New Mexico Fishing and Stocking Reports for Jan. 8
OutdoorHub 01.08.13
CATCHES OF THE WEEK:
- Rio Grande: Jan. 5, Andres Garcia of Phoenix caught a 32-inch, 10-pound brown trout while fishing the Taos Box. He was fishing in 10 degree weather and fishing for northern pike at the time. The bait used was a custom-made slumber bait.
- Navajo Lake: Jan. 5, Clayton Herrera of Aztec caught and released a 41.5-inch northern pike. He was using a Dynamic jerk bait.
- These came in too late for last week’s report but we felt they were definitely worth mentioning:
- Tingley Beach: Dec. 28, Bruce Hopper caught and released several rainbow trout ranging from 24 to 27 inches in length. He was fishing the Catch and Release Pond and using a size 18 midge larva. Dec. 31, Owen Jacobsen, age 8, caught and released a 24-inch rainbow trout at the same pond. He was using a size 24 gray RS2.
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 while the dam is being rebuilt.
- Charette Lakes: Closed for the season.
- Clayton Lake: Closed for the season.
- Conchas Lake: Fishing from the bank was slow for all species again this past week. We had no reports from boaters.
- Coyote Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Eagle Nest Lake: As of this past weekend the lake was open to walk-in-only ice fishing. No snowmobiles or ATVs allowed on the ice at this time. Ice thickness ranged from 11 to 14 inches. Fishing was a bit sporadic but some anglers reported success using meal worms, wax worms and ice jigs for a mixed bag of perch and rainbow trout. We had no reports on northern pike.
- Lake Maloya: Ice conditions over the weekend ranged from a depth of 6.5 to 9.5 inches. Fishing was fair to good using garlic Power Bait, salmon eggs and corn for 9- to 12-inch trout.
- Los Pinos: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Manzano Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Maxwell Lake 13: Closed for the season.
- Monastery Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Morphy Lake: Closed for the season.
- Pecos River: Trout fishing was slow to fair using wax worms, small streamers, egg patterns and salmon eggs. Most of the action again this past week was below the town of Pecos to the Villanueva area.
- Red River: Water flow below the hatchery was 20 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Red River City Ponds: Closed for the season.
- Rio Grande: The water flow Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 312 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using San Juan worms, leeches, sparkle worms, bead head pheasant tails and salmon eggs. We had no reports on other species.
- Rio Hondo: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Rio Mora: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Santa Barbara: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Springer Lake: We had no reports from anglers.
- Storrie Lake: A layer of ice covers the entire lake and it is closed to fishing at this time. For updated conditions contact the Storrie Lake State Park office at 505-425-7278.
- Stubblefield Lake: The lake has reopened with a new agreement reached with the Vermejo Conservancy District. However, with the current low water conditions, fishing is discouraged at this time.
- Ute Lake: Fishing pressure continued to be very light this past week. Fishing was slow for all species but there were a few walleye taken by anglers using slab spoons and jig and minnow combinations. They were jigging off deep flats. We had no reports on other species. The surface water temp was in the low to mid 40s.
Northwest
- Abiquiu Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Animas River: Monday morning water flow at Aztec was 277 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using leeches, egg patterns, copper John Barrs and salmon eggs.
- Albuquerque Area Drains: Trout fishing on the drains was fair to good using wax worms, salmon eggs, small streamers, parachute adams and Griffith’s gnats. Our best reports this week came from Albuquerque South, Peralta and Corrales Drains.
- Bluewater Lake: Ice thickness as of Monday was about 7 inches. Fishing was reported as slow for all species with just a few trout taken by anglers using Power Bait and wax worms. For updated ice conditions contact the Bluewater State Park office at 505-876-2391.
- Canjilon Lakes: We had no reports from anglers.
- Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 155 cfs and 77 cfs respectively. Fishing pressure was light at both locations. There were a few trout taken at both locations. Best baits were egg patterns, San Juan worms and salmon eggs.
- Cochiti Lake: As of Monday there was thin ice in most locations around the shoreline including the boat ramp area. We had no reports from anglers.
- El Vado Lake: There is a thin layer of ice on the entire lake which is considered unsafe for ice fishing.
- Fenton Lake: The lake is off limits to fishing at this time. Plan on heading up here for great ice-out fishing in the spring.
