Fishing Line for Oct. 3, 2024

CATCHES OF THE WEEK

On the Pecos River, Robert Montoya of Santa Fe caught and released a 28-inch brown trout using a size-16, pheasant tail Warrior Fly on Sept. 26. … Donald Gutierrez of Albuquerque and his grandson Damian caught a 23-inch, 4.5-pound rainbow trout using a worm with salmon eggs on Sept. 24.

Joshua Garcia of Los Lunas caught a 26-inch, 7-pound catfish at Bluewater Lake using hot dogs on Sept. 22.

Andres Jojola, 7, of Isleta Pueblo caught multiple trout using bait at the upper lake at Canjilon Lakes on Sept. 28.

Robert Montoya of Santa Fe caught and released a 24-inch brown trout on the San Juan River using a size-24 midge-pattern fly on Sept. 25.

Hank Masterson, 5, of Truth or Consequences caught a 29-inch, 5-pound walleye at Elephant Butte Lake using a white crank bait on Sept. 30.

Jason Smith of Las Cruces caught and released a 35-inch tiger muskie at Quemado Lake using a red Rooter Tail spinner on Sept. 25.

James Schaerfl of El Paso caught a 3-pound smallmouth bass at Sumner Lake using a chrome-colored shad-pattern crankbait on Sept. 28.

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 fair using spinners.

Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was 5 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Fishing for bass at Clayton Lake was fair to good using crankbait lures.

Fishing for bass at Conchas Lake was fair using shallow-diving crankbaits in the mornings.

Fishing for trout at Costilla Creek was good using Mayfly Flies.

Cowles Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Coyote Creek was fair using small dry flies.

Fishing for trout at Eagle Nest Lake was good using various PowerBait. Fishing for pike was fair to good using large rainbow-trout-pattern spinners. Fishing for trout was fair to good using PowerBait. Fishing for perch was slow to fair using worms. For updated lake conditions, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access on 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 streamer flies and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

Lake Alice had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Lake Maloya was good using orange PowerBait Marshmallows and salmon eggs. The ADA dock is open to anglers with priority given to mobility-impaired persons.

Fishing for trout on the Los Pinos River was fair to good using Mayfly Nymph Flies, Prince Nymph Flies and Hare’s Ear Flies.

Maxwell Lake 13 had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Monastery Lake was good using Green PowerBait. The lake is part of the Department’s Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property.

Morphy Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Monday morning was 50 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using size-16 Pheasant Warrior Flies, dry flies, bead-head Caddis Flies, Stone Flies, Squirmy Wormy Flies, yellow Jig Sticker Flies, worms and salmon eggs.

Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 50 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using small nymph flies near the town of Red River.

Work to replace the water line to the hatchery pond at Red River Hatchery has been completed and stocking has resumed.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 212 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using dry flies, bead-head Caddis Flies, Stone Flies, Squirmy Wormy Flies and yellow Jig Sticker Flies.

Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was 21 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Monday morning was 18 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Peñasco on Monday morning was 9 cfs.

Santa Cruz Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Shuree Ponds was fair using Elk Hair Caddis Flies.

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 using crankbaits and swimbaits. Fishing for white bass was fair using slab spoons and blade baits in 35 to 50 feet of water. Fishing for smallmouth bass was slow using topwater lures in the back of coves. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was slow. The main lake’s water-surface temperature was in the mid-70s and the water was stained.

Northwest fishing report

Fishing for walleye at Abiquiú Lake was fair using jig heads tipped with worms. Contact the Abiquiú Lake Main Office at 505-685-4371 for updated lake conditions and closure information.

Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Monday morning was 179 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Bluewater Lake was fair to good using hot dogs. Fishing for tiger muskie was slow.

Fishing for trout on the Brazos River was fair to good using black flies upriver from the last cabins.

Fishing for trout at Canjilon Lakes was good using garlic-scented, natural-colored PowerBait and worms.

Fishing for catfish at Cochiti Lake was fair to good using worms.

El Vado Lake is closed due to dam construction project. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Park’s webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Fishing for trout at Fenton Lake was fair to good using Yellow PowerBait Eggs, worms and green spinners. For updated lake conditions and potential closure information, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630.

Grants Riverwalk Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Heron Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near Jemez on Monday morning was 7 cfs. Fishing for trout on the Rio Cebolla near Fenton Lake was fair using attractor dry flies. Fishing streams on the Valles Caldera for trout was fair to good using Hopper flies.

Laguna del Campo had no reports from anglers this week.

Lagunitas Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Farmington had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Liam Knight Pond was slow to fair using worms. Fishing for bass was slow using worms.

McGaffey Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for kokanee salmon at Navajo Lake was slow using spinners tipped with corn. Fishing for pike was fair to good using deep-diving crawdad-pattern Bomber lures and chartreuse crankbaits. Fishing for bass was fair to good using Mepps spinners.

Streamflow on the Rio Chama below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 123 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiú Lake on Tuesday morning was 140 cfs. Fishing for trout below Abiquiú Lake was fair to good using size 12-16 bead-head Caddis Flies and size 8-12 Stone Flies. 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 only two trout.

Fishing for catfish on the Rio Grande was good using shrimp.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) had no reports from anglers this week.

San Gregorio Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Monday morning was 609 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was fair using size-22 zebra-midge-pattern flies and chocolate midge-emerger flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good using Kastmaster lures.

Seven Springs Kids’ Pond had no reports from anglers this week. If you catch a native Rio Grande chub in the Kid’s Pond, please do not leave it on the bank; return it to the water where it can survive as part of our native ecosystem.

Tiger Park Reservoir had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Tingley Beach was fair using nightcrawler worms and hot dogs.

Anglers reported dirty water and poor fishing conditions at Trout Lakes.

Southwest fishing report

Alumni Pond is closed for repairs until further notice.

Fishing for catfish at Bear Canyon Lake was fair to good using bluegill cut bait. Fishing for bluegill was good using worms.

Fishing for catfish at Bill Evans Lake was fair using worms. Fishing for bluegill was good using worms.

Fishing for all species was slow at Caballo Lake.

Fishing for white bass at Elephant Butte Lake was good using white jigs and chrome Kastmaster lures. Fishing for walleye was good using white crankbaits and jigs tipped with worms. Fishing for crappie was fair using live minnows near the Dam Site Marina. Fishing for catfish was good using live minnows and shrimp.

Fishing for catfish at Escondida Lake was good using catfish dough bait.

Fishing for catfish at Estancia Park Lake was fair using chicken liver.

Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 24 cfs.

Fishing for Gila trout at the Gila Waters was fair to good using Elk Hair Caddis Flies near the Catwalk.

Glenwood Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Lake Roberts was good using nightcrawler worms and Panther Martin spinners. Fishing for bass was fair to good using Panther Martin spinners. Fishing for crappie was slow to fair using Panther Martin spinners.

Fishing for walleye at Percha Dam was fair using chartreuse and white jigs with curly-tail grubs.

Fishing for trout at Quemado Lake was fair using green or black-and-green Rooster Tail spinners. Fishing for tiger muskie was slow to fair using red Rooster Tail spinners.

Rancho Grande Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam on Tuesday morning was 1,400 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good using chicken liver and cut bait.

Snow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Trees Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Young Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Southeast fishing report

Alto Lake is closed indefinitely due to extensive damage caused by the South Fork Fire. The wildfire has left significant impacts on the natural environment and infrastructure surrounding the lake, necessitating immediate and prolonged closure for safety and restoration efforts. Please visit ruidoso-nm.gov for the most current information.

Fishing for catfish at Bataan Lake was fair to good using cut bait and worms.

Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on Berrendo Creek.

Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Monday morning was 4 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fish stocking operations have resumed at Bonito Lake. Fishing for trout was fair to good using Panther Martin spinners. The lake reopened to fishing only on Aug. 30. Only fishing activities are permitted at Bonito Lake. Visit nmfireinfo.com for the latest information.

Fishing for catfish at Bosque Redondo Lake was fair using hot dogs.

Bottomless Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for bass at Brantley Lake was fair using plastic worms.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Chaparral Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Dennis Chavez Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Anglers reported poor fishing conditions due to large amounts of algae at Eunice Lake.

Green Meadow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Greene Acres Lake was fair to good using nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for trout at Grindstone Lake was good using worms. Grindstone Lake is currently open for fishing. Due to changing wildlife impact closures, please see the Grindstone Lake Webpage before planning a visit.

Harry McAdams Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Jal Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Van had no reports from anglers this week.

Ned Houk Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for bass at Oasis Park Lake was fair to good using plastic Creature Baits.

Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 82 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good using chicken breasts and cut bait. Fishing for bass was fair using nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for catfish at Perch Lake was good using worms and hot dogs. Fishing for bass was fair using hot dogs.

Rio Bonito had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Monday morning was 3 cfs. The area has been experiencing heavy flooding because of recent fires in conjunction with heavy rain.

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 Spring River Pond was fair using shrimp bait.

Fishing for smallmouth bass at Sumner Lake was fair to good using chrome-colored shad-pattern crankbaits.

Timberon Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.