CATCHES OF THE WEEK
Zach Tapia of Edgewood caught a 36-inch tiger muskie at Bluewater Lake using a Whopper Plopper lure Aug. 23.
Darlene Gamino of Rio Rancho caught an 11-inch albino catfish at Bosque Redondo Lake using hot dogs Aug. 22.
Darrell Cypress Smith, 14, of Church Rock caught a 5-pound catfish at Cochiti Lake using beef liver Aug. 20.
At Eagle Nest Lake, Anthony Lucero of Isleta Pueblo caught a 25-inch rainbow trout using a Super Duper lure Aug. 27. … Mary Rosenquist of San Angelo, Texas, caught a 24.5-inch rainbow trout fishing from her kayak using a lure Aug. 26. … Christian A. Mussett of Littleton, Colorado, caught a 23.5-inch rainbow trout using nightcrawler worms Aug. 21.
Allen Musgrove of Los Lunas caught a 6-pound drum at Elephant Butte Lake using a crankbait Aug. 22.
At Fenton Lake, Phil Martinez of Albuquerque caught a 20.25-inch rainbow trout using a wax worm Aug. 27. … Tim Tucker of Santa Fe caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using worms Aug. 26.
Charlie White of Alto caught a 42-inch catfish at Grindstone Reservoir using a worm Aug. 13 and a 17-inch rainbow trout using a worm Aug. 28.
Sean Baldonado of Española caught a 22-inch rainbow trout at Hopewell Lake using salmon peach PowerBait on Aug. 28.
Santos Arellano and Caleb Martinez of Española caught a limit of rainbow trout at Red River Hatchery using salmon eggs and Woolly Bugger flies Aug. 21.
If you have a catch of the week story, send it to funfishingnm@gmail.com.
NOTES FROM GAME & FISH
Northeast fishing report
Cabresto Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for trout at Charette Lakes was good using corn and salmon peach PowerBait.
Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was 33.1 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good using caddis dry flies, hopper dry flies and salmon eggs.
Fishing for catfish at Clayton Lake was good using chicken liver and red wiggler worms. Fishing for trout was fair using PowerBait.
Conchas Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
At Costilla Creek, the department is implementing the final phase of a project to expand Rio Grande cutthroat trout in 120 miles of the Costilla watershed in northern New Mexico. The final phase involves the removal of fish within a designated area (Rio Costilla from Costilla Dam downstream to the Valle Vidal Boundary, including all tributaries and Comanche Creek from the road culvert crossing on Forest Road 1950 downstream to its confluence with Rio Costilla and all tributaries). Tentative stocking of Rio Grande cutthroat trout is set for spring 2023. National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.
National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access including Cowles Ponds. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.
Coyote Creek had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for rainbow trout at Eagle Nest Lake was good using Pistol Pete spinner flies and night crawler worms.
Fishing for trout at Eagle Rock Lake was fair using pink PowerBait.
National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access including the Gallinas River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.
Fishing for trout at Hopewell Lake was good using salmon peach PowerBait.
Lake Alice had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for trout at Lake Maloya was very good using salmon eggs, yellow Pistol Pete spinner flies, orange PowerBait, marshmallows, worms and Joe’s Flies.
National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access including Los Pinos River. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.
Maxwell Lake 13 had no reports from anglers this week.
Monastery Lake will remain closed until further notice. For more information, visit the Open Gate webpage.
State park closures have been in place restricting fishing access including Morphy Lake. Visit Morphy Lake State Park’s webpage or call 575-387-2328 for the latest closure information.
Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Monday morning was 198 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using PowerBait. National forest and state park closures have been in place restricting fishing access to much of the Pecos River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest forest closure information. Visit Pecos Canyon State Park’s webpage or call 505-670-8196 for the latest park closure information.
Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 99.6 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using salmon eggs and Woolly Bugger flies at the fish hatchery.
Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 459 cfs.
Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was 55.9 cfs. National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.
Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Monday morning was 109 cfs. National forest and state park closures have been in place restricting fishing access to the Rio Mora. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest forest closure information. Visit Pecos Canyon State Park’s webpage or call 505-670-8196 for the latest park closure information.
Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Pe ñ asco on Monday morning was 70.6 cfs. National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.
Santa Cruz Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for trout at Shuree Ponds was good using garlic PowerBait, Slim Jim lures and white Woolly Buggers with silver or gold reflective strands.
Springer Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Storrie Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Stubblefield Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for walleye at Ute Lake was slow. Fishing for white bass was fair to good using vertical jigging spoons and blade baits for suspended fish in 20-30 feet of water. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was good using, soft plastic baits, drop shot rigs in 8-16 feet of water and topwater lures in the back of coves. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was good using punch bait and cut bait. The main lake water surface temperature was in the low 80s, and the water clarity was clear.
Northwest fishing report
Fishing for smallmouth bass at Abiquiú Lake was fair to good using live worms.
Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Monday morning was 491 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using dry flies.
Albuquerque Area Drains had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for tiger muskie at Bluewater Lake was fair to good using Whopper Plopper lures and homemade streamer flies.
Fishing for trout on the Brazos River was good using hopper dry flies and black and gold Panther Martin spinners.
Fishing for trout at Canjilon Lakes was good using Pistol Pete spinner flies and orange PowerBait. National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.
Fishing for bass at Cochiti Lake was fair to good using twin tail chartreuse curly tail grubs. Fishing for catfish was good using beef liver.