- Heron Lake: There was a thin layer of ice on the lake over the weekend. The lake is closed to fishing at this time. For updated ice conditions contact the State Park office at 575-588-7470.
- Jackson Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Jemez Waters: Water flow on the Jemez River as of Monday morning was 16 cfs and the area was receiving a rather heavy snowfall. Trout fishing on the lower Jemez was fair to good for anglers using small copper John Barrs, wax worms and salmon eggs. We had no reports on other streams in this area.
- Laguna del Campo: Closed for the season.
- Lake Farmington: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Navajo Lake: Fishing for northern pike was slow to fair using jerk baits, crank baits and swim baits. We had no reports on other species. The surface water temp was in the low to mid 40s.
- Ramah Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- San Juan: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 350 cfs. Fishing in the Quality Water section was very good using egg patterns, foam wing emergers, bunny leeches, Griffith’s gnats and streamers. Phil and Denise Gilbert of Albuquerque reported fishing as great in the upper flats over the holiday weekend. They caught and released a large number of rainbows most of which were in the 8 to 12 inch range. They were using size 18 salmon colored egg patterns, size 20 red annelids and size 24 chocolate foam wing emergers. Fishing through the bait waters was fair to good using copper John Barrs, brassies, Griffith’s gnats, worms, wax worms and salmon eggs.
- Santa Cruz Lake: The boat ramp has been closed due to low water conditions. We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Seven Springs Brood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Tingley Beach: Trout fishing at the Children’s Pond and the Central Pond was a bit sporadic but several anglers did well using wax worms, garlic cheese, salmon peach Power Bait and corn salmon egg combinations. Trout fishing at the Catch and Release Pond was fair to good using bunny leeches, RS2s, dead chickens and midge larva.
Southwest
- Bear Canyon: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Bill Evans Lake: Trout fishing was slow to fair using garlic scented Power Bait, salmon eggs and homemade dough bait. We had no reports on other species.
- Caballo Lake: All boat ramps have been closed and will remain closed until it is safe for launching. Fishing pressure continued to be very light this past week and we had no reports from anglers.
- Elephant Butte: Fishing pressure this past week was very light. A few black bass, white bass and a small walleye were caught by anglers using spoons, blade baits and jigs worked deep and slow off points. We had no reports on other species. The Monticello, Dam Site and Rock Canyon boat ramps remain closed due to low water conditions.
- Escondida Lake: Trout fishing was fair to good using wax worms, garlic cheese, Power Bait, salmon eggs and homemade dough baits.
- Gila River: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 65 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Glenwood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Lake Roberts: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Percha Dam: The water was low and fishing was slow for all species.
- Quemado Lake: As of Monday the majority of the lake was covered with a thin layer of ice which was unsafe for fishing.
- Rio Grande: Water flow below Elephant Butte as of Monday was .70 cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.
- Snow Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Southeast
- Bataan Lake: Trout fishing was fair to good using Power Bait and salmon eggs. We had no reports on other species.
- Black River: As of Monday stream flow above Malaga was 9.4 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Blue Hole Park Pond: Fishing was slow but there were a few trout taken by anglers using Power Bait, salmon eggs and cheese.
- Bonito Lake: Closed.
- Bosque Redondo: Fishing was slow for all species.
- Bottomless Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- 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: Trout fishing was fair to good using Power Bait, spinners and salmon eggs.
- El Rito Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Green Meadow Lake: Trout fishing was fair using worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait and Pistol Petes. We had no reports on other species.
- Grindstone Reservoir: The lake has iced over and is closed to fishing at the present time.
- Jal Lake: Trout fishing was slow to fair using Power Bait and salmon eggs.
- Lake Van: Trout fishing was fair to good using Power Bait, homemade dough baits, garlic cheese and Pistol Petes. We had no reports on other species.
- Oasis Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Pecos River: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 20 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Perch Lake: Trout fishing was slow to fair using salmon peach Power Bait, garlic cheese and Pistol Petes.
- Ruidoso River: Water flow at Hollywood on Monday was 3.6 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
- Santa Rosa Lake: Ice around the shoreline kept anglers away from the banks and we had no reports this week. The boat ramp remains closed to motorized craft.
- Sumner Lake: Fishing pressure was very light and fishing was slow for all species. The Violation Canyon boat ramp remains open at this time and will remain open as long as lake levels permit.
