Media contact: Dan Williams, (505) 476-8004

Public contact: (505) 476-8000

dan.williams@state.nm.us

This fishing report, provided by Bill Dunn and the Department of Game and Fish, has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

CATCHES OF THE WEEK:

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.

• Heron Lake: April 9, Vern Lucero of La Cienega caught a 24 ½-inch, 17-pound lake trout. He was using a Yozuri crystal minnow. April 11, Jesse Salazar of Espanola caught a 24 ¼-inch, 9-pound, 2-ounce lake trout. He was jigging a white tube. April 13, Norma Wolfley of El Vado caught a 30 ¾-inch, 14-pound, 3-ounce lake trout. She was trolling a Big Mac lure.
• Ute Lake: April 14, Franco Vallejos of Albuquerque caught a 3.82-pound smallmouth bass. He was using a smallie beaver. Kris Bosley of Amarillo caught a 4.02-pound smallmouth bass. Art VanNostrand caught a 5.09-pound largemouth bass. He was using a spinner bait. All three bass were released.
• Navajo Lake: April 14, Ricky Hamilton of Dulce caught a 5.1-pound largemouth bass. Steve Gill of Navajo Dam caught a 4.21-pound smallmouth bass. Both fish were caught on reaction baits and both fish were released.

For catches of the week, include name, date, and location, type of fish, length and weight if possible and bait, lure or fly used.

April 17

Northeast

Animas River: As of Monday morning flow near Cedar Hill was 1,000 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using spinners, worms and copper John Barrs.

Charette Lakes: Trout fishing was fair-to-good using Power Bait and worms under a bobber. Leroy De Herrera of Roy reported catching his limit of trout within an hour. He was using pink Power Bait. We had no reports on perch.

Cimarron River: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 31 cfs. Trout fishing for the first few miles below the lake was good using prince nymphs, copper John Barrs and tungsten bead head San Juan worms.

Clayton Lake: Fishing was good using assorted Power Bait for trout up to 18 inches. We had no reports on other species. Due to low water conditions, only small boats, kayaks and canoes can be launched.

Conchas Lake: Fishing was slow-to-fair using minnows and crank baits for walleye. Fishing was fair using minnows, crank baits and jigs for white bass up to 2 pounds. Crappie fishing was slow but a few were taken on minnows and small jigs. We had no reports on other species. The surface water temp was in the low to mid 60s.

Coyote Creek: Trout fishing was very good using salmon eggs, Power Bait, copper John Barrs and bead head hares ears.

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing was good using salmon peach Power Bait, salmon eggs, homemade dough baits, worms and spinners for a mixed bag of perch and rainbow trout. A few northern pike were taken on worms and spinners.

Lake Maloya: Trout fishing was good using salmon eggs, worms, Pistol Petes, spoons, dough bait and Power Bait. Anglers reported catching several big brown trout.

Maxwell Lake 13: Fishing was fair-to-good using marshmallows and Power Bait for trout up to 19 inches.

Monastery Lake: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait, salmon eggs, Pistol Petes and worms.

Morphy Lake: Fishing was fair using Power Bait, salmon eggs and homemade dough baits for trout.

Pecos River: Water flow near the town of Pecos on Monday was 210 cfs. Trout fishing has picked up as the water was starting to clear. Best baits were worms, spinners and bead head nymphs.

Red River: Water flow below the hatchery was 122 cfs. Trout fishing below the hatchery was fair using red San Juan worms and copper John Barrs.

Rio Grande: The water flow Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 544 cfs. The upper Rio was a bit off color but clearing. Trout fishing was good using No. 14 caddis. Nymphs were working during the day and dries in the late evening hours. A few trout were also taken on spinners.

Shuree Ponds: Closed for the season. Opens July 1.

Springer Lakes: Fishing was slow-to-fair using dead minnows and Rat-L-Traps for northern pike up to 22 inches. We had no reports on other species.

Storrie Lake: Trout fishing from the bank was good for anglers using Power Bait, homemade dough baits and salmon eggs. We had no reports on other species.

Ute Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was fair-to-good using crank baits, chigger craws and tubes. Fishing was fair using crank baits, minnows and jigs for white bass. A few crappie were taken by anglers using small jigs. Fishing for catfish slowed a bit but there were a few taken on stink bait and chicken liver. The surface water temp ranged from the low 50s to the low 60s.

Northwest

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing pressure was very light and fishing was slow for all species.

Albuquerque area drains: We had no reports from anglers this week. The winter trout stocking will resume next fall.

Bluewater Lake: Trout fishing was fair-to-good using Power Bait, home made dough baits, spinners and salmon eggs. Fishing for tiger musky was fair using dough baits, jerk baits, spinners and crank baits. Most of the muskies were in the 25- to 35-inch class. The surface water temp ranged from the mid 40s to the low 50s.

Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 394 cfs and 418 cfs respectively. Fishing pressure was very light over the past weekend. A few trout were taken below El Vado by anglers using Z Rays and worms. We had no reports from below Abiquiu.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. A few white bass were taken by anglers using minnows and trolling crank baits.

El Vado Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Fenton Lake: Hot Spot for trout. Fishing continued to be very good this past week. Anglers did well using olive and black Pistol Petes, Power Bait, worms, salmon eggs, corn and gold and silver Panther Martins.

Heron Lake: Fishing for lake trout was slow-to-fair trolling big lures and using jigs tipped with cut bait. Bank fishing in the Piedra Cove area was fair using Power Bait and salmon eggs for rainbow trout.

Jackson Lake: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using Power Bait and salmon eggs.

Jemez Waters: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 155 cfs and murky. Fishing was slow. On the Rio Cebolla below Fenton Lake, trout fishing was fair-to-good using worms.

Lake Farmington: We had no reports from anglers again this week.

Manzano Lake: Trout fishing was slow.

McGaffey Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Navajo Lake: Bass fishing was slow but there were a few good smallmouth and largemouth caught. Best baits were jerk baits, tubes, spinner baits and chatter baits. Fishing for northern pike was also slow with light fishing pressure due to windy cold fronts. We had no reports on other species. Water surface temps ranged from 48 degrees on the main lake to near 58 degrees in the backs of coves.

Ramah Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

San Juan: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 487 cfs. Trout fishing through the Quality Waters was good using RS2s, Griffith’s gnats, parachute adams and dead chickens. There were midge and baetis hatches coming off. The midge hatches were coming off around noon while the baetis hatches were later in the day. Size 20 and 22 flies worked best. Through the bait waters, fishing was fair-to-good using worms, spinners, jigs and jerk baits.

Santa Cruz Lake: Trout fishing was good using spinners, salmon eggs, corn and Power Bait.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: This water is open to fishing for youths under the age of 12 and

an excellent place to take the youngster and get them interested in fishing. The pond was

recently stocked and should offer a great fishing experience.

Tingley Beach: Trout fishing at the Central Ponds was very good using salmon eggs, corn, spinners and Power Bait. Fishing at the Catch-and-Release Pond was fair using small zebra midges and small Griffith’s gnats.

Southwest

Bear Canyon: Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs, worms and Power Bait.

Bill Evans Lake: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using salmon eggs and Power Bait. We had no reports on other species.

Caballo Lake: Walleye fishing was slow-to-fair using minnows, grubs, crank baits and bottom bouncer/night crawler rigs. Fishing for white bass was fair using grubs, crank baits and minnows. Fishing was fair-to-good using stink baits, worms and chicken liver for catfish. The water was murky.

Elephant Butte: Fishing was slow-to-fair using sassy shad on ¼- and 3/8-ounce jig heads, minnows, crank baits and spinners for white bass. Fishing for walleye was slow but a few were taken on sassy shad and crank baits. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was slow with a few taken on sassy shad, crank baits and jerk baits. We had no reports on other species. Surface temps on the main lake ranged from 52 to 62 degrees.

Escondida Lake: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using salmon eggs, Power Bait, Pistol Petes, worms and corn.

Gila River: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 114 cfs. Trout fishing on the Forks was slow.

Glenwood Pond: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait.

Lake Roberts: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Quemado Lake: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait, worms and salmon eggs. We had no reports on tiger musky.

Rio Grande: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 1,120 cfs. Fishing was fair using white grubs for walleye. Fishing was fair using worms for trout. Water is also being released from Caballo Lake downstream at the rate of 1,100 cfs. Fishing below Caballo and at Percha Dam was fair using sassy shad, curly tail grubs and minnows for white bass and walleye. Fishing for catfish was fair using minnows and stink baits.

Southeast

Bataan Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.

Bonito Lake: Trout fishing was good using Pistol Petes, spinners, salmon eggs, Power Bait and corn.

Bosque Redondo: Trout fishing was fair using copper John Barrs, salmon egg/corn combinations, salmon eggs and Power Bait.

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good using Power Bait, salmon eggs and corn.

Jal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Van: Trout fishing was fair using Power Bait, salmon eggs and spinners.

Oasis Park Lake: Trout fishing was very good using Power Bait and assorted spinners and spoons.

Pecos River: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 101 cfs. Fishing was slow-to-fair using worms, liver and stink bait for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

Perch Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Ruidoso River: Water flow at Hollywood on Monday was 11 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs and bead head prince nymphs.

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing was fair using sassy shad and curly tail grubs for walleye and crappie. Fishing was slow for all other species. Fishing pressure was very light. The water surface temp was in the mid to upper 50s.

Sumner Lake: Hot Spot for walleye! Strong winds didn’t deter the anglers or the walleye over the weekend. Anglers fishing from boats and from the bank did well using minnows, grubs, jigs and crank baits for fish up to 19 inches. Anglers fishing for walleye also reported catching a mix of smallmouth bass, crappie, white bass and catfish. The surface water temp ranged from the mid 50s to the low 60s.

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