Salmon snagging season is on
This fishing report, provided by Dustin Berg and Go Unlimited (supporting disabled anglers) 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.
Catch of the Week
BRANTLEY LAKE: Tony Valdes of Artesia caught a 17.5-inch, 3-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass using a Storm 360 blue shad swimbait Nov. 6. CHAMA RIVER: Gavin DeBerry, age 16, of Sandia Park caught a 22-inch brown trout using a black woolly bugger Nov. 7. Sean Green of Santa Fe caught a 17.5inch rainbow trout using a flashy woolly bugger below Abiquiú Lake on Nov. 5. ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE: Miguel Gutierrez of Las Cruces caught and released a 16-inch, 2.5-pound white bass using a green Rapala lure Oct. 31. GALLINAS RIVER: Jusiah Estrada, age 11, of Las Vegas caught a 26-inch rainbow trout using a Panther Martin spinner Nov. 2.
GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR: Martin Bonilla of Alto caught a 20-inch, 4-pound rainbow trout using a white Trout Magnet Nov. 2.
RÍO GRANDE: Robert Mondragon of Río Rancho caught a 19-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait at the Taos Junction Bridge Nov. 6. Marcelo Richert, age 9, of Arroyo Hondo caught a 16-inch brown trout using a Rapala lure Nov. 3. Izaiah Lopez of Española caught a 22-inch rainbow trout using a spinner near the Taos Junction Bridge Nov. 1.
SANTA CRUZ RESERVOIR: Pamela Ure caught a 20-inch rainbow trout using chunky cheese Berkley Gulp Nov. 6.
The following report came in late, but we thought it was definitely worth mentioning:
RÍO GRANDE: Tim Trujillo of Santa Fe caught a 20-inch brown trout using worms near the town of Pilar Oct. 17. 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 funfishingnm@gmail.com. We may include your story in our next report.
For catches of the week, include name, age, hometown, date, location, type of fish, length and weight, if possible, and bait, lure or fly used.
State waters NORTHEAST
CABRESTO LAKE: Fishing for brook trout was good using flies.
Streamflow near Cimarrón Monday morning (Nov. 9) was 12.1 cubic feet per second. Fishing for trout was good using PowerBait, small beadhead nymph flies and silver spinners.
CLAYTON LAKE: Closed until March 2021.
COSTILLA CREEK: The department has implemented the final phase of a project to expand Río Grande cutthroat trout in 120 miles of the Costilla watershed in Northern New Mexico. The final phase involved the removal of fish within a designated area (Río Costilla from Costilla Dam downstream to the Valle Vidal Boundary including all tributaries and Comanche Creek from the road culvert crossing on FR 1950 downstream to its confluence with Río Costilla and all tributaries) with a tentative restocking of Río Grande cutthroat in spring 2022. Places to fish nearby include Costilla Creek below the fish barrier, Upper Comanche Creek, Shuree Ponds, Middle Ponil Creek, Upper Powderhouse Creek, Little Costilla Creek, Vidal Creek and McCrystal Creek. The department anticipates completion of this final phase in the fall of 2021. Check the department website for additional information on the project and to identify alternative angling opportunities in the interim.
EAGLE NEST LAKE: Fishing for trout was fair to good using salmon peach PowerBait, woolly bugger flies and spinners tipped with PowerBait. EAGLE ROCK LAKE: Fishing for trout was good using pheasant tail nymph flies, black and green leech-pattern flies, small spinners, silver Kastmasters and silver Super Dupers.
GALLINAS RIVER: Fishing for trout was good using Panther Martin spinners.
HOPEWELL LAKE: Fishing for trout was good using lime green PowerBait and Pistol Pete’s spinners.
LAKE MALOYA: Fishing for trout was good using elk-hair caddis flies, silver spinners and PowerBait. MONASTERY LAKE: Closed due to COVID-19 health concerns. Check the Open Gate webpage for future updates. MORPHY LAKE: Closed for a renovation project on the dam and no firm opening date has been set. PECOS RIVER: Streamflow near the town of Pecos Monday morning (Nov. 9) was 22.9 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using red Fire Ball salmon eggs and worms. Fishing for catfish was fair at Villanueva State Park using grub worms.
RED RIVER: Streamflow below the hatchery Monday morning was 43.7 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using beadhead nymph flies and mop flies. The water clarity was about 2.5 feet. RÍO GRANDE: Streamflow at the Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 252 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using small baetis nymph and dry flies near Pilar. Fishing for trout was fair to good using spinners, Rapala lures, worms and PowerBait.
RÍO HONDO: Streamflow Monday morning near Valdez was 31.4 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week. RÍO MORA: Streamflow Monday morning was 5.19 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
RÍO PUEBLO: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 6.67 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
SANTA CRUZ RESERVOIR: Fishing for trout was good using chunky cheese Berkley Gulp and rainbow-colored PowerBait.
UTE LAKE: Fishing for white bass and walleye was fair using vertical jigging slabs, live minnows and vibrating blade baits in 25 to 35 feet of water on lake flats. We had no reports on other species. The surface water temperature was in the mid-50s and the main lake was lightly stained.
NORTHWEST
ABIQUIÚ LAKE: Anglers reported fishing for all species was slow. Due to low water levels, anglers are advised to use four-wheel-drive vehicles to launch boats and watch for obstructions on the water.
ANIMAS RIVER: Water flow below Aztec Monday morning was 295 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week. BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing for tiger muskie was fair to good using Rapala lures and swimbaits. Fishing for trout was fair using green glitter PowerBait.
Fishing for catfish was fair using chicken liver and hot dogs.
CHAMA RIVER: Monday morning flows below El Vado and Abiquiú were 99.5 cfs and 77.0 cfs, respectively. Fishing for trout below El Vado Lake was good using night crawlers and PowerBait. Fishing for trout below Abiquiú Lake was good using beadhead nymph flies, mop flies, wooly buggers, egg pattern flies and PowerBait. The water level was low, and the water clarity was about 2 feet.
EL VADO LAKE: Open for salmon snagging season. Park hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kokanee salmon snagging was reported as slow.
FENTON LAKE: Fishing for trout was slow. Anglers did report the bites they are getting are from big fish.
HERON LAKE: Salmon snagging season is on. Fishing was reported as slow.
JÉMEZ WATERS: Streamflow on the Jémez near the town of Jémez Monday morning was 16.8 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair using worms and salmon eggs. LAGUNA DEL CAMPO: Fishing for trout was fair to good using yellow and green garlic-scented PowerBait and worms.
MANZANO LAKE: Closed until further notice.
NAVAJO LAKE: Fishing for kokanee salmon using snagging hooks was fair to good near the dam. Fishing for pike was good up the San Juan arm using jerk baits. Fishing for trout was fair to good trolling spinners near the dam and main lake. Note that the buoyed no-wake areas and shoreline within the no-wake areas at the Pine River Boat Ramp and Simms Boat Ramp at Navajo Lake opened.
SAN JUAN RIVER: Streamflow Monday morning was 348 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good using size-24 black, crème and olive midge pupa-pattern flies, small baetis nymph flies and RS2s.
SEVEN SPRINGS BROOD POND:
Closed due to COVID-19 health concerns. Check the department’s Alerts page for future updates. TINGLEY BEACH: Fishing for trout was fair to good using white PowerBait eggs and PowerBait worms.