New Mexico Fishing Report for Oct. 9
OutdoorHub 10.09.12
CATCHES OF THE WEEK:
- Clayton Lake: Oct. 4, Dee Culbert of Texline, Texas, caught an 8.5-pound walleye. He was using a jig. Oct. 4, Mikey Montoya of Clayton caught a 7.5-pound and a 6.5-pound walleye. He was using a jig.
- Chama River: Oct. 6, Ray Sisneros of Cuba caught a 20.5-inch brown trout. He also caught an 18.5-inch and a 19.5-inch fish. All three browns were taken on nightcrawlers fished downstream from El Vado Lake.
- Eagle Nest Lake: Oct. 6, Monte Sullivan of Albuquerque caught a 25-inch, 7.25-pound rainbow trout. He was fishing from the bank and using rainbow Power Bait.
- Navajo Lake: Oct. 7, Mike Krabbe of Albuquerque caught and released a 4.24-pound smallmouth bass. He was using a Strike King green craw.
- Ute Lake: Oct. 6, the team of Lowery and Winsenbaker of Dalhart, Texas, caught and released a 4.21-pound smallmouth bass and a 4.19-pound largemouth bass. They were fishing a team tournament and using plastics. Oct. 7, the team of Pitman and Rosten caught and released a 5.71-pound smallmouth bass.
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.
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 as of Monday was 11 cfs. Fishing was fair using brassies, small bead-head pheasant tails and small copper John Barrs for a mix of browns and rainbows. Fishing at the Gravel Pit Lakes was fair using salmon eggs and Power Bait.
Clayton Lake: Fishing was fair to good using jigs for walleye. We had no reports on other species. Fishing pressure was 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 senkos, crank baits and jerk baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was slow to fair using minnows and spoons for walleye and white bass. A few catfish were taken by anglers using nightcrawler. We had no reports on other species.
Coyote Creek: Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs, pheasant tail nymphs and small copper John Barrs.
Eagle Nest Lake: The kokanee snagging season opened Oct. 1 but was reported as slow this past week. However, fishing from the bank was good using rainbow Power Bait, salmon eggs and spinners for a mixed bag of rainbow trout and kokanee. Anglers fishing from anchored boats and using Power Bait also reported some success. Fishing for perch was fair using worms. A few northern pike were caught by anglers using swim baits and Panther Martins.
Hopewell Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Maloya: Trout fishing was fair to good using Pistol Petes, wooly buggers, spinners and Power Bait.
Los Pinos: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Maxwell Lake 13: We had no reports from anglers.
Monastery Lake: Trout fishing was slow but there were a few fish taken on Power Bait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes.
Morphy Lake: Trout fishing was fair using Power Bait and cheese.
Pecos River: Water flow near the town of Pecos on Monday was 25 cfs. Trout fishing was good using flashback pheasant tails, bead-head prince nymphs, parachute adams, salmon eggs and small spinners.
Red River: Water flow below the hatchery was 34 cfs. Trout fishing was fair to good using emergers, copper John Barrs, poundmeisters, worms and salmon eggs.
Rio Costilla: Water flow as of Monday was 0.1 cfs. Look for more reports on this water next year.
Rio Grande: The water flow Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 215 cfs. Trout fishing was good with mayfly hatches coming off in the afternoon hours. Anglers did well using mayfly nymphs, emergers, parachute adams, baetis duns, pheasant tails, poundmeisters and spinners.
Rio Hondo: Water flow near Valdez on Monday was 13cfs. Trout fishing was slow to fair using parachute adams, bead-head pheasant tails and small copper John Barrs.
Rio Mora: Water flow near Terrero on Monday was 5.8 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Pueblo: Trout fishing was slow.
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 fair to good using Power Bait, salmon eggs and spinners. We had no reports on other species.
Ute Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass picked up considerably this past weekend. Anglers did well using crank baits, senkos and tubes in shallow water. Walleye fishing was fair for anglers using blade baits and minnows in 22 to 30 feet of water. Fishing for white bass was fair using slab spoons at 20 to 30 feet. Fishing for catfish was fair using liver and nightcrawlers. The surface water temp was in the low to mid 60s.
Northwest
Abiquiu Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using tubes, worms, senkos and crank baits for smallmouth bass. A few walleye were taken by anglers using spinner nightcrawler combinations. We had no reports on other species.
Animas River: As of Monday morning flow near Aztec was 64 cfs. We had no reports from anglers.
