CATCHES OF THE WEEK:

 

Santa Rosa Lake: On April 27, George Lucero of the Socorro Bass Club caught a 4.8 pound smallmouth bass. He was using a tube.

 

Pecos River: On April 28 Carlos Rodriguez of Albuquerque caught a 19 inch rainbow trout. He was using a Panther Martin.

 

Heron Lake: On April 29, Boris Costa Guerra of Santa Fe caught a 27.5 inch 10 pound 4 ounce lake trout. He was using a jig.

 

Chama River: On May 3, Mel Gonzales of Albuquerque caught a 19 inch german brown. He was fishing below El Vado and using a spinner.

 

Clayton Lake: On May 4, Michael Blan of Clayton caught a 22 pound channel catfish. He was using chicken liver.

 

Ute Lake: On May 4, Butch Colantonio of Amarillo, TX caught a 5. 13 pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig.   

 

NORTHEAST AREA

 

CHARETTE LAKES:           Trout fishing was fair-to-good this past week for anglers using power bait and worms. Several anglers reported catching limits of trout ranging in size from 8-to-14 inches. We had no reports on other species.    

CIMARRON RIVER:            Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 28 cfs. Trout fishing was good this past weekend for anglers using streamers, copper john barrs, bead head hares ears and gold spinners. Trout fishing at the Gravel Pit Lakes was good for anglers using power bait, spinners and salmon eggs.

CLAYTON LAKE:               Fishing from boats and from the bank was good this past week. Anglers did well using Colorado spinners and spoons for a mix of walleye and rainbow trout. Several of those were in the 1.5-to-2 pound range. There were also several trout taken on power bait, salmon eggs and worms. Anglers using worms and chicken liver caught catfish up to 22 pounds.

CONCHAS LAKE:               Fishing was very good using crank baits, tubes, spinner baits, worms and jigs for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Most of the action was on the north side of the lake and most of the bass were small. Fishing was good using minnows, crank baits and grubs for walleye. The best reports came from anglers fishing around Big Island. Fishing was fair-to-good using minnows, tubes and grubs for crappie. The crappie were found in 4-to-11 feet of water. Fishing was fair using crank baits, spinners and minnows for white bass. We had no reports on other species.

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

EAGLE NEST LAKE:           Trout fishing was good for anglers fishing from boats and from the bank. Anglers trolling did well working the west side of the lake and using Arnies and Wedding Rings. Most of the trout caught were in the 14-to-16 inch range. Anglers fishing from the bank did best using power bait, home made dough baits and salmon eggs. Fishing was fair using worms for perch.

LAKE MALOYA/

LAKE ALICE:       Trout fishing was fair-to-good this past week at both lakes for anglers using power bait and home made dough baits.  Anglers fishing Lake Maloya also reported catching a few trout while using spinners and Pistol Petes.

MAXWELL LAKES            Trout fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait.  

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

MONASTERY LAKE:         Trout fishing was fair for anglers using 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 186cfs. Trout fishing this past week was good for anglers using Panther Martins, Rooster Tails, wooly buggers and night crawlers for trout up to 19 inches. A few fish were also taken by anglers using salmon eggs.

RED RIVER:                          Water flow below the hatchery was 196cfs. Trout fishing was slow with the high water but there were a few fish taken by anglers using night crawlers, wooly buggers, small jigs and spinners.

RIO GRANDE:                      The water flow Monday morning at the Taos Junction Bridge was 1,870cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.

SPRINGER LAKE:                Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using minnows for northern pike. A few mud cats were caught by anglers using cut bait and worms. We had no reports on other species.  

STORRIE LAKE:                  Trout fishing continued to improve over the past week. Anglers did well using garlic cheese and yellow power bait for 14-to-16 inch rainbows. We had no reports on other species.

STUBBLEFIELD:                  We had no reports from anglers this week.   

UTE LAKE:                           Crappie fishing was very good this past week for anglers fishing in 6-to-10 feet of water and using live bait, small tubes and grubs. Fishing was good trolling crank baits and drifting live bait in 10-to-14 feet of water for walleye. Most of the fish caught were males. Fishing was very good using cut bait, dough bait and live bait at night for catfish. Anglers reported catching most of the cats in 3-to-4 feet of water. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was fair-to-good using jigs, spinner baits, chatter baits, tubes and sweet beavers. Fishing for white bass was slow but a few were taken by anglers trolling for walleye.  

 

NORTHWEST AREA

 

ABIQUIU LAKE:                 Fishing was good for some but slow for others this past week. The best reports came from anglers trolling perch colored crank baits at the upper end of the lake. They caught lots of brown trout and a few smallmouth bass and small walleye. A few walleye were also taken on fat head minnows, jigs and grubs. The water was murky. We had no reports on other species.  

ALBUQUERQUE 

   AREA DRAINS:                Fishing on the Corrales and Albuquerque Drains was slow for all species. We had no reports from the other drains.  

BLUEWATER LAKE:         Fishing was fair using corn and yellow power bait for trout. Anglers also reported catching several tiger musky. Best baits for the musky were jerk baits and large spinners.

CHAMA RIVER:                  Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 995cfs and 1,290cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was fair-to-good for anglers using night crawlers, spinners and power bait for brown trout and a few rainbows. Fishing below Abiquiu was slow.  

COCHITI LAKE:                  Fishing was slow-to-fair using night crawlers and dough bait for catfish. A few black bass were taken by anglers using live bait, spinner baits and jigs. We had no reports on other species.

EL VADO LAKE:           Fishing was slow for all species.