El Vado Lake can be accessed at Hargroves Day Use Area off State Road 322 and the Main Park area off State Road 112. The Rio Chama can be accessed at the North El Vado Day Use Area on State Road 95, 10 miles west of U.S. Highway 84. Lake levels are steady but expected to drop as crews work on the El Vado Dam. The Dam Day Use Area is closed due to the ongoing construction. State Road 112 over the dam will experience periodic closures. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Park’s webpage or call 575-588-7247.
Fishing for trout at Fenton Lake was good using nymph flies, wax worms and earthworms.
Grants Riverwalk Pond has dried up due to pump failure. The city is planning to repair the pumps but is taking this opportunity to dredge the pond. They expect the pond to be offline for at least two to three months. Fish stockings will be discontinued until all work is done.
Heron Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 58.2 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using worms. National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.
Fishing for trout at Laguna del Campo was fair using worms and orange PowerBait.
National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access including Lagunitas Lakes. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.
Fishing for bass at Lake Farmington was fair using plastic worms.
Stocking efforts at McGaffey Lake have been suspended due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions. Lake conditions will be monitored and stocking will resume once conditions improve.
Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass at Navajo Lake was fair to good using Buck Perry spoonplugs, plastic worms, Ned rigs and 3/8 -ounce black and blue Strike King football jigs with a black and blue Rage Menace trailer in 5-20 feet of water. Fishing for pike was fair to good trolling using Buck Perry spoonplugs. Fishing for kokanee salmon was slow to fair using pink and orange spinners tipped with corn.
Streamflow on the Rio Chama below El Vado Lake and below Abiquiú Lake on Monday morning was 237 cfs and 251 cfs, respectively. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiú upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiquiú Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.
Fishing for catfish on the Rio Grande near Albuquerque was fair to good using shrimp.
Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) had no reports from anglers this week.
National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access including San Gregorio Lake. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.
Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Monday morning was 515 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good using small dry flies, size 24 black midge pattern flies and chocolate foam wing emerger flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was fair to good using peach glitter PowerBait and earthworms.
Fishing for trout at Seven Springs Brood Pond was good using chartreuse PowerBait and peach PowerBait.
Tiger Park Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for catfish at Tingley Beach was slow to fair using hot dogs. Fishing for bluegill was fair using salmon eggs.
Fishing for trout at Trout Lakes was good using pink PowerBait, corn and salmon eggs. National forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Carson National Forest webpage or call the Carson National Forest office at 505-758-6200 for the latest closure information.
Southwest fishing report
Fishing for bass at Alumni Pond was fair to good using small crankbaits with an orange and brown back and orange and brown plastic worms. Fishing for catfish was fair using green worms and live grubs.
Fishing for all species was slow at Bear Canyon Lake.
Fishing for catfish at Bill Evans Lake was fair to good using nightcrawler worms.
Fishing for crappie at Caballo Lake was fair using live white grubs. Fishing for bass was slow to fair using crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was good using small red, deep-diving crankbaits. Fishing for white bass was fair using small crankbaits. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using cut bait.
Fishing for catfish at Elephant Butte Lake was good using live minnows and cut carp bait. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass was fair to good using topwater flies, Whopper Plopper lures and white minnow buzz baits. Fishing for white bass was good using white crankbaits and Sassy Shad. Fishing for crappie was fair using Sassy Shad and live minnows. Fishing for walleye was slow. Fishing for drum was fair using crankbaits.
Fishing for catfish at Escondida Lake was fair using shrimp and nightcrawler worms.
Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 660 cfs.
Glenwood Pond had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Roberts had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for catfish at Percha Dam was good using chicken liver, hot dogs and live worms.
Fishing for trout at Quemado Lake was fair using pink PowerBait.
Rancho Grande Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for catfish on the Rio Grande was good using carp cut bait, chicken liver, hot dogs and nightcrawler worms between Leesburg Dam and Percha Dam, and also near Garfield.
Snow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for bass at Trees Lake was good using 3-inch plastic worms. Fishing for catfish was good using nightcrawler worms.
Fishing for catfish at Young Pond was slow to fair using nightcrawler worms and hot dogs.
Southeast fishing report
Fishing for bass at Alto Lake was fair to good using live worms.
Fishing for catfish at Bataan Lake was good using shrimp, worms and chicken liver.
Berrendo Creek had no reports from anglers this week. Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.
Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Monday morning was 6.2 cfs.
Blue Hole Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.
Bonito Lake is closed until further notice by the city of Alamogordo due to fire damage.
Fishing for catfish at Bosque Redondo Lake was fair using hot dogs. Fishing for bluegill was good using nightcrawler worms.
Bottomless Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for white bass at Brantley Lake was good using small jigs. Fishing for catfish was fair using nightcrawler worms.
Fishing for catfish at Carlsbad Municipal Lake was fair using worms.
Chaparral Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Corona Pond had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for largemouth bass at Eunice Lake was good using lipless crankbaits.
Green Meadow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for catfish at Greene Acres Lake was good using shrimp marinated in Pautzke Catfish Nectar.
Fishing for trout at Grindstone Reservoir was fair to good using garlic nightcrawler worms. Fishing for catfish was good using worms.
Jal Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for catfish at Lake Van was good using cut carp bait.
Fishing for catfish at Oasis Park Lake was fair using nightcrawler worms.
Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 95.5 cfs.
Perch Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Rio Bonito had no reports from anglers this week.
Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Monday morning was 14.2 cfs.
Rock Lake Hatchery Kids’ Pond had no reports from anglers this week.
Santa Rosa Lake had no reports from anglers this week.
Fishing for catfish at Sumner Lake was slow to fair using nightcrawler worms.
Timberon Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.
