Fishing Line for May 21, 2023

By Journal staff and wire reports Published: Sunday, May 21st, 2023 at 12:02AMUpdated: Sunday, May 21st, 2023 at 12:15AM

CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Nick F. of Las Cruces caught a 25-inch walleye at Caballo Lake using a crankbait on April 29.

Geno García of Conchas caught a 13.5-inch crappie at Conchas Lake using a Berkley Flicker Shad on May 12.

At Fenton Lake, Christina Serna, 3, of Gallup caught her first fish, a 12-inch rainbow trout, using worms on May 14. … Lawrence Chavez of Albuquerque caught and released a 17-inch Rio Grande cutthroat trout using wax worms on May 13. … Soren Simenson, 5, of Albuquerque caught four rainbow trout using nightcrawler worms on May 6.

Eli M. of Tijeras caught and released a 20-inch brown trout on the Jemez River using a beadhead prince nymph fly on May 7.

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Elizabeth Garcia, 15, of Santa Rosa caught a 19-inch catfish at Perch Lake using Pautzke salmon eggs on May 14.

Brody McMullin, 6, of Arroyo Hondo caught his first trout at Red River Hatchery using a Panther Martin spinner on May 6.

Diego Arencon of Albuquerque caught a 22-inch rainbow trout on the San Juan River using a Yong Wing fly on May 8.

At Tingley Beach, Isaiah Jaramillo, 7, caught a 2-pound largemouth bass using a Bubble Butt worm in the Children's Pond on May 14. … Matthew and Andres Bachicha, 10 and 12, of Albuquerque caught two 4-pound largemouth bass using watermelon-colored plastic lures on May 11.

If you have a catch of the week story, send it to [email protected].

NOTES FROM GAME & FISH

Northeast fishing report

Cabresto Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Charette Lakes was fair using nightcrawler worms.

Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was 47 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was very good using red copper john flies, San Juan worm flies, worms and Salmon Peach PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Clayton Lake was fair using PowerBait and worms. Fishing for walleye was fair using nightcrawler worms. Fishing for catfish was fair using chicken liver and nightcrawler worms.

Fishing for smallmouth bass at Conchas Lake was fair to good using Berkley Flicker Shad lures, jerkbaits and soft-plastic worms. Fishing for walleye, crappie and white bass was fair to good trolling using Firetiger Berkley Flicker Shad lures.

The Valle Vidal is closed to fishing until July including Costilla Creek .

Cowles Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Coyote Creek had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Eagle Nest Lake was fair using black Woolly Bugger flies and Salmon Peach PowerBait. The boat docks are now in the water. For updated lake conditions, visit the park's webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Fishing for trout at Eagle Rock Lake was good using black spinners, White PowerBait Eggs and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access on 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.

Anglers reported that there was open water free of ice at Hopewell Lake.

Fishing for trout at Lake Alice was fair using silver/brass-schemed spoons, small tube jigs and PowerBait worms. The lake is closed to vessel/boat operation.

Fishing for trout at Lake Maloya was good using Salmon Peach PowerBait, Pistol Pete spinner flies, Gulp Trout Bait, size-17 flies and silver/brass/black/yellow/red-schemed Panther Martin spinners. Fishing for bluegill and perch was good using small worms and flies. The ADA dock is open to anglers, with priority given to mobility-impaired persons.

Los Pinos River had no reports from anglers this week.

Maxwell Lake 13 had no reports from anglers this week.

Monastery Lake had no reports from anglers this week. The Benedictine Monastery Lake is part of the Department's Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property.

Fishing for trout at Morphy Lake was good using orange salmon eggs, CDC Flashback Pheasant Tail nymph flies and Panther Martin spinners.

Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Monday morning was 438 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using worms and gold beadhead nymph flies.

Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 191 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair using Panther Marin spinners at the hatchery.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 2,860 cfs. Anglers reported high water levels, murky watercolor and poor fishing conditions.

Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was 102 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Monday morning was 131 cfs.

Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Peñasco on Monday morning was 215 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good using beadhead nymph flies and worms.

Fishing for trout at the Santa Cruz Reservoir was fair to good using black Pistol Pete spinner flies, worms, spinners, Orange PowerBait and Chartreuse PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds is closed to fishing until July.

Springer Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Storrie Lake was fair using salmon eggs and garlic PowerBait.

Stubblefield Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for walleye at Ute Lake was fair to good trolling using Berkley Flicker Shad lures, Wally Diver lures, Berkley Flicker Minnow lures and nightcrawler spinner rigs. Fishing for white bass was fair to good using crankbaits that dive 8-10 feet. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was fair to good using chatter baits, square-bill crankbaits, spinner baits, swimbaits and crawdad-pattern baits. Fishing for crappie was good using live minnows and small jigs in 6-15 feet of water. Fishing for catfish was fair using chicken liver and punch bait. The main lake water surface temperature was in the mid 60s, and the water was clear.

Northwest fishing report

Abiquiú Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Monday morning was 3,620 cfs.

Fishing for carp at the Albuquerque Area Drains was good using corn in the Corrales Riverside Drain.

Fishing for all species was slow at Bluewater Lake.

Brazos River had no reports from anglers this week.

Canjilon Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for pike at Cochiti Lake was fair using swimbaits and jerkbaits. Fishing for white bass was slow using crankbaits. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was fair to good using crawdad-pattern plastic lures and suspending crankbaits. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using nightcrawler worms and cut carp bait.

