CATCHES OF THE WEEK:

 

Abiquiu Lake: On April 27, Sean Matthews of Santa Fe caught a 22 ½ inch, 3.8 pound german brown. He was trolling a crank bait in 20 feet of water.

 

Chama River: On April 27, Chuck Estrada of Albuquerque caught and released a 21 inch brown. He was fishing about a mile and a half below El Vado Lake and using night crawlers.  

 

Ute Lake: On April 26, Donny McWhorter of Dalhart, TX caught an 8.2 pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig. On April 27, Tim Hollis of Amarillo, TX caught a 6.4 pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig. On April 27, Lee Thomas of Grady caught a 7 pound walleye. He was using a live minnow.

 

Navajo Lake: On April 26, Shaun Gill of Clovis caught a 7 pound 14 ounce largemouth bass. He was using a crank bait.

 

Conchas Lake: On April 27, Doug Manley of Albuquerque caught a 7.5 pound largemouth bass. He was fishing for walleye and using a jig.

 

 

NORTHEAST AREA

 

CHARETTE LAKES:           Trout fishing was rated as slow-to-fair on the lower lake. Anglers did best using power bait but a few fish were also taken on spinners.    

CIMARRON RIVER:            Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 28 cfs. Trout fishing was fair-to-good this past weekend for anglers using worms, streamers, bead head hares ears and gold spinners. The Gravel Pit Lakes were recently stocked but we had no reports from anglers.

CLAYTON LAKE:               Fishing from boats was very good this past week. Anglers reported catching limits of 12-to-15 inch trout while using Colorado spinners and spoons. Anglers trolling also picked up several largemouth bass and 14-to-16 inch walleye. Fishing from the bank was slow in the day time but picked up during the evening hours. Bank anglers did best using night crawlers and power bait.

CONCHAS LAKE:               Fishing was good for anglers using crank baits, minnows, spinner/night crawler rigs, grubs, jigs and crank baits for walleye. Most of the walleye caught were in the 15-to-18 inch range. Fishing was very good using minnows, tubes and small jigs for crappie. Fishing was fair-to-good using crank baits, jigs, spoons and minnows for white bass. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was fair-to-good for anglers using crank baits, tubes, jigs, jerk baits, chatter baits and spinner baits. Most of the bass were in less than 12 feet of water.

COYOTE CREEK:                 Trout fishing was good this past week for anglers using corn, salmon eggs and power bait.

EAGLE NEST LAKE:           Trout fishing was good for anglers fishing from the bank and using power bait, corn, salmon eggs, worms and spinners. The best reports came from anglers fishing in the Six Mile area.  Fishing for perch was fair-to-good for anglers using worms. We had no reports from boaters.

LAKE MALOYA/

LAKE ALICE:       Trout fishing slowed a bit this past week at both lakes. Anglers did best using home made dough baits and power baits.  Fishing with flies and spinners was rated as slow.

MAXWELL LAKES            Fishing was slow for all species.

MCALLISTER LAKE          Due to poor water quality, the lake will remain closed until further notice.  

MONASTERY LAKE:         Trout fishing was fair for anglers using small spinners, Pistol Petes, power bait, corn and salmon eggs.

MORPHY LAKE:                 Trout fishing was good this past week for anglers using salmon eggs, power bait, and home made dough baits, wooly buggers and spinners.   

PECOS RIVER:                      Water flow near the town of Pecos as of Monday morning was 231cfs. Trout fishing this past week was fair for anglers using night crawlers, spinners, wooly buggers, copper john barrs, salmon eggs and bead head pheasant tail nymphs.

RED RIVER:                          Water flow below the hatchery was 198cfs. Trout fishing was slow but there were a few fish taken by anglers using night crawlers, wooly buggers and spinners.

RIO GRANDE:                      The water flow Monday morning at the Taos Junction Bridge was 1,920cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.

SPRINGER LAKE:                Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using minnows for northern pike. We had no reports on other species.  

STORRIE LAKE:                  Trout fishing picked up this past week. Anglers did well using garlic cheese for trout up to 14 inches. We had no reports on other species.

STUBBLEFIELD:                  We had no reports from anglers this week.   