FARMINGTON LAKE: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using spinners, power bait and salmon eggs. One angler reported catching a 14 inch smallmouth bass while using a clauser.      

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

HERON LAKE:                     Fishing for lake trout was good at the beginning of the week but slowed by the weekend. Anglers did well using jigs tipped with cut bait at 30-to-40 feet. Fishing for rainbow trout was fair for anglers trolling spinners. A few were also taken by anglers fishing from the bank and using worms and power bait. We had no reports on kokanee.        

JEMEZ WATERS:               Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 195cfs near Jemez Springs and fishing was slow. Trout fishing on the upper reaches of the Cebolla, San Antonio and East Fork was good for anglers using dry dropper combinations with Royal Wulffs, prince nymphs and black copper john barrs. A few fish were also taken by anglers using worms. There was a considerable amount of small brown stone fly activity on the Cebolla.

LAGUNA Del CAMPO:      (Burns Canyon Lake) Trout fishing was good for anglers using power bait, salmon eggs, spinners and Pistol Petes.

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 good for anglers using tubes, minnows and jigs. Anglers did well fishing in La Jara, Francis and Bancos Canyons. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was good for anglers using jigs, chatter baits, tubes, sweet beavers, worms and jerk baits. Anglers reported good success in Francis Canyon and from several locations on the San Juan arm of the lake. Fishing was very good using suspending jerk baits, spinner baits and jigs for northern pike. A few pike were also taken on crank baits. Fishing for trout was slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait, garlic cheese, crank baits and spinners. We had no reports on other species.  

RAMAH LAKE:                   Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using salmon eggs, power bait, corn and worms. A few fish were also taken on wooly buggers and Pistol Petes.

SAN JUAN:                          Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 2,290cfs. The flow will remain around 2200cfs until some time later this month 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, RS2s, emergers, leeches, bead head pheasant tails, wooly buggers, red annelids and San Juan worms. Fishing in the bait waters was fair-to-good using jerk baits, wooly buggers, spinners, garlic cheese, salmon eggs, power bait and night crawlers.

SANTA CRUZ LAKE:        Trout fishing was fair-to-good using small tubes, Rooster Tails, Tasmanian Devils, power bait, worms and salmon egg/corn combinations. Anglers reported good success from boats and from the bank.

SEVEN SPRINGS

    BROOD POND:                It’s just for kids under 12 and the trout fishing was very good again 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 fair-to-good for anglers using power bait and Pistol Petes. Fishing for catfish was good using corn scented power bait and dough bait. Fishing for bass and bluegill was good using jerk baits, wooly buggers and worms. At the Catch and Release Pond best baits were black foam beetles, egg patterns and UFOs.

 

SOUTHWEST AREA

 

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

BILL EVANS LAKE:            Fishing was fair using power bait, worms and spinners for trout. A few bluegill were taken by anglers using worms. We had no reports on other species.  

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

CABALLO LAKE:               Fishing was good trolling and casting crank baits on the east side of the lake for white bass. A few white bass were also taken by anglers using minnows and grubs. A few walleye were taken by anglers trolling crank baits. We had no reports on other species.

ELEPHANT BUTTE:           Fishing for white bass was fair for some anglers but very good for others. Anglers who found a school were able to catch 20-to-25 white bass in just a short period of time. Some hot spots were the mouth of McRae Canyon, the east end of Long Point and the south end of Rock Canyon. Best baits were crank baits cast to the bank and retrieved. A few white bass were also taken by anglers trolling crank baits and using live bait and grubs. Fishing for walleye was fair for anglers fishing around the Jungles area. Best baits were crank baits and live bait. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was fair for anglers using crank baits, jigs, chatter baits, tubes and jerk baits.  Fishing for catfish was fair 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 129cfs. 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:                 Trout fishing was fair-to-good using power bait, salmon eggs, spinners and worms.                  

PERCHA DAM:                   Fishing was slow-to-fair using crank baits and grubs for white bass. 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 1,780cfs.  Below Elephant Butte in the Los Palomas area, fishing was slow-to-fair using grubs and tubes for white bass and walleye. Anglers also reported catching white bass and walleye below Caballo while using minnows, grubs and crank baits. We had no reports on other species.

SNOW LAKE:                      Trout fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using power bait, worms, corn and spinners.  

 

SOUTHEAST AREA

 

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

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

BOSQUE REDONDO:          Fishing was slow for all species. There were a few largemouth bass taken by anglers using worms and crank baits.

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:       We had no reports from anglers this week.   

GRINDSTONE

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

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

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

PECOS RIVER:                      Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 109cfs. Anglers reported catching a few catfish while using night crawlers and dough baits. Fishing for all other species was slow.

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

RUIDOSO RIVER:                Water flow at Ruidoso on Monday was 1.5cfs. Fishing was slow.

SANTA ROSA LAKE:        Fishing for crappie continued to be quite good this past week. Anglers did well using tubes, grubs, minnows and worms. Some very good reports came from anglers fishing across from the boat ramp. Anglers reported good success from boats and from the bank. Fishing was fair trolling and casting crank baits in the main river channel for walleye. A few were also taken by anglers fishing behind the big island. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was fair-to-good for anglers using tubes, crank baits, spinner baits and jerk baits. We had no reports on other species.

SUMNER LAKE:                  Fishing was very good this past week for anglers using minnows and worms for a mixed bag of crappie, walleye, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Anglers did well from boats and from the bank. A few bass were also taken by anglers using jerk baits, spinner baits, tubes and jigs.  The smallmouth bass were relating to rock and deeper water while the largemouth were found in brush piles and stickups. We had no reports on other species.  The surface water temperature ranged from 52-to-61 degrees.