Catches of the week

Alumni Pond: Alaina Perez of Las Cruces caught her very first catfish June 23. She was using worms. Bluewater Lake: Mike Milam of Los Lunas caught and released a 38-inch tiger muskie June 23. He was using a water dog. Eric Martinez of Grants caught a 31-inch, 17-pound catfish June 23. He was using a worm and a piece of hot dog.  Eagle Nest Lake: Kevin White of Oklahoma caught a 22.5-inch, 4-pound rainbow trout June 20. He was trolling a Platte River special with PowerBait. Alazae Benavidez, age 12, of Alto, caught an 18-inch rainbow trout June 24. She was using PowerBait. Elephant Butte Lake: Ricardo Vigil of San Antonio, New Mexico caught and released a 4.38-pound largemouth bass June 23. Maxwell Lake: Veltran Trujillo, Jr, age 3 and Veltran Trujillo Sr. of Taos caught catfish and limits of trout, including two 21-inch rainbows June 24. They were using night crawlers for the catfish and PowerBait for the trout. Rio Bonito: Marc Vallejos of Dexter caught a 20-inch rainbow trout June 23. He was fishing the river below Bonito Lake and using salmon eggs. The following report came in late but deserves a mention: Abiquiu Lake: Leon Crabbe of Questa caught and released a 30-inch walleye June 16. He was using a crank bait. Bluewater Lake: Joe Menicucci, Danny Gonzales and Mike Gonzales of Albuquerque caught and released several tiger muskie including two that measured 42 inches June 18. They were using Husky Jerks and Bomber Herky Jerkys. 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.

Northeast Fishing Report

ATTENTION ANGLERS: The Carson National Forest has closed the Camino Real Ranger District and will close the Questa, Tres Piedras, El Rito and Canjilon Ranger Districts Wednesday, June 27 at 6:00 a.m. The closure order prohibits all recreational activities on the CNF. Cabresto Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week. Charette Lakes: Fishing was fair to good using worms, Fire Balls, marshmallows and PowerBait for rainbow trout. Cimarron River: The river through Cimarron Canyon and the Gravel Pit Lakes remain closed until further notice.  Clayton Lake:  Fishing was fair using worms for catfish. Fishing was fair to good using worms, PowerBait and spoons for trout. We had no reports on other species. Conchas Lake: The upper boat ramp at the south launch area has been closed due to decreasing water levels. Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was slow with just a few caught by anglers using senkos, sweet beavers and finesse worms. Fishing was slow to fair using sassy shad, minnows, crank baits, spoons and curly tail grubs for walleye and white bass. Fishing was good using worms and small grubs for bluegill. Fishing was fair using night crawlers, hot dogs and liver for catfish. We had no reports on other species.  Costilla Creek: Stream flow below Costilla Dam on Monday morning was 42.9 cfs. Trout fishing was good using parachute Adams, elk hair caddis and small bead-head pheasant tail nymphs for trout. Cowles Ponds: Closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger.  Coyote Creek: Trout fishing was slow. Eagle Nest Lake: The lake is now open to boating. Fishing from the bank was very good using worms for perch. Fishing was good using PowerBait from the bank and trolling Arnies and Panther Martins for rainbow trout. The Petta family from Oklahoma had a great time catching limits of trout this past week. They were using PowerBait. We had no reports on other species. Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait, Fire Balls, worms, Pistol Petes, gold spinners and wooly buggers for trout. Gallinas River: We had no reports from anglers this week.  Hopewell Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week. Lake Alice: Fishing was good using Pistol Petes, PowerBait, worms and gold spoons for rainbow trout. Lake Maloya: HOT SPOT FOR TROUT: Fishing was excellent using salmon peach and yellow corn PowerBait, Pistol Petes, gold spinners and spoons, elk hair caddis, copper John Barrs and bead-head pheasant tail nymphs for trout. The best fishing has been in the early morning and late evening hours. Los Pinos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.  Maxwell Lake 13: Fishing was good using PowerBait, Fire Balls and Kastmasters for trout. Fishing was good using night crawlers and homemade dough bait for catfish. We had no other reports.  Monastery Lake: The lake has been closed due to extreme fire danger. Morphy Lake: The park has been closed due to extreme fire danger.  Pecos River: The river and its tributaries above the town of Pecos in the Santa Fe National Forest have been closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger.  Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery on Monday morning was 36.0 cfs. Trout fishing was good using poundmeisters, San Juan worms, small spoons, night crawlers, Fire Balls and PowerBait. Rio Grande: Stream flow on Monday morning at the Taos Junction Bridge was 200 cfs. Fishing was good using elk hair caddis, parachute Adams, mop flies, leeches, San Juan worms, Kastmasters, Panther Martins, Mepps spinners and night crawlers for brown and rainbow trout. Rio Hondo: Stream flow on Monday morning near Valdez was 9.18 cfs. Fishing was good using salmon eggs for trout.  Rio Mora: Closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger. Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco on Monday morning was 6.11 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.  Santa Cruz Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week. Shuree Ponds:  Closed for the season.  Springer Lake: Fishing was fair to good using Rat L Traps and jerk baits for northern pike. We had no reports on other species. Storrie Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait and marshmallows for trout. We had no reports on other species.  Stubblefield Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week. Ute Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair to good using Gulp minnows and night crawlers at 25 to 30 feet. Fishing was fair using stick baits and senkos for smallmouth bass. Fishing was fair using top water lures for white bass. Fishing was very good using small plastics and worms for bluegill. Fishing was good using punch bait, chicken liver and night crawlers for catfish in about 8 feet of water. The surface water temperature on the main lake was in the high 70s.