UTE LAKE:                           Fishing this past week was rated as good-to-excellent by anglers fishing for crappie, walleye, white bass, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Anglers reported good catches while fishing up the Canadian and Ute Creek arms. Best baits for walleye, white bass and crappie were minnows, jigs, grubs, tubes and crank baits. Anglers fishing for walleye also reported catching several fish while using bottom bouncer/night crawler rigs and spoons. Anglers fishing for black bass did best with jigs, tubes, crank baits and spinner baits.

 

NORTHWEST AREA

 

ABIQUIU LAKE:                 Fishing was fair-to-good trolling crank baits at 20 feet for brown trout. Two anglers caught limits of browns ranging from 17-to-23 inches. A few smallmouth bass were taken by anglers using tubes, jigs, spinner baits and crank baits. We had no reports on other species.  

ALBUQUERQUE 

   AREA DRAINS:                We had no reports from anglers this week.

BLUEWATER LAKE:         Fishing was slow but there were a few tiger musky caught and released by anglers using jerk baits, spinners and crank baits. A few trout were taken by anglers using spinners and power bait.

CHAMA RIVER:                  Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 1,240cfs and 1,720cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was good for anglers using night crawlers and salmon eggs for a mix of brown and rainbow trout. The trout ranged in size from 14-to-22 inches. We had no reports from below Abiquiu.

COCHITI LAKE:                  Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers trolling crank baits for white bass. A few largemouth bass were taken by anglers using jigs and spinner baits. Fishing for catfish was slow-to-fair for anglers using liver and dough baits.

EL VADO LAKE:           Fishing was slow for all species.     

FENTON LAKE:                   Trout fishing was very good this past week. Anglers did well using power bait, salmon eggs, worms, spinners, wooly buggers and Pistol Petes.

HERON LAKE:                     The best reports this past week came from anglers fishing from the bank. They did well in the spillway area using power bait, spinners and corn for rainbow trout. Anglers trolling and jigging for lake trout reported catching a few small fish at 30-to-40 feet.        

JEMEZ WATERS:               Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 229cfs near Jemez Springs and fishing was slow. Trout fishing on the Cebolla, San Antonio, Rio Las Vacas and East Fork was good to excellent for anglers using prince nymphs, black and olive copper john barrs, small spinners, worms and salmon eggs.

LAGUNA del CAMPO:       (Burns Canyon Lake) opens for the season on May 1. Check page 6 of your fishing regulations for special rules on this water.

MANZANO LAKE:             We had no reports from anglers this week.  

MCGAFFEY LAKE:             Trout fishing was good for anglers using power bait, corn, cheese, worms and spinners.

NAVAJO LAKE:                  Crappie fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using tubes, minnows and jigs. Anglers did well fishing in Uhl and Bancos Canyons and in smaller coves along the San Juan arm of the lake. Fishing was very good using suspending jerk baits for northern pike. The best colors were silver, purple and red. A few pike were also taken on crank baits and spinner baits. Fishing was good using jerk baits, jigs, tubes, crank baits, sweet beavers and chatter baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Most of the bass were in 7-to-15 feet of water. Anglers reported good success on the Francis and San Juan arms of the lake. Anglers fishing for bass also reported catching several northern pike and a few brown trout. Fishing for trout from the bank was slow-to-fair using power bait, garlic cheese and worms.  

RAMAH LAKE:                   Trout fishing was good for anglers using salmon eggs, power bait, corn, spinners and spoons.

SAN JUAN:                          Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 2,270cfs. The flow will remain around 2200cfs until some time in May when it will be increased to 5,000cfs for about 30 days.  Fishing this past week through the Quality Waters was fair for anglers using small hair jigs, leeches, bead head pheasant tails, wooly buggers, red annelids and San Juan worms. Fishing in the bait waters was fair using jerk baits, wooly buggers, spinners, garlic cheese, salmon eggs and night crawlers.

SANTA CRUZ LAKE:        Trout fishing was good using small tubes, small jigs, spinners, power bait, worms and salmon egg/corn combinations. Anglers did well fishing from the bank and from boats.

SEVEN SPRINGS

    BROOD POND:                It’s just for kids under 12 and the trout fishing was great this past week. Best bait was power bait and the fish ranged from 8-to-12 inches.  

