New Mexico Fishing Report, Oct. 2
OutdoorHub 10.02.12
CATCHES OF THE WEEK:
- Bluewater Lake: Sept. 27, Dennis Montean of Peoria, Ariz., caught and released a 45-inch tiger musky. He was using a Dynamic FX fury. Sept. 27, Matt Pelletier of Albuquerque caught and released a 42-inch tiger musky. He was using a halo white FX fury.
- Cochiti Lake: Sept. 30, Michael Giudicissi of Albuquerque caught a 30-inch northern pike. He was using a pearl white crank bait and credits the catch to a good net job by son, Samuel.
- Lake Roberts: Over the past weekend, Todd Chetley of Las Cruces caught an 8-pound catfish. He was fishing by the dam and using a secret homemade bait.
The following came in too late for last week’s report but we felt they were definitely worth mentioning:
- Bluewater Lake: Sept. 20 and 21, Richard Villegas and Mario Holguin of Las Cruces caught and released several tiger muskies in the 29 to 36 inch range. They were using silver spoons and plastic swim baits.
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 fishforfun2@hotmail.com. We may include your story in our next report. For catches of the week, include name, date, and location, type of fish, length and weight if possible and bait, lure or fly used.
Oct. 2
Northeast
Cabresto Lake: The lake and campground closed May 14 and will stay closed for about six months while the dam is being rebuilt.
Charette Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Cimarron River: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake on Monday was 13 cfs. Fishing was good using tungsten bead flash bugs, brassies, small bead-head pheasant tails and small copper John Barrs for a mix of browns and fat rainbow trout. Fishing at the Gravel Pit Lakes was fair using salmon eggs.
Clayton Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was very light. Due to low water conditions, only small boats, kayaks and canoes can be launched.
Conchas Lake: Good news for boat-owner anglers. The Cannon Cove Campground boat ramp is open and fully functional. Fishing was slow to fair using crank baits, jerk baits and topwater lures for a mix of smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was slow to fair using jig and minnow combinations and spoons for white bass and walleye. We had no reports on other species.
Coyote Creek: Trout fishing was good using salmon eggs and a variety of bead-head nymphs.
Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing was a bit sporadic this past week for kokanee and rainbow trout. Anglers did best using worms and Power Bait from the bank and from anchored boats. A few fish were also taken by anglers trolling spinners at depths of 5 to 15 feet. Fishing was fair using worms for perch. The kokanee snagging season opened Oct. 1. The kokanee are in their spawning colors and should turn on any day.
Hopewell Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Maloya: Trout fishing was fair using copper John Barrs, Pistol Petes, spoons, spinners and Power Bait.
Los Pinos: Trout fishing was fair using copper John Barrs, prince nymphs and worms.
Maxwell Lake 13: We had no reports from anglers.
Monastery Lake: Trout fishing was slow to fair using Power Bait and salmon eggs
Morphy Lake: Trout fishing was slow to fair using Power Bait and cheese. Fishing pressure was light.
Pecos River: Water flow near the town of Pecos on Monday was30 cfs. Trout fishing was good using Power Bait, worms, salmon eggs, flashback pheasant tails, brassies, bead-head prince nymphs and small spinners.
Red River: Water flow below the hatchery was 38 cfs. Trout fishing was fair to good using copper John Barrs, poundmeisters, worms and salmon eggs.
Rio Costilla: Water flow as of Monday was 4.2 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Grande: The water flow Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 219 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using small flash back pheasant tails, copper John Barrs, poundmeisters, San Juan worms and spinners. We had no reports on other species with the exception of one very small smallmouth bass taken on a perch colored jerk bait.
Rio Hondo: Water flow near Valdez on Monday was 14cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Mora: Water flow near Terrero on Monday was 6.9 cfs. Fishing was fair using worms and small bead-head nymphs.
Rio Pueblo: Trout fishing was a bit slow but there were a few browns caught by anglers using olive slump busters.
Santa Barbara: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Shuree Ponds: The water level on the ponds has been quite low and fishing was reported as slow.
Springer Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Storrie Lake: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait, salmon eggs, corn and cheese. We had no reports on other species.
Ute Lake: Fishing was fair to good using nightcrawlers in deep water for catfish. With the exception of a few largemouth bass and smallmouth bass taken on topwater lures, fishing was slow for all other species. The surface water temp was in the high 60s.
Northwest
Abiquiu Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using crank baits, small swim baits and spinner worm combinations for walleye. Fishing was slow to fair using crank baits, tubes, worms and swim baits for smallmouth bass. Kokanee snagging season opened here on Oct. 1, but we had no reports from anglers.
Animas River: Monday morning flow near Aztec was 59 cfs. We had no reports from anglers.
Bluewater Lake: Fishing was fair using Dynamic and Rapala crank baits, white Bombers and swim baits for tiger musky. We had no reports on other species.
Canjilon Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 605 cfs and 311 cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was very good using nightcrawlers, worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs and spinner worm combos for a mix of brown and rainbow trout. Corey Shaffer of Rio Rancho caught a 19.5-inch brown trout using a spinner worm combo. Trout fishing below Abiquiu was fair using wooly buggers, nightcrawlers and Power Bait. A section of the river from El Vado Lake to the west boundary of the Rio Chama Wildlife and Fishing Area opened to salmon snagging Oct. 1 but we had no reports from anglers this week.
Cochiti Lake: Fishing was generally slow for all species but there were a few smallmouth bass, white bass and northern pike taken by anglers using crank baits and grubs. We had no reports on other species.
El Vado Lake: Kokanee snagging opened Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 31.The lake level continues to drop but the main park boat ramp is still open. We had no reports from anglers this week.
El Rito Creek: Trout fishing was fair using worms and salmon eggs.
Fenton Lake: Fishing was very good using worms, green Power Bait, salmon eggs, black wooly buggers and olive and black Pistol Petes.
Heron Lake: From Oct. 1 through Nov. 8 it is unlawful to possess kokanee from here or from Willow Creek. Any kokanee caught while fishing for other species must be immediately released. These waters are also closed to kokanee snagging during this time period. Trout fishing was slow.
Jackson Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week
Jemez Waters: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 11 cfs. Trout fishing here and on the Cebolla above and below Fenton Lake was good this past week. Anglers did well using worms, salmon egg and small bead-head nymphs. We had no reports from the other streams. If you are interested in fishing on the Valles Caldera go to www.vallescaldera.gov.
Laguna del Campo: Fishing was slow to fair using Power Bait and Pistol Petes for trout. This is a special trout water open to anglers age 14 years or under, 65 years and older, handicapped anglers or up to 2 parents/guardians in direct supervision of a child or children age 14 years or younger who is fishing. This water was formerly known as Burn’s Canyon Lake and is open to fishing through Oct. 31.
Lake Farmington: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Manzano Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Navajo Lake: Kokanee snagging opened here and on the Pine River Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 31. Opening day was slow and there were no signs of porpoising salmon. Fishing was slow to fair using deep diving crank baits, jigs and grubs for smallmouth bass. Over the weekend, Kent and Brian Kelly of Albuquerque found several 2 to 3 pound smallmouth at 30 feet. They were fishing a main lake point and using watermelon red flake grubs on football jig heads and working them slowly along the bottom. We had no reports on other species. Surface water temps ranged from 64 to 68 degrees.
Ramah Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
San Gregorio Lake: Trout fishing was slow.
San Juan: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 792 cfs. Trout fishing in the Quality Waters was good using San Juan worms, small wooly buggers, emergers, small parachute adams, WD40s, gray and tan RS2s and dead chickens. Fishing through the bait waters was very good using nightcrawlers, San Juan worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, spinners, and jerk baits.
Santa Cruz Lake: Fishing pressure was very light again this past week and fishing was slow for all species. The boat ramp has been closed due to low water conditions.
Seven Springs Brood Pond: Trout fishing was fair to good using worms, salmon eggs and Power Bait. This water is open to fishing for youth under the age of 12 and an excellent place to take youngsters and get them interested in fishing. The pond is well stocked to offer youngsters a great fishing experience.
Tingley Beach: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Southwest
Bear Canyon: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Bill Evans Lake: The lake level is currently being drawn down due to water quality issues on the Gila since the big fire. The lake will remain open to fishing and camping but boat ramps will be inaccessible. We had no reports from anglers.
Caballo Lake: All boat ramps have been closed and will remain closed until such time as water levels rise and are deemed safe for launching. The lake will remain open to canoes, kayaks and other nonmotorized boats. Bank fishing was slow to fair using liver, hot dogs and nightcrawlers for catfish. Fishing for all other species was slow.
Elephant Butte: Fishing was slow to fair using crank baits, minnows, slab spoons and grubs for a mixed bag of white bass, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing for catfish was good using nightcrawlers, shrimp and homemade dough baits. We had no reports on other species. Again this past week, anglers reported the best fishing times to be early to mid morning and during the evening hours. Anglers reported catches from the bank and from boats. Surface water temps were in the mid 60s to low 70s. The Monticello, Dam Site and Rock Canyon boat ramps remain closed due to low water conditions.
Escondida Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Gila River: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 32 cfs. Although the Middle and West Forks and their tributaries are and will continue to be affected by the ash, the East Fork is unaffected and the smallmouth population is strong. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Glenwood Pond: Trout fishing was fair using Power Bait and salmon eggs.
Lake Roberts: Trout fishing was very good this past weekend as anglers did well using salmon eggs and spinners. A few catfish were taken by anglers using homemade dough baits. We had no reports on other species.
Percha Dam: The water was low and fishing was slow for all species was slow.
Quemado Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Rio Grande: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 4 cfs. Fishing here and below Caballo was slow due to low water conditions. We had one report of an anglers catching a 3-pound walleye below Caballo in the Riverside area.
Snow Lake: Some access roads have been cleared and the lake is now open. From Reserve you can access the lake by taking FR 141 to FR 128. From Beaver Head take FR 159 to FR 142. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Southeast
Bataan Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Bonito Lake: Closed.
Bosque Redondo: Fishing was slow for all species although there were a few catfish caught by anglers using nightcrawlers.
Bottomless Lakes: Fishing was slow for all species.
Brantley Lake: Anglers are to practice catch-and-release for all fish here as high levels of DDT were found in several fish.
Carlsbad Municipal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Grindstone Reservoir: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait, salmon eggs and worms.
Jal Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Lake Van: Fishing was slow for all species.
Oasis Park Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. .
Pecos River: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 67 cfs. Fishing was slow for all species and fishing pressure was very light.
Perch Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Ruidoso River: Water flow at Ruidoso on Monday was 5.3 cfs. Trout fishing was slow.
Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing from the bank was slow to fair using nightcrawlers and minnows for a mixed bag of catfish and walleye. We had no reports on other species. Fishing pressure was very light and we had no reports on other species. The boat ramp has been closed but the lake is accessible for canoes and kayaks.
Sumner Lake: Fishing pressure was very light again this past week and fishing was slow for all species. The boat ramps have reopened and will remain open as long as lake levels permit.