Northwest Fishing Report

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing was good using tubes, senkos, jerk baits, crank baits, curly tail grubs and small swim baits for smallmouth bass. Fishing was good using crank baits, jerk baits and spoons for walleye. Fishing for crappie was very good using micro tubes, small crank baits and small white curly tail grubs. We had no other reports. The surface temperature ranged from the low to mid 70s.

Animas River: Water flow below Aztec on Monday morning was 164 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Albuquerque Area Drains: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bluewater Lake: Fishing was good using crank baits, jerk baits and water dogs for tiger muskie. Fishing for catfish was slow with just a few caught by anglers using hot dogs and night crawlers.

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

Canjilon Lakes: Closed by the U.S. Forest Service until further notice. The area may reopen later this year.

Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 772 cfs and 1,020 cfs respectively. Trout fishing below El Vado was slow to fair using weighted wooly buggers, Kastmasters and night crawlers for brown and rainbow trout. Aaron Sanchez reported fishing as slow, but he did manage to catch and release a nice brown trout. He was using a hare’s ear nymph. We had no reports from below Abiquiu.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using minnows and worms for a mix of white bass, perch and small crappie. Fishing was slow to fair using top water lures, senkos and tubes for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was fair to good using corn for carp. We had no other reports.

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

Fenton Lake: Closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger.

Heron Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait and worms for rainbow trout and a few small lake trout. We had no reports on other species.

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

Jemez Waters: Closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger.

Laguna del Campo: Fishing was fair using PowerBait for trout.

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

Lake Farmington: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait for trout. We had no reports on other species.

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

Navajo Lake: Fishing was good using jerk baits, crank baits, tubes, senkos, finesse worms, sweet beavers, curly tail grubs and chatter baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was fair to good using swim baits, jerk baits and crank baits for northern pike. Fishing was good using worms and grubs for perch. We had no reports on other species.

San Gregorio Lake: Closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger.