Bluewater Lake: Fishing was fair to good using crank baits, large swim baits and spinners for tiger musky. We had no reports on other species.
Canjilon Lakes: Trout fishing was slow but there were a few fish taken by anglers using spinners, Power Bait and salmon eggs.
Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 300 cfs and 257 cfs respectively. The flow below El Vado is expected to be down to 50 cfs by the end of the week. Fishing below El Vado was very good using nightcrawlers, Power Bait, copper John Barrs, wooly buggers, spinners and salmon eggs for a mix of brown and rainbow trout. Trout fishing below Abiquiu was fair to good 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 working this area.
Cochiti Lake: Fishing was slow but there were a few northern pike caught by anglers using crank baits and spinner baits. We had no reports on other species.
El Vado Lake: Kokanee snagging opened Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 31. Snagging was slow but started to pick up this past Saturday with a few taken by anglers working the west side of the dam. The lake level continues to drop but the main park boat ramp is still open.
El Rito Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Fenton Lake: Fishing was good using worms, Power Bait, black wooly buggers and olive and black Pistol Petes. Anglers did well from the bank and from boats.
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 but there were a few taken by anglers fishing from the bank and using salmon eggs and Power Bait.
Jackson Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week
Jemez Waters: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 9.2 cfs. Trout fishing here and on the Cebolla below Fenton Lake was good this past week. Anglers did best on the Cebolla using worms. On the Jemez best baits were 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: We had no reports from anglers this week. 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. There is an off-limits fishing and snagging area at the Pine boat ramp. For more information contact the State Park office at (505) 632-2278 or visit www.nmparks.com. We received reports ranging from fair to excellent from those snagging near the dam outlet and the Frances Canyon area. Be sure and check regulations regarding catch and possession limits. Rainbow trout fishing was good near the snagging areas for anglers using worms and salmon eggs. Bass fishing was reported as fair by angler using crank baits, craws and creature baits and fishing up the San Juan arm of the lake. Most of the bass were caught in less than 10 feet of water. A few northern pike were taken by anglers using crank baits and fishing in the Frances Canyon area. We had no reports on other species. The surface water temp was in the mid 60s.
Ramah Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
San Gregorio Lake: Trout fishing was slow.
San Juan River: Hot spot for trout: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 800 cfs. Trout fishing in the Quality Waters was very good using small parachute adams, midge emergers, red hots, fluff baetis, big macs and black and olive streamers. The streamers worked best on a sink tip or with added weight. Fishing through the bait waters was very good using nightcrawlers and spinners. Andrew Orlicky reported catching and releasing several fish through the bait waters Sunday. He was using small silver Panther Martins and Mepps spinners.
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: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait, worms and homemade dough baits. Anglers from the Washington Middle School Fishing Club did well this past Friday. They were using Power Bait on the bottom and caught a total of 14 trout including 2 limits and a nice 16-inch fish caught by Miguel and it was his first fish ever. We had no reports on other species.
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 non motorized boats. Bank fishing was fair using liver and nightcrawlers for catfish. We had no reports on other species.
Elephant Butte: Fishing was fair using blade baits, crank baits, minnows, slab spoons and grubs for a mixed bag of white bass, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Anglers doing best were following schools of shad located on their fish finders. Fishing for catfish was slow to fair using nightcrawlers and stink baits. We had no reports on other species. Good catches were again reported from the bank as well as from boats. Surface water temps were in the mid to high 60s. The Monticello, Dam Site and Rock Canyon boat ramps remain closed due to low water conditions.
Escondida Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Gila River: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 27 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. The few anglers that were out this past week reported fishing as slow.
Glenwood Pond: Trout fishing was fair using Power Bait and salmon eggs.
Lake Roberts: Hot spot for trout: Trout fishing continued to be very good this past week. Best baits were Power Bait, salmon eggs and spinners. We had no reports on other species.
Percha Dam: The water was low and fishing was slow for all species.
Quemado Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Rio Grande: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 0 cfs. We had no reports from here or below Caballo this week.
Snow Lake: With access roads open and a recent double stocking of rainbow trout, put this lake high on your list for some fall fishing from the bank. The roads in are a little bumpy and the water is low but fishing should be great. Let us know how you fare.
Southeast
Bataan Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Bonito Lake: Closed.
Bosque Redondo: We had no reports from anglers this week.
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: Fishing was slow for all species.
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: We had no reports from anglers this week.
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 3.2 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. 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 continued slow for all species. The boat ramps have reopened and will remain open as long as lake levels permit.
