Fishing report - Aug. 17

NEW MEXICO FISHING REPORT

This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish and thefishphone.com, has been generated from the best information available from area officers, anglers, guides and local businesses. Conditions may vary as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

Northeast

Cimarron River - The flows are 16 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam and 25 cfs near Cimarron. The water is low and fishing is reported as slow to fair with caddis dries, beetle patterns or ants. Panther Martins, salmon eggs or worms may be somewhat successful. Last week, 1,697 triploid rainbows were stocked west of Cimarron and 279 at Gravel Lakes.

Costilla Creek – The flows are 58 cfs below the dam and 73 cfs near the town of Costilla. Fishing is excellent with dry droppers or submerged PMD’s.

Red River - Flows at Questa are 27 cfs, and 78 cfs below the hatchery. Trout are good with No. 14 black or olive copper johns, No. 16 stonefly nymphs, caddis, grasshoppers or ants. Bait fishermen might try salmon eggs or Power Bait. Frank Saul reported having good luck on the upper Middle Fork and the section through the town of Red River. His son Benjamin landed a 15-inch rainbow using Power Bait last Friday evening. Last week, 1,890 triploid rainbows were stocked above Questa, 211 on both the West and East Forks and 490 at Fawn Lakes.

Rio Grande - Flows are 62 cfs near Cerro and 228 cfs below the Taos Junction Bridge. The water is murky and trout are fair at Pilar in the mornings or evenings with dry droppers most successful. Try caddis with a trailing pheasant tail nymph or a stonefly nymph with trailing caddis pupa. Smallmouth bass are fair with woolly buggers. No reports on other species.

Rio Hondo – The upper and lower Hondo are fishing well with No. 14-16 Parachute Adams.

Rio Pueblo - Flow is 59 cfs. Stocked last week with 840 rainbow trout.

Cabresto Lake – Cutthroats and brook trout are fair to good with Royal Coachman.

Charette Lakes – The recent rains have brought up the water level and 14-20 inch rainbows are good trolling cowbell rigs or fishing from shore with Power Bait or worms under a bobber.

Clayton Lake –There has been light pressure and fishing is generally slow. A few small trout have been caught on Power Bait and a few catfish caught with chicken liver. Look for fishing to pick up at the end of August.

Eagle Nest Lake – Salmon and trout are good trolling Panther Martins, Christmas tree rigs or double whammies. Trout are fair from shore with night crawlers or Power Bait. Perch are good with small woolly buggers or worms.

Lake Alice and Lake Maloya – Trout are reported as fair in both lakes using woolly buggers, Pistol Petes, salmon eggs or Power Bait. Best fishing is in the early mornings and late evenings. Last week both lakes were stocked with trout, Lake Alice with 348 and Lake Maloya with 2,101

Maxwell Lakes – Reports are good for 16-23 inch rainbows with Power Bait.

Santa Cruz Lake – Fishing has been poor from the bank and fair from boats. Pistol Petes, rainbow Power Bait or salmon eggs are working best.

Shuree Ponds – Fishing is reported as good from float tubes and shore. All methods are catching fish. The main pond was stocked with 400 - 17 inch trout this past week.

Springer Lakes – Pike, 18-28 inches, are good with large lures, cut bait or minnows. Bass are slow.

Southeast

Black River - Flow is 5 cfs. There is no fishing report.

Bonito Creek - Trout are fair to good on salmon eggs and worms.

Rio Ruidoso - Flow is at 6 cfs. Trout are reported as good with Panther Martins, worms or salmon eggs. 840 rainbows were stocked last week.

Bonito Lake - Fishing is fair in the evenings with Pistol Petes or Power Bait. Last week the lake was stocked with 2,108 rainbow trout

Bottomless Lakes — Winter trout water: There will be no more reports until stocking resumes in the fall.

Brantley Reservoir – The water level is dropping and water temperature is 82 degrees. There has been no pressure and no fishing report. A mandatory catch and release is in place at Brantley Lake from the dept. of Game and Fish. Pesticides, DDT’s have been found in the fish, do not keep or eat them.

Grindstone Reservoir – Trout are fair to good with Pistol Petes or yellow Power Bait. No reports on catfish. Last week the lake was stocked with 2,100 rainbow trout

Lake Van — Winter trout waters: No report.

Northwest

Animas River - The flow is 332 cfs. There has been a lot of rain and the water is high and muddy. Fishing is slow but should improve as the water level comes down.

Chama River - Upper section flow is 41 cfs and dry fly fishing is good above the town of Chama with caddis, PMD’s, red quills or green drakes. 524 rainbows were stocked above El Vado last week. Below El Vado Dam, the flow is 961 cfs and the water is green and murky. Fishing is fair for 15-18 inch browns with woolly buggers, black and gold Panther Martins or night crawlers. A few stocker-size rainbows have been caught on salmon eggs or night crawlers.

San Juan River - Upper section-Catch and Release flow is 800 cfs and visibility is 3 - 4 feet. Trout are good and best patterns have been No. 22-24 gray or black zebra midges, No. 26 UFO’s, chocolate foam wing emergers, and chocolate or gray Johnny flashes. Dry fly action is reported as good with large ants, No. 16-18 Parachute Adams or light body caddis. PMD’s are working from Baetis Bend downstream.

Lower section – Open waters, fishing is fair to good for rainbows up to 14 inches with Panther Martins, Kastmasters, worms, salmon eggs and the same flies as for the upper section. Dry dropper rigs with pink or yellow egg patterns with trailing pheasant tail or Hare’s Ear are also working well. Lower section was stocked last week with 3,380 trout.