San Juan River: The stream flow below Navajo Lake was increased to 650 cfs this past Wednesday, to 750 cfs on Sunday and to 950 cfs on Monday night.  Fishing action slowed for a bit after each increase but then picked up again. Overall, fishing through the Quality Waters was rated as good by anglers using dead chickens, hoppers, foam beetles, red annelids, small bead-head pheasant tail nymphs, mini Macs, RS2s and Griffiths gnats. Trout fishing through the bait waters was fair using bead-head hare’s ears, copper John Barrs, chamois leeches, Kastmasters and Fire Balls.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: The pond has been closed due to extreme fire danger.

Tingley Beach: Fishing in the Central and Youth ponds was slow with just a few catfish caught by anglers using homemade dough bait, shrimp and hot dogs. Fishing in the Bob Gerding Catch and Release Pond was slow. We had no other reports.

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

Southwest Fishing Report

Alumni Pond: Fishing was slow with just a few catfish caught by anglers using worms and liver.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing was fair using hot dogs, homemade dough bait and liver for catfish. Fishing was fair using worms for bluegill. We had no other reports.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using sweet beavers, tubes and worms for largemouth bass. We had no other reports.

Caballo Lake: Fishing was fair using sassy shad, curly tail grubs, small tubes and crank baits for white bass and walleye. Fishing was good using shrimp, night crawlers and cut bait for catfish. We had no other reports.

Elephant Butte Lake: HOT SPOT FOR LARGEMOUTH BASS and SMALLMOUTH BASS: Fishing was excellent using top water lures, senkos, tubes, jerk baits, top water lures, chigger craws, sweet beavers and crank baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing was good using sassy shad, spoons, crank baits, jerk baits and curly tail grubs for white bass. Fishing for walleye was slow to fair using sassy shad, spoons and curly tail grubs. Fishing for bluegill was good using worms. Fishing was good using cut bait, shrimp, minnows and liver for catfish.

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

Gila River: Stream flow on Monday morning was 14.5 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Glenwood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Roberts: Fishing was slow to fair using spoons, PowerBait, salmon eggs and worms for rainbow and Gila trout. We had no reports on other species.

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

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

Rancho Grande Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Grande: Stream flow below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 1,940 cfs. Fishing was good using liver, night crawlers, cut bait and shrimp for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

Snow Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week

Young Pond: Fishing was slow for all species.

Southeast Fishing Report

Alto Lake: Fishing was fair to good using PowerBait, salmon eggs and spinners for trout. We had no reports on other species.

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

Black River: Stream flow at Malaga on Monday morning was 9.22 cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.

Blue Hole Park Pond: Fishing was slow. A few catfish were caught by anglers using worms and hot dogs.

Bonito Lake: Closed until further notice by the city of Alamogordo due to fire damage. The lake is scheduled to reopen in August 2018.

Bosque Redondo Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.

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

Brantley Lake: Fishing was fair to good using crank baits, spoons, tubes, top water lures and curly tail grubs for white bass. We have no reports on other species.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: The Cavern City Bass Anglers held a Kids Fishing Derby this past Saturday and it turned out to be a great success with the kids catching catfish, carp, perch, largemouth bass and white bass. They were using a wide variety of lures and baits.

Chaparral Park Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using shrimp and worms for catfish. We had no other reports.

El Rito Creek: Fishing was slow to fair using worms and PowerBait for trout. We had no reports on other species.

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

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using worms, hot dogs and shrimp for catfish. We had no other reports.

Greene Acres Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing was fair using PowerBait and Fire Balls for rainbow trout. We had no reports on other species.

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

Lake Van: Fishing was slow for all species.

Oasis Park Lake: Fishing was slow with just a few catfish caught by anglers using worms and liver. We had no other reports.

Pecos River: Stream flow below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 98.8 cfs. Fishing was slow to fair using night crawlers and liver for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

Perch Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing was fair using sweet beavers, senkos, tubes, sal, craws, spinner baits, crank baits and top water lures for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing was slow to fair using sassy shad, tubes and crank baits for walleye. A water release is scheduled to begin July 2. We had no reports on other species.

Sumner Lake: Fishing slowed considerably this past week with just a few walleye caught by anglers using spoons and fishing deep. We had reports on other species.