New Mexico fishing and stocking reports for April 17

Catches of the week

• Cochiti Lake: Dr. Kenneth Ross of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch northern pike April 16. He was using a self-tied custom jig.
• Elephant Butte Lake: Memo Nunez of Las Cruces caught and released an 8.61-pound largemouth bass April 14. Richard Sainz of Elephant Butte caught and released a 7.47-pound largemouth bass. Bennie Paschall of Elephant Butte caught and released a 6.03-pound largemouth bass April 14.
• Fenton Lake: Parker Hanson, age 7, of Albuquerque and Caleb Hanson, age 4, and Aleah Hanson, age 7, of Carnation, Wash., caught several trout, including three over 15 inches. They were fishing with their dads and using wooly buggers and prince nymphs.
• Green Meadow Lake: Jesse Brusuelas, age 8, of Tularosa, caught his limit of trout April 9. He was using salmon peach PowerBait.
• Lake Maloya: Carl Ward of Sofia, N.M., caught a 25-inch rainbow trout April 10. He was using a Super Duper.
• Monastery Lake: Jonah Montano, age 7, of Belen, caught three rainbow trout April 14. He was fishing with his dad and godfather and using orange PowerBait.
• Pecos River: David Probst of Santa Fe caught a 20-inch, 3.5-pound, rainbow trout April 14. He was using salmon peach PowerBait.
• Tingley Beach:  Lelia Smith, age 11, of Albuquerque, caught her first fish, a 17-inch rainbow trout. She was using a worm.
• Ute Lake: Carl Snyder of Amarillo caught and released a 7.16-pound largemouth bass April 15. He was using a chatterbait. Paul Camino of Weed caught a 12-pound catfish April 13. He was using cut bait on a trotline.

The following catches came in late but deserve a mention:

• Fenton Lake: Sabrine Bowers, age 4, of Rio Rancho, caught her first fish, all by herself, April 7. It was a 12-inch rainbow trout. She was using PowerBait.
• Rio Mora: Robert Montoya of Santa Fe was fishing above the confluence with the Pecos River and caught a 13-inch brook trout April 8. He was using a custom-tied mop fly.
• Sumner Lake: Ray Richey of Edgewood caught a 29-inch walleye April 7. He was using a dark green crank bait.
• Timberon Ponds: Timberly Stanbrough, age 11, caught a 14.5-inch rainbow trout April 5. She was using a floating cheese 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.

April 17 

Northeast

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

Charette Lakes: Fishing was good using PowerBait, Fire Balls and worms for trout. We had no reports on perch.

Clayton Lake:  Fishing was fair using PowerBait and worms for trout. We had no other reports.

Cimarron River: Stream flow below Eagle Nest on Monday morning was 8.40 cfs. Fishing was fair using bead-head hare's ears, copper John Barrs and worms for trout. We had no reports from the Gravel Pit lakes.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was rated as good to excellent by anglers using minnows, grubs, jerk baits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, tubes and senkos. Fishing for walleye and crappie was a bit slow but a few were caught by anglers using minnows and grubs under a slip bobber. The biggest walleye reported weighed 3.5 pounds. Fishing for catfish was fair using homemade dough bait, liver and minnows. We had no other reports. The surface water temp was in the mid to high 50s.

Costilla Creek: We had no reports from anglers.

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

Coyote Creek: Trout fishing was good for anglers using Fire Balls and worms.

Eagle Nest Lake: Bank fishing was fair using PowerBait for rainbow trout. A few were also caught by anglers using small spoons. Fishing was slow to fair using large streamers and spoons for northern pike. The lake is now open to boating, but courtesy docks are not yet in place. For updated conditions, contact 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Maloya: Fishing was very good using bead-head prince nymphs, wooly buggers, Super Dupers, worms and PowerBait for rainbow trout.

Los Pinos River: Trout fishing was fair to good using worms, small Fisher-Chick spinners, copper John Barrs and Green Drakes.

Maxwell Lake 13: Fishing was good using PowerBait for trout. We had no reports on other species.

Monastery Lake: Fishing was very good using PowerBait for trout.

Morphy Lake: Fishing was good using Panther Martins, Pistol Petes, PowerBait, Fire Balls and olive and black wooly buggers for trout.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos on Monday morning was 31.8 cfs. Trout fishing was good using salmon eggs, worms, night crawlers and nymphs for trout. Shane Mahoney reported good fishing over the weekend. He hooked up with several nice trout while using a hare’s ear jig under a large hopper and a sculpzilla.

Red River: Stream flow below the hatchery on Monday morning was 50.7 cfs. Fishing was slow to fair using worms and Fire Balls for trout.

Rio Grande: Stream flow on Monday morning at the Taos Junction Bridge was 252 cfs. Fishing in the Taos area was very good using elk hair caddis, green weenies, bead-head hares ear nymphs, flash back pheasant tail nymphs, night crawlers and spinners for trout. Fishing was fair using large streamers for northern pike. We had no other reports.

Rio Hondo: Stream flow on Monday morning near Valdez was 14.1 cfs.

Rio Mora: Fishing was good using prince nymphs and custom tied mop flies for trout.

