New Mexico fishing and stocking report for March 7

New Mexico Department of Game & Fish sent this bulletin at 03/07/2017 09:26 AM MST

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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.

Check out the stocking report through Jan. 20. Lake levels and stream flows.

Catches of the week:

Brantley Reservoir: Mykaila Garcia, 7, of Artesia, caught and released a beauty of a largemouth bass March 4. It was her first fish of the season and she was using a minnow under a float.
Conchas Lake: Earl Conway of Albuquerque caught and released a 5-pound largemouth bass March 4. He was using a tube. Rick White of Albuquerque caught and released a 5-pound largemouth bass March 4. He was using a Strike King rodent. Christian Gladfelter of Albuquerque also caught and released a 5-pound largemouth bass March 4. He was using a shaky head rig.

Eagle Nest Lake: Andrew Gonzales, of Eagle Nest, caught a 22-inch rainbow trout March 5. He was using salmon peach PowerBait.
Escondida Lake: Louis Armijo, 14, of Belen, caught and released a 15-inch largemouth bass March 4. He was using a crank bait.
Morphy Lake: Paul Gonzales, of Las Vegas, caught a 24.5-inch, 6.5-pound cutthroat trout March 2. He was using a spinner.
Rio Grande: Jeremiah Rodarte, 6, of Albuquerque caught and released a huge largemouth bass on the river near Corrales Feb. 26. He was using a night crawler.
Ruidoso River: Tristan Kim, 9, caught an 11-inch brown trout March 2. He was using a #14 bead-head pheasant tail nymph.
Seven Springs Brood Pond: Gabriel Sandoval, 7, of Albuquerque, caught a 20-inch, 3-pound rainbow trout March 4. He was using green PowerBait.

The following catches came in late but deserve a mention:

Green Meadow Lake: Sisters Raelena, 8, and Adriana Lara, 10, of Hobbs, caught and released their first fish Feb. 25. They each caught a rainbow trout and were using PowerBait.

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

March 7

Northeast

Charette Lakes: Opened for the season March 1. We had no reports from anglers.

Clayton Lake: Fishing was slow with just a few trout caught by anglers using worms and PowerBait. Due to low water conditions the boat ramp is closed.

Cimarron River: Stream flow below Eagle Nest Lake on Monday was .20 cfs. A section of the river has been closed due to a fuel spill. The closed area starts a mile marker 291 and goes to the Perryville Day use area. Anglers are asked to steer clear of the area.

Conchas Lake: Fishing was good using crank baits, jerk baits, jigs and shaky head rigs for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing was fair to good using jig and grub combinations and minnows for walleye. Most of the fish caught were in less than 10 feet of water. The surface temp was in the high 40s. We had no other reports.

Cowles Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Coyote Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Eagle Rock Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Eagle Nest Lake: As of this past weekend, there was plenty of open water for fishing from the bank. Trout fishing was fair to good using salmon eggs and PowerBait. We had no reports on other species. For updated conditions, call the state park office at (575) 377-1594.

Gallinas River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Lake Alice: Fishing was fair using Panther Martin spinners for trout up to 12 inches. Fishing pressure was light.

Lake Maloya: Trout fishing was reported as good. Anglers having the best luck were using Colorado spoons and brown bead-head wooly buggers.

Los Pinos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Maxwell Lake 13: Fishing was fair using chartreuse and salmon peach Power Bait and Kastmasters for trout.

Monastery Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait, salmon eggs, small spoons and Pistol Petes for trout.

Morphy Lake: Fishing was slow with just a few trout caught by anglers using PowerBait and spinners.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos on Monday was 42 cfs. Fishing was fair to good using egg patterns, San Juan worms, salmon eggs and worms for trout.

Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery on Monday was 44 cfs. Fishing was fair using salmon eggs for trout.

Red River City Ponds: Opened for the season March 1. We had no reports.

Rio Grande: Stream flow on Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 632 cfs. Fishing in the Taos area was slow with just a few trout caught by anglers using worms and spoons. Fishing in the Corrales and Bernalillo area was fair using spinner baits and night crawlers for largemouth bass and night crawlers and liver for catfish. We had no other reports.

Rio Hondo: Stream flow near Valdez on Monday was 15 cfs. Fishing was fair to good using bead-head hares ear nymphs, worms and salmon eggs for trout.

Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco on Monday was 16 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Santa Barbara River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing was fair using spinners, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.

Shuree Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Storrie Lake: Fishing was reported as sporadic this past week with some anglers reporting just one or two trout while others reported catching limits. Best baits were salmon eggs and PowerBait.

Ute Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using Sling Blades and jig and grub combinations for walleye at 20 to 25 feet. Fishing was fair using finesse worms and jigs for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. The surface water temp was in the upper 40s.

Winsor Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Northwest

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

Animas River: Water flow near Aztec on Monday morning was 400 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Albuquerque Area Drains: Fishing on the Albuquerque Drain and Peralta Drain was good using salmon eggs, worms and PowerBait for trout. Fishing on the Corrales Drain was fair using salmon eggs and small bead head nymphs for trout. Michael Griego and his son fished the Peralta Drain on Saturday and reported catching largemouth bass and a bluegill. The bluegill was caught on a curly tail grub and the bass on a crawdad crank bait. We had no other reports.

