New Mexico Fishing Report September 2005
August 31, 2005
This fishing report has been generated from the best information available from officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, however, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Clayton Lake: Mike York of Clayton caught a 17-pound channel catfish. He was using beef liver.

If you have a catch of the week story, send it to us at fishnm@hotmail.com.
Include date, location, type of fish, length and bait used to catch the fish.

August 31, 2005
This fishing report has been generated from the best information available
from officers and anglers.
Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, however, as
stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

NORTHEAST AREA

CANJILON LAKES: Good trout fishing reported by anglers using flies under a bubble, small Kastmasters, power bait and salmon eggs.

CHARETTE LAKES: Anglers using worms did very well fishing for perch. Trout fishing was good for anglers using hoppers, christmas tree/worm combinations, prop flies and power bait.

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 27cfs. Trout fishing was reported as good by anglers using yellow sallies, bead head nymphs, elk hair caddis, hoppers and small spinners. A few fish were also taken on worms.

CIMARRON GRAVEL PIT LAKES: We had no reports from anglers this week.

CLAYTON LAKE: Trout and catfish provided some very good action for anglers this past week. Best baits for trout were corn, salmon eggs, power bait and spinners. Most of the catfish were taken on beef liver and worms.

COCHITI LAKE: This is getting repetitious, but minnows and night crawlers were the best baits again this past week for anglers fishing for white bass, black bass, perch and crappie. A few smallmouth bass were taken on top water lures. A few catfish were taken by anglers using night crawlers and liver.

CONCHAS LAKE: Tubes, grubs, top water lures and crank baits were all working this past week for anglers fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Most of the fish were taken in less than 10 feet of water. Anglers fishing for bluegill did well using worms, poppers and small jigs. Several channel catfish were taken by anglers using shrimp, liver and night crawlers. Walleye fishing was fair for anglers trolling deep running crank baits. We had no reports on other species.

COYOTE CREEK: Fishing was slow.

EAGLE NEST LAKE: Depending on time of day and weather conditions, anglers were catching some kokanee at depths ranging from 5-to-25 feet. Best baits were kokanee killers and Z Rays tipped with corn. Bank fishing was good using worms and yellow power bait for perch. A few rainbow trout were taken on power bait, Pistol Petes and spinners.

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing at Lake Maloya was quite good again this past week. Anglers did well using dough baits, power bait, salmon eggs, gold spinners and spoons, black gnats and millers. Fishing at Lake Alice was slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait and salmon eggs.

LOS PINOS: Fishing was good using spinners, hoppers, humpys, elk hair caddis and bead head nymphs for trout.

MCALLISTER LAKE: Trout fishing was slow. A few fish were taken on spoons and wooly buggers.

MONASTERY LAKE: Fishing was fair using corn and salmon egg combinations for trout.

MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing was reported as good by anglers using power bait, spinners, prop flies, salmon eggs and marshmallows. Due to road construction, access to the lake is limited to weekends between the hours of 8a.m. on Friday and 8p.m. on Sunday.

PECOS RIVER: As of Monday morning, water flow was 60cfs near the town of Pecos. Fishing was good for anglers using small bead head nymphs, elk hair caddis, gnats, ants, spinners and worms for rainbow trout. Fishing the lower river through Villanueva was slow.

RED RIVER: Water flow near Questa was 29cfs as of Monday. Trout fishing was good for anglers using spinners, worms, bead head nymphs, hoppers and elk hair caddis.

RIO GRANDE: As of Monday, water flow near the Taos Junction Bridge was 238cfs. Fishing was fair using pins minnows for smallmouth bass. Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs, hoppers, wooly buggers and spinners.

SANTA BARBARA: Fishing was good using stimulators, royal wulffs and small bead head nymphs for trout.

SANTA CRUZ: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using Z Rays, Kastmasters and prop flies under a bubble.

SHUREE PONDS: We had no reports from anglers this week.

SPRINGER LAKE: Fishing was fair for anglers using cut bait and liver for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

STORRIE LAKE: Fishing was reported as slow-to-fair for anglers using power bait and salmon eggs and fishing near the inlet.

STUBBLEFIELD: We had no reports from anglers this week.

UTE LAKE: The Ute Lake marina has closed temporarily but the boat ramps are open and in good condition. White bass fishing was fair-to-good for anglers trolling chrome colored crank baits while others reported success using slab spoons. Anglers trolling for white bass also caught several smallmouth bass and a few walleye. Smallmouth bass and a few largemouth bass were also taken by anglers using grubs, crank baits, floating worms and top water lures. Fishing for bluegills was good for anglers using worms and small jigs. We had no reports on other species.

NORTHWEST AREA

ABIQUIU LAKE: Fishing was fair for anglers using liver and worms for catfish. A few smallmouth bass were taken on grubs, tubes and crank baits. We had no reports on other species.

BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was reported as slow from the bank but fair for boats trolling christmas tree/worm and christmas tree/spinner combinations for trout.

BURNS CANYON LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.

CHAMA RIVER: Water flow below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 541cfs and 651cfs below Abiquiu. The best fishing reports this past week came from anglers fishing the river above El Vado. They did well using night crawlers, spinners and a variety of flies for brown trout.

EL VADO LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.

FENTON LAKE: Fishing was slow.

HERON LAKE: Reports this week were almost identical to those last week. Kokanee fishing was reported as slow-to-fair by most anglers. They were trolling Cripplures, needlefish, Panther Martins and Z Rays tipped with corn at depths of 19-to-30 feet. Fishing from the bank was slow with only a few trout taken on power bait and salmon eggs. We had no reports on lake trout.

JEMEZ WATERS: As of Monday, water flow on the Jemez River near Jemez Springs was 16cfs. Fishing on the Jemez, San Antonio, Rio Guadalupe and the Rio Las Vacas was rated as good-to-very good by anglers using small spinners, ants, royal wulffs, humpys, elk hair caddis, small bead head nymphs, worms and salmon eggs for trout.

MANZANO LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.

NAVAJO LAKE: Fishing was rated as poor-to-fair for most species again this past week. Anglers fishing for kokanee managed to catch a few trolling at depths of 50-to-60 feet. They were using Arnies, needlefish and wedding rings tipped with corn. A few black bass were taken on floating worms, crank baits and tubes. We had no reports on other species.

RAMAH LAKE: Lots of bluegill action reported by anglers using olive bead head wooly buggers and Pistol Petes. They were trolling and drifting along the edge of the moss beds and picked up a few trout in the same areas.

SAN GREGORIO: Fishing is very slow.

SAN JUAN: Water flow below Navajo Dam on Monday morning was 640cfs. Trout fishing this past week continued to be very good in the Quality Water section as well as the bait waters. Anglers did well using a variety of flies including anato-mays, little princesses, dead chickens, micro mays, RS2s, red annelids, foam winged emergers, bead head pheasant tails, bead head wooly buggers and San Juan worms. Through the bait waters, anglers did very well using copper john barrs, Yozuri pins minnows, wooly worms, wooly buggers, worms, power bait and night crawlers. A few fish were also taken on spinners and salmon eggs.

SOUTHWEST AREA

BEAR CANYON: Fishing was fair using liver and worms for catfish.

BILL EVANS LAKE: Fishing was fair using worms for bluegill and catfish.

CABALLO LAKE: The only reports received this week were from anglers fishing for white bass. They caught a few using slab spoons, crank baits and top water lures. We had no reports on other species.

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Tough fishing reported by most anglers. A few black bass were taken on drop shot rigs. A few catfish were taken on live bait, cut bait and liver. We had no reports on other species.

ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

GILA RIVER: Water on the main river was flowing at 50cfs as of Monday morning. Fishing on the forks was rated as slow with a few trout taken on small bead head nymphs, ant patterns and humpys.

GLENWOOD POND: We had no reports from anglers this week.

LAKE ROBERTS: Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using liver and worms for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

PERCHA DAM: We had no reports from anglers this week.

QUEMADO LAKE: Fishing was good using corn, salmon eggs, power bait and prop flies for stocked trout. Most of the fish were in the 8-to-10 inch range.

RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte was 592cfs on Monday. Fishing below the Butte and below Caballo was rated as fair again this week by anglers fishing for catfish. They were using shrimp and liver. Anglers using grubs also caught a few white bass below Caballo.

SNOW LAKE: Trout fishing was slow.

SOUTHEAST AREA

BATAAN LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

BONITO LAKE: Fishing was reported as fair for some anglers but good for others using power bait and salmon eggs for trout. A few were also taken on prop flies and spinners.

BOSQUE REDONDO: We had no reports from anglers this week.

BRANTLEY: Fishing was slow for all species.

CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

GRINDSTONE: Fishing was fair-to-good for anglers using worms, power bait, salmon eggs, spinners and prop flies for trout.

LAKE VAN: We had no reports from anglers this week.

PECOS: Below Sumner Lake, water flow on Monday was 90cfs. Fishing was fair for anglers using worms for channel catfish.

PERCH LAKE: We had no
reports from anglers this week.

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow as of Monday was 5.0cfs. Fishing was slow-to-fair for anglers using small bead head nymphs.

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was reported as fair-to-good for anglers using grubs, tubes and crank baits fished in the backs of coves and up the river channel. A few were also taken on top water lures. Most of the fish were small but reported as being very healthy. Fishing was fair for anglers using liver and shrimp on trotlines for catfish. We had no reports on other species.

SUMNER LAKE: Anglers trolling for walleye this past week reported catching several small spotted and smallmouth bass. Most of the fish were less than 12 inches in length. A few catfish were taken on worms and liver. We had no reports on other species.