El Vado Lake is closed due to dam construction project. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Park's webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Fishing for trout at Fenton Lake was good using salmon eggs, wax worms, nightcrawler worms, leech pattern flies and PowerBait. For updated lake conditions, visit the park's webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630.

Grants Riverwalk Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Heron Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 241 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using barbless prince nymph flies. Due to the rising popularity of fishing in Valles Caldera National Preserve, the National Park Service began charging a fee for its fishing permits starting April 1 to support the management of its fishing program. The new fee schedule will be $20 for an annual pass ($10 for youth 12-17) and $5 for a 7-day pass ($3 for youth 12-17). A State of New Mexico fishing license is also required to fish within Valles Caldera. For more information visit nps.gov/vall.

Laguna del Campo had no reports from anglers this week.

Lagunitas Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for bass at Lake Farmington was good using plastic worms.

McGaffey Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Navajo Lake was slow using Rapala lures. Fishing for pike was slow to fair using large streamer flies and spoons. Fishing for bass was slow.

Streamflow on the Rio Chama below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 3,880 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiú Lake Monday morning was 1,570 cfs. 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 was good using cut bait near the Village of Corrales area.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) had no reports from anglers this week.

San Gregorio Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Monday morning was 1,650 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was slow to fair using Yong Wing flies and leech-pattern flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was slow to fair using worms and egg pattern flies. Streamflow is anticipated to rise multiple times throughout the month of May. Visit waterdata.usgs.gov/nm/nwis/current/?type=flow for current flow rates.

Fishing for trout at Seven Springs Brood Pond was good using PowerBait Floating Mice Tails.

Fishing for trout at Tiger Park Reservoir was good using Kastmaster lures and bead-head nymph flies.

Fishing for catfish at Tingley Beach was fair to good using cut bluegill bait and Orange PowerBait. Fishing for bass was fair to good using watermelon-colored plastic crawdad lures and Bubble Butt worms. Fishing for trout was slow.

Fishing for trout at Trout Lakes was good using Panther Martin spinners.

Southwest fishing report

Fishing for catfish at Alumni Pond was slow using beef liver and chicken liver. Fishing for bass was fair using perch-pattern crankbaits, Bomber crankbaits and floating shad-pattern lures.

Bear Canyon Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Bill Evans Lake is now open. The old boat ramp has been modified to provide better access for non-motorized watercraft, and several fishing jetties have also been added. The new boat ramp remains closed until the lake's water level rises, at which time the new boat dock will be installed. For current conditions, contact the department's Fisheries Management Division at 505-476-8055. Anglers are encouraged to visit surrounding lakes such as Bear Canyon Lake, Lake Roberts and Trees Lake for alternate fishing locations.

Fishing for white bass at Caballo Lake was fair using curly-tail grubs and small crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was good using white Bomber lures, Rat-L-Trap crankbaits, and curly-tail grubs.

Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass at Elephant Butte Lake was fair to good using shad-pattern jerkbaits, square-billed crankbaits, live minnows and swimbaits. Fishing for white bass was fair to good using curly-tail grubs and crankbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair using live minnows and jigs. Fishing for crappie was fair good using live minnows. Fishing for catfish was good using raw shrimp at the marina.

Fishing for bass at Escondida Lake was fair to good using artificial worms.

Estancia Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 153 cfs.

Fishing for trout at Glenwood Pond was good using Orange and Chartreuse PowerBait fished with a bobber.

Fishing for trout at Lake Roberts was fair using garlic marshmallow bait and PowerBait.

Percha Dam had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Quemado Lake was fair using Garlic PowerBait and Panther Martin spinners.

Fishing for trout at Rancho Grande Ponds was fair using PowerBait.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam on Monday morning was 2,230 cfs.

Snow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for bass at Trees Lake was fair using 3-inch, soft-plastic worms.

Fishing for catfish at Young Pond was fair using hot dogs, beef liver, chicken liver and cut carp bait.

Southeast fishing report

Fishing for trout at Alto Lake was fair to good using PowerBait and various flies. Fishing for bass was fair to good using plastic worms.

Bataan Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for bass at Berrendo Creek was fair to good using Senko worms. Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Monday morning was 7 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. The lake is full but needs time for aquatic habitat to develop in order to sustain a healthy fish population. The city hopes to reopen the lake for recreational purposes in June 2024.

Fishing for catfish at Bosque Redondo Lake was fair to good using cut shad bait. Fishing for bass was good using deep-diving, pumpkin-colored crankbaits.

Bottomless Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for white bass at Brantley Lake was fair to good using live minnows. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using chicken-breast bait and crankbaits.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Chaparral Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for all species at Eunice Lake was slow using Panther Martin spinners, Pistol Pete spinner flies, corn and salmon eggs.

Fishing for largemouth bass at Green Meadow Lake was good using nightcrawler worms with garlic scent.

Greene Acres Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Grindstone Reservoir was good using Garlic PowerBait and Salmon Peach PowerBait.

Harry McAdams Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for catfish at Lake Van was fair using worms.

Ned Houk Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Oasis Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 110 cfs. Fishing for catfish was fair using hot dogs, night crawler worms and cut bait.

Fishing for catfish at Perch Lake was fair to good using Pautzke salmon eggs.

Rio Bonito had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Monday morning was 22 cfs.

Rock Lake Hatchery Kids’ Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for all species was slow at Santa Rosa Lake. The water temperature was in the upper 50s, and water quality was poor with high levels of turbidity.

Fishing for walleye at Sumner Lake was fair using live minnows and Berkley Flicker Shad lures.

Fishing for trout at Timberon Ponds was fair using Woolly Worm flies.