycle nutrients and are potentially productive for fish. However, they are not necessarily adequate for growing fish from the egg to adult stages. That’s why a stocking program makes sense at these smaller lakes, and why the Department of Game and Fish is not stocking large catfish into waters that can grow good-sized catfish independently.

Other states have successfully experimented with similar programs. In the Phoenix area, for example, fisheries crews stock catfish into large irrigation canals and urban lakes.

“Big cat” waters may have warm-weather problems, such as not having enough dissolved oxygen or having a high pH (alkalinity) in July and August. Biologists will monitor these waters through creel checks, surveys and license sales to see how well the program works this year.

Channel catfish are native to the Canadian River drainage but have been widely stocked. The species can tolerate summer temperatures and will provide angling fun in the “big cat” waters shown on the map. (Map by Leslie Milton)

Channel catfish are native to the Canadian River drainage but have been widely stocked. The species can tolerate summer temperatures and will provide angling fun in the “big cat” waters shown on the map. (Map by Leslie Milton) 

“We know from an experimental stocking at Tingley Beach in 1992 and a follow-up survey that catfish stocking is extremely popular with anglers,” Shelby said. “If that proves the case in those other catfish waters, we hope to continue the program in 1994.”

In New Mexico, the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is native to the Canadian River drainage, although native stock there has been supplemented with channel catfish from hatchery sources. The species has been introduced widely in all other drainages of the state except the Tularosa.

The channel catfish is found in a wide variety of warm to cool water habitats, from large rivers with low gradients to ponds and reservoirs. Spawning occurs during the spring and summer. The fish feeds at night, most actively from sundown to midnight. Anglers are most successful catching channel catfish on chicken livers, aromatic dough baits and large night crawlers.

The largest channel catfish recorded taken in New Mexico by an angler was caught Feb. 27, 1990, and was 29 pounds, eight ounces. It was caught on shad at Elephant Butte Reservoir. The catfish, taken by Jean Bryant of Elephant Butte, was 38 inches long and 29 1/4 inches around. (Editor’s Note: This record has since been surpassed. A 36-pound, 8-ounce channel catfish measuring 38 inches long and 26 inches around was caught at Stubblefield Lake on April 12, 1999.)

That channel catfish may have been more than 10 years old—which gives warm-water anglers a few years to anticipate catching lunkers among those stocked this summer.