Rio Pueblo: Stream flow near Penasco on Monday morning was 29.2 cfs. Trout fishing was slow.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing was good using Kastmasters, Fisher-Chick spinners, Panther Martins, Pistol Petes, worms, PowerBait and wooly buggers for rainbow and brown trout. Anglers did well again this past week from the bank and from boats.

Shuree Ponds:  Closed for the season.

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

Storrie Lake: Fishing was good using PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout. We had no other reports.

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

Ute Lake: Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass was very good using crank baits, spinner baits, chatter baits and jerk baits. Fishing for walleye was fair using crank baits, grubs and jerk baits in 10 to 15 feet of water in the day time and very shallow at night. Fishing for white bass was fair to good trolling crank baits. Crappie fishing was rated as slow but picking up by anglers using minnows and small jigs. Fishing for catfish was good using cut bait and liver. The surface water temp was in the mid to high 50s.

Northwest

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing was slow to fair to good using tubes, senkos, jerk baits, crank baits, spinner baits and swim baits for smallmouth bass. Fishing was slow to fair using crank baits, jig and minnow combinations and curly tail grubs for walleye. We had no other reports.

Animas River: Water flow below Aztec on Monday morning was 32.4 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Bluewater Lake: As of Monday morning, the park and lake was still closed due to fire in the area. For updates, contact the State Park office at (505) 876-2391.     

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 534 cfs and 509 cfs respectively. The increase in flow slowed fishing dramatically at both locations.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing was slow for all species. Brian Cameron reported that they tried crank baits, soft plastics and worms and their only success was a 1-pound yellow bullhead caught while using chicken parts. The water surface temp was in the low 50s.

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

Fenton Lake: Fishing was very good using worms, Pistol Petes, PowerBait, salmon eggs, leech patterns and wooly buggers for brown and rainbow trout.

Heron Lake: Fishing was good using Panther Martins, Super Dupers, Z Rays, roe sacs, Fire Balls and PowerBait for rainbow trout. We had no reports on other species.

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

Jemez Waters: Stream flow on the Jemez River near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 21.8 cfs. Fishing on the Jemez was fair to good using copper John Barrs, Fire Balls and worms for trout.  Trout fishing on the East Fork was good using copper John Barrs, worms and salmon eggs. Trout fishing on the Rio Cebolla above and below Fenton Lake was good using salmon eggs and worms. We had no reports on other streams.

Laguna del Campo: Closed for the season.

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

Lake Farmington: Fishing was very good using PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout. We had no other reports.

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

Navajo Lake: Fishing was fair to good using swim baits, crank baits, jerk baits, tubes, senkos, curly tail grubs, jigs and chatter baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was fair to good using swim baits, jerk baits, jigs and crank baits for northern pike. Fishing for brown trout was fair to good using jerk baits. A few rainbow trout were caught by anglers using PowerBait and crank baits. We had no other reports. The surface water temp ranged from the high 40s to the mid-50s.

San Gregorio Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

San Juan River: Stream flow on Monday morning was at 601 cfs. Fly fishing action through the Quality waters was fair to good using zebra midges, bead-head pheasant tail nymphs, RS2s, red larva and San Juan worms. A few trout were also caught by anglers using large terrestrials. Trout fishing through the bait waters was fair to good using jerk baits, marabou jigs, wooly buggers, night crawlers, PowerBait and Fire Balls.

Seven Springs Brood Pond: Fishing was very good using Fire Balls, PowerBait and wooly buggers for rainbow trout.

Tingley Beach: Trout fishing at the Youth and Central ponds was good using PowerBait, Zeke’s trout bait, Velveeta cheese, worms, Pistol Petes, Kastmasters and wooly buggers. We had no other reports.

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

Southeast

Alto Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using PowerBait, worms and Pistol Petes 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. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Blue Hole Park Pond: Fishing was very good using salmon peach and garlic PowerBait, Fire Balls and Velveeta cheese for trout.

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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Brantley Lake: Fishing was good using swim baits, jerk baits, spinner baits, crank baits, tubes, senkos and jigs for largemouth bass and white bass. Fishing was good using liver and cut bait for catfish. We had no other reports.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Chaparral Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

El Rito Creek: Fishing was good using Pistol Petes, Fire Balls and PowerBait for trout. We had no other reports.

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

Green Meadow Lake: Fishing was fair using PowerBait, worms and Kastmasters for trout. We had no other reports.

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

Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing was fair to good using Pistol Petes, PowerBait, Fire Balls, wooly buggers and worms for trout. We had no other reports.

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

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

Oasis Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Pecos River: Stream flow below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 81.2 cfs. Fishing below Sumner and through the Carlsbad area was fair to good using liver, night crawlers and homemade dough bait for catfish. Fishing through the Carlsbad area was fair using jerk baits, tubes, senkos, grubs and worms for largemouth bass and spotted bass. We had no other reports.

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

Ruidoso River: Stream flow on Monday morning at Hollywood was 11.2 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing was slow to fair using curly tail grubs and crank baits for walleye. Fishing was fair using chatter baits, spinner baits, jerk baits, worms, senkos and tubes for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. We had no other reports.

Sumner Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair to good using curly tail grubs, crank baits, minnows and small swim baits. Fishing was fair using swim baits, curly tail grubs, jerk baits, crank baits and worms for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and white bass. We had no reports on other species.