CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Daniel Hayden of Albuquerque, caught and released a 22-inch, 5-pound, 9-ounce largemouth bass with a swim jig on Sunday at Shady Lakes.

Louie Ortiz of Albuquerque, fishing in Tingley Beach’s south catch and releases pond, caught a 27inch rainbow on a No. 22 zerba midge.

Ray Hawkins caught a 28 1/2-inch, 10-pound, 3-ounce brown trout at Navajo Lake on March 5. He was using a rainbow Rapala. March 4 he caught a 24-inch, 5-pound, 13-ounce brown using the same lure. March 6, Terry Hawkins of Aztec caught a 26-inch, 6-pound, 10-ounce rainbow. He was also using a rainbow Rapala.

AROUND THE STATE

ISLETA LAKES: Fishing at both SUNRISE and TURTLE lakes is very good. Anglers are reporting bag limits on trout. Best baits are worms, salmon eggs and power bait. Catfish activity is increasing and the best baits are garlic chicken liver and worms. Trout stockings will continue in March. Full stockings of trout took place on Feb. 28 and March 4 in both lakes. Fishing hours remain 7 a.m.-4:45 p.m. seven days a week. Michelle J. Keryte, Isleta Lakes & RV Park

SANDIA LAKES: Fishing has been excellent the last two weeks with most anglers reporting five-fish limits. Weekly stockings are continuing and the rainbow trout are running anywhere from 10 to 16 inches on average. Larger fish over 18 inches are also common. Jason Wiebenga, Wildcat Environmental Services

SHADY LAKES: Shady Lakes is open daily now. We stocked 1750 trout on March 7 with 500 pounds of that for the Big Trout Pond. Big Trout are averaging 16 to 18 inches and the Easy Catch Trout are running around 12 inches. Baits running primarily worms and salmon eggs with the Big Trout fishing off the bottom. None of the stocked 20-plus-inch had been caught as of Wednesday. Bass activity is slowly beginning to fire up in the warmer weather with reports of up to six caught in a day. The bluegill are now up and visible. Activity reports best with flies although surely these fish are awake enough to be tempted with worms. Jan Phillips, director

TINGLEY BEACH: Trout fishing in the Children’s and Central Pond has been good using PowerBait, salmon eggs and wax worms. A free fishing derby will be held Saturday, 7:15 a.m.-4 p.m. Trout fishing in the South/Catch and Release Pond has been slow to good using zebra midges, red annelids and egg patterns. Joe Martinelli, curator

NOTES from GAME & FISH: Water flow on the SAN JUAN RIVER below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 345cfs. Fishing in the quality water section was good using small streamers, midge larva, egg patterns, San Juan worms, Griffith’s gnats and olive and black leeches. Fishing through the bait waters was fair using salmon eggs, copper John Barrs, San Juan worms and night crawlers.

BLUEWATER LAKE is free of ice and the boat ramp is open. Fishing pressure this past week was very light and fishing was slow for all species.

Due to rapidly deteriorating ice conditions EAGLE NEST LAKE has been closed to fishing and other activities. It will reopen to fishing from the bank when there is sufficient open water.

The ice is off COCHITI LAKE and the boat ramp is open. This is a good time to get up here and start looking for big northern pike. Check the shallows with jerk baits, slow rolled spinner baits and swim baits.