Abiquiu Lake – There has been a lot of rain and the water is murky with lots of floating debris. Fishing is reported as slow for all species.

El Vado Lake – No fishing report.

Heron Lake – Trolling for Kokanee has been very good with many limits reported. Most success has been in the early mornings at 25-29 feet with spinners and orange or red Z-rays. As the sun gets higher, salmon move deeper to 35-37 feet. Shore fishing for rainbows is slow with little pressure. Power Bait or salmon eggs are best bets.

Jackson Lake - Trout are reported as good with spinners or Power Bait.

Lake Farmington – Trout are slow with worms, spinners or Power Bait.

Morgan Lake – Catfish are slow with chicken or stink bait.

Navajo Lake – Pike are good in the Pine arm with spinners, jerk baits or crank baits. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are reported as fair to good in the early mornings with jigs, top water lures, and night crawlers. Kokanee are good trolling Arnie’s lures or double whammies. No reports on other species.

West-Central, including the Jemez Mountains Jemez River, East Fork, Guadalupe and San Antonio - Flow on the Jemez River is 26 cfs. The streams are clearing and fishing is good with bead head nymphs, copper johns, Panther Martins, Power Bait or worms. Dry fly action is good in the upper streams with black ants, hoppers or yellow stimulators. Last week, 140 rainbows were stocked in the Jemez and 525 in the San Antonio.

Metro Drainages – No report this week.

Bluewater Lake – Reports are slow for all species.

Cochiti Lake – The water is murky and there has been light pressure due to the rains. Bass are reported as good with crank baits. Pike, 20-25 inches, are good on crank baits. Catfish are good using worms or chicken liver. No reports on other species.

Fenton Lake – The algae has cleared and fishing is fair with yellow Power Bait, corn or worms. 577 rainbows were stocked last week.

Tingley Beach - South Pond catch and release - Trout fishing is poor and won’t improve until the temperatures are cooler. Children's and Central Ponds - Bluegills are excellent with worms or small pieces of bait under a bobber. Catfish are fair in the mornings and evenings using hotdogs. No reports on bass.

East–Central, including the Pecos River Coyote Creek - Flows are 26 cfs. Fishing is fair with elk hair caddis, orange woolly buggers and green or yellow Power Bait.

Pecos River - Flows are 136 cfs near Pecos and 112 cfs below Sumner Dam. The water is clearing and continues to drop in flow. Fishing is good for trout. Hatches of caddis, yellow sallies and some late golden stones are reported, and fishing is good above Dalton Canyon. Best flies are miracle nymphs, RS2's, hares ears, wonder baetis, batwing emergers, headlight sallies, never-sink caddis, and parachute pheasant tails. Last week 1,900 rainbows were stocked from Cowles to the village of Pecos and 140 stocked from Villanueva to I-40.

Conchas Lake – Walleye are good in the south end of the lake by Rattlesnake Island, but most are small with few keepers. No reports on other species.

Morphy Lake – Trout are fair with green or yellow Power Bait.

Santa Rosa Lake – Bass are fair with crank baits, plugs or jigs. Catfish are good with cut bait, worms or chicken liver. No reports on other species.

Storrie Lake – 15-17 inch trout are good in the Gallinas River with fireballs. Reports are slow for all species in the lake.

Sumner Lake - Winter trout waters, stilling basin – Pressure has been light and fishing is slow for all species. There are reports of a few small catfish being caught on chicken liver or worms.

Ute Lake – The water is clear and the temperature is about 80 degrees. Main lake is clear and river arms are stained. Catfish are good at 4-8 feet with stink bait. White bass are fair (hit and miss) at 30 feet with jigging spoons or trolling slabs or jigs. Largemouth and smallmouth bass - Some Large mouth being caught near reeds using Senkos and spinner baits, but the best bite is the Small mouth using Senkos in the 10 foot deep weed beds. Walleye are slow in the mornings with Senkos from shore and a few reported when trolling in 20 feet of water. No reports on crappie.

Southwest

Gila River - The flow is 92 cfs and fishing is slow. Reports are fair in the Wilderness.

Rio Grande - The flow is 2,070 cfs below Elephant Butte Dam. No fishing report.

Bill Evans Lake — Winter trout waters: Trout are slow with Power Bait or salmon eggs. Bass are fair with crank baits or tubes.

Caballo Lake – Walleye are slow to fair from shore with jigs and minnows. White bass are fair casting minnows or worms around the brush in the shady areas. Catfish are fair with night crawlers or chicken liver. No reports on other species.

Elephant Butte Lake – Fishing for White Bass continues to be good. Eugene Heathman from Ruidoso caught a 2.5 lb White Bass using silver/bloody shad lure fishing off the points near Kettle Top at Elephant Butte. Smallmouth bass are also reported as good. Mornings were best with sliver /bloody shad lures, silver rattle traps, and silver sparkler tubes. In the evenings translucent/lime green twister tails and medium shad and shallow diving plugs worked well. Striped bass, in the 15–20 pound range, are fair trolling live bait. Catfish are fair with liver or shrimp. No reports on other species.

Glenwood Ponds – Stocker size trout are good with Power Bait or salmon eggs. 502 triploid rainbows were stocked last week.

Lake Roberts – The water is murky from algae. Catfish are fair near the spillway with worms or chicken liver. No reports on other species

Quemado Lake – Trout are fair to good with Power Bait or worms. Tiger muskies are slow to fair with Z-rays, spinners or worms. No keeper-size muskies reported.

Snow Lake – No report.

Tune in to New Mexico Game and Fish TV:

“New Mexico Wildlife”