TINGLEY BEACH:               Trout fishing at the Youth Pond and the Central Pond was slow-to-fair for anglers using spinners and power bait. Bass fishing was fair for anglers using leeches and grubs. Fishing for catfish was fair using dough bait and liver. At the Catch and Release Pond best baits were blue damsels, streamers, bunny leeches, San Juan worms and midge emergers.

 

SOUTHWEST AREA

 

BEAR CANYON:                 We had no reports from anglers this week.

BILL EVANS LAKE:            Fishing was slow-to-fair using power bait, worms and salmon eggs for trout. A few bass were taken by anglers using small swim baits and jigs. We had no reports on other species.  

BURN LAKE:                        We had no reports from anglers this week.

CABALLO LAKE:               Fishing was fair-to-good for anglers trolling crank baits and using grubs and minnows for walleye and white bass. The best reports this week came from anglers fishing the east side of the lake with some of the best white bass action up across from KOA point.  We had no reports on other species.

ELEPHANT BUTTE:           Striped bass fishing continued to be a bit slow but the action picked up through Saturday for white bass and walleye. The white bass were taken by anglers fishing from the bank and from boats and from the Black Bluffs to the dam. Best baits were Rat-L-Traps, grubs, tubes and minnows. Anglers fishing from the bank did best fishing near the marinas. Fishing for walleye was best on the east side of the lake between McCrae Canyon and the Butte. Best baits were crank baits, grubs and minnows.  Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was slow-to-fair for anglers using tubes, jigs, spinner baits, chatter baits and crank baits. Most of the black bass were taken in less than 12 feet of water. Fishing for catfish was fair-to-good for anglers using cut bait, shrimp and liver.

ESCONDIDA LAKE:           Fishing was slow for all species. 

GILA RIVER:                         Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 139cfs. Fishing on the Forks was fair using worms, bead head hares ears and copper john barrs for trout. We had no reports on other species.

LAKE ROBERTS:                 We had no reports from anglers this week.                

PERCHA DAM:                   Anglers using minnows, grubs and crank baits reported catching a few walleye. Fishing for all other species was slow. 

QUEMADO LAKE:             We had no reports from anglers this week.   

RIO GRANDE:                      Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 1,950cfs.  Below Elephant Butte fishing was slow but a few trout were taken by anglers using spinners and a few walleye were taken by anglers using grubs. Fishing below Caballo was slow-to-fair using minnows and crank baits for walleye. We had no reports on other species.

SNOW LAKE:                      The lake was recently stocked with several hundred rainbow trout but we had no reports from anglers this week.

 

SOUTHEAST AREA

 

BATAAN LAKE:                 We had no reports from anglers this week. 

BONITO LAKE:                   Effective May 1, the lake will be closed due to high fire danger in the area. Look for updates from the Lincoln National Forest for additional information.  

BOSQUE REDONDO:          We had no reports from anglers this week.

BOTTOMLESS

 LAKES:                 Fishing was slow. Stocking has been suspended due to a golden algae bloom.

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.  

GREENE ACRES

                             LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good using power bait and worms for bluegill and stocked rainbow trout.

GRINDSTONE

RESERVOIR:                  Fishing was fair-to-good using salmon eggs, power bait, corn, spinners and Pistol Petes for trout.

JAL LAKE:                            We had no reports from anglers this week.      

LAKE VAN:                          Fishing was slow for all species.   

PECOS RIVER:                      Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 109cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.

PERCH LAKE:                      We had no reports from anglers this week.

RUIDOSO RIVER:                Water flow at Ruidoso on Monday was 1.7cfs. Fishing was slow.

SANTA ROSA LAKE:        Fishing for crappie was good this past week for anglers using small tubes, grubs, minnows and worms. The best reports came from anglers fishing across from the boat ramp. Fishing was fair trolling and casting Rat-L-Traps, wally divers and reef runners and casting grubs for walleye. Fishing was good using tubes, worms, jigs, crank baits and jerk baits for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Most of the bass were taken in 8-to-15 feet of water. We had no reports on other species.

SUMNER LAKE:                  Fishing was good this past week for anglers using crank baits, tubes, minnows and jigs for crappie and walleye. Anglers did well fishing up the Pecos and Alamogordo arms of the lake and along the riprap of the dam. Fishing was good using crank baits, spinner baits, tubes, and jerk baits for smallmouth and largemouth bass. We had no reports on other species.