Bluewater Lake: The water is quite murky and fishing was reported as slow for all species.

Brazos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Canjilon Lakes: Closed by the U.S. Forest Service until further notice due to danger from falling trees.

Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 107 cfs and 84 cfs respectively. Fishing below Abiquiu was good using small bead-head nymphs and salmon eggs for trout. We had no reports from below El Vado.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was light.

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

Fenton Lake: The lake remains closed to fishing and all other activities due to thin ice conditions. For updates, call the state park office at (575) 829-3630.

Heron Lake: The lake is completely free of ice and open to bank fishing. There were a few anglers out this past week but we had no reports. The boat ramps remain closed.

Jackson Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. We had no other reports.

Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez River near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 58 cfs. Fishing on the Jemez was slow to fair using worms for trout. Trout fishing on the Cebolla above Fenton Lake was good using salmon eggs. We had no other reports.

Lake Farmington: Fishing was good using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. Nonmotorized watercraft are now allowed on Lake Farmington. Fees are $50 for the season or $5 daily.

Manzano Lake: Fishing was slow with just a few trout caught by anglers using PowerBait.

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

San Gregorio Lake: We had no reports from anglers.

San Juan River: Stream flow from Navajo Reservoir on Monday was 484 cfs. Trout fishing through the Quality waters was slow to fair using leech patterns, wooly buggers and San Juan worms. Juaquin Trujillo caught and released three 17-inch brown trout here last weekend. He was using homemade trout jigs. Fishing through the bait waters was fair using salmon eggs, PowerBait, night crawlers and Kastmasters.

Tingley Beach: Trout fishing at the Central and Youth ponds was good using PowerBait, homemade dough bait, salmon eggs, Kastmasters and Pistol Petes. We had no other reports.

Trout Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Southwest

Alumni Pond: Fishing was very good using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing was fair using green PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing was fair using worms, salmon eggs, PowerBait and small spinners and spoons for trout.

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

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing was fair to good using crank baits and swim baits for white bass. Fishing was fair using jigs, crank baits and jerk baits for largemouth bass. Fishing was fair using cut bait, night crawlers and liver for catfish. We had no other reports.

Escondida Lake: Fishing was fair using Pistol Petes, PowerBait, homemade dough bait and salmon eggs for trout. Fishing for all other species was slow. We had no other reports.

Gila River: Stream flow on Monday morning was 444 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Glenwood Pond: Fishing was very good using PowerBait for trout.

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

Percha Dam: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Rio Grande: Stream flow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 0.00 cfs. Fishing above Caballo Lake was good using small plastics, small jigs, small spoons and worms for a mixed bag of catfish, walleye, white bass and trout.

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

Young Pond: Fishing was very good using salmon eggs, worms, homemade dough bait and PowerBait for trout.

Southeast

Alto Lake: Fishing was fair to good using salmon eggs for trout.

Bataan Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes for trout. We had no other reports.

Black River: Stream flow at Malaga on Monday was 14 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Blue Hole Park Pond: Fishing was very good using PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout.

Bonito Lake: Closed until further notice by the city of Alamogordo due to fire damage.

Bosque Redondo Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait, worms, salmon egg corn combinations and small Kastmasters for trout.

Bottomless Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Brantley Lake: Anglers are required to catch and release all fish here as high levels of pesticides have been found in some fish. Fishing was good using minnows, crank baits and jerk baits for a mixed bag of white bass and largemouth bass.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing was fair using salmon eggs, PowerBait and spoons for trout. We had no other reports.

Chaparral Park Lake: Fishing was good using salmon eggs, worms and PowerBait for trout.

El Rito Creek: Fishing was very good using PowerBait, salmon eggs, worms, small spoons, Pistol Petes and garlic cheese for trout. We had no other reports.

Eunice Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait for trout.

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing was very good using salmon eggs, worms, PowerBait and homemade dough bait for trout.

Greene Acres Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing was good using PowerBait, garlic cheese, salmon eggs and small Kastmasters for trout. We had no other reports.

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

Lake Van: Trout fishing was slow for some and good for others. Best baits were PowerBait, homemade dough bait, garlic cheese and Pistol Petes. We had no other reports.

Oasis Park Lake: Fishing was very good with most anglers catching limits of trout. Best baits were Pistol Petes and assorted colors of PowerBait.

Pecos River: Stream flow below Sumner Lake on Monday was 102 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using PowerBait, worms, salmon eggs, spoons and Pistol Petes. We had no other reports.

Perch Lake: Fishing was fair to good using homemade dough bait, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout.

Ruidoso River: Stream flow at Hollywood on Monday was 11 cfs. Fishing was slow to fair using salmon eggs, copper John Barrs and bead-head pheasant tails for trout.

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing was fair using crank baits, spinner baits, jigs and grubs for largemouth bass. We had no other reports.

Sumner Lake: Fishing was fair to good using crank baits, jigs, jerk baits and senkos for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was fair using jigs and minnows for walleye. We had no other reports.

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New Mexico Fishing Report for March 7, 2017