New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more

By Journal staff and wire reports Published: Thursday, August 25th, 2022 at 12:02AM Updated: Friday, August 26th, 2022 at 12:02AM

At Bluewater Lake, Joyce DeAnda of Los Lunas caught and released a 37-inch tiger muskie using a water dog Aug. 21. … Anthony Martinez of Santa Fe caught and released a 40-inch tiger muskie using a homemade fly Aug. 17. … Jesse Martinez of Rio Rancho caught and released a 38-inch tiger muskie using a homemade fly Aug. 17.

John Lee Tonkinson of Cuba caught a 20-inch, 2-pound rainbow trout at Canjilon Lakes using a Pistol Pete spinner fly Aug. 12.

Jonny Chavez of Socorro caught and released a 3.5-pound smallmouth bass at Elephant Butte Lake using a top water popper fly Aug. 22.

John McRae of Hobbs caught an 8-pound largemouth bass at Eunice Lake using an Ozark lipless crankbait Aug. 17.

Diana Lovato of Santa Fe caught a 22-inch rainbow trout at Hopewell Lake using worms Aug. 16.

At Navajo Lake, Jim McDonald of El Paso caught a 30-inch pike and 34-inch pike using a Buck Perry spoonplug Aug. 19. … Steve Craig of Arizona caught a 35-inch pike using a Buck Perry spoonplug Aug. 19. … Dustin Beatty of Crownpoint caught a 4-pound largemouth bass using a 3/8 -ounce black and blue Strike King football jig with a black and blue Rage Menace trailer Aug. 14.

Ray Ortiz of Albuquerque caught a 27-inch rainbow trout on the Pecos River using PowerBait on Aug. 13.

Aviana Leyba, 5, of Albuquerque caught a 13-inch catfish and a 5-inch bluegill at Tingley Beach using hot dogs and salmon eggs in the kids’ pond Aug. 14.

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NoteS from GAME & FISH

Cabresto Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Charette Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was 21.2 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good using caddis dry flies and hopper dry flies. Fishing for trout at Gravel Pit Lakes was good using homemade dough bait.

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 salmon peach PowerBait.

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 worms.

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 the 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 inculding 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 261 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 114 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using Trout Magnet lures in the upper river section.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 510 cfs. Anglers reported murky water caused by rain.

Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was 45.6 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.

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 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 drop shot rigs in 8-16 feet of water and top water lures in the back of coves. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was fair using nightcrawler worms and cut bait. The main lake water surface temperature was in the low 80s and the water clarity was clear.

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 378 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 good using water dogs 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 minnows and chicken 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 fair to good using nymph flies and garlic PowerBait.

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 59.2 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 have been suspended at McGaffey Lake 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 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 good trolling using Buck Perry spoonplugs. Fishing for kokanee salmon was fair to good 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 146 cfs and 208 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below Abiquiú Lake was slow and anglers reported mucky waters. 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 503 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good using small dry flies, San Juan worm flies and egg-pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was fair to good using worms, red annelid flies and black and gold spinners.

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.

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 catfish at Escondida Lake was fair using shrimp and nightcrawler worms.

Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 11,000 cfs.

Glenwood Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Roberts had no reports from anglers this week.

Percha Dam had no reports from anglers this week.

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 fair to good using carp cut bait and nightcrawler worms.

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 was slow at Young Pond.

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 407 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 nightcrawler worms. 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 0.30 cfs.

Perch Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for rainbow trout at Rio Bonito was fair using worms.

Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Monday morning was 80 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.

Source: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish