We got a pretty comprehensive report from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and The Fish Phone. Overall, action varies depending on the location, but as you head south, the fishing seems to get better. Get out there and fish if you can — there’s nothing like being outside and landing a lunker. Good luck!
Northwest
In the Northwest, many impoundments were high and muddy or murky, making fishing difficult. Some walleye were taken by anglers.
Animas River – The flow is at 2,860 cfs. The water is high, muddy and not fishable.
Chama River – Upper section flow is at 1,810 cfs and the water is still high and muddy. Fishing is poor. Below El Vado Dam, the flow is 400 cfs and the water is green, high and murky. Fishing is fair to good for 17-21 inch browns on night crawlers or gold and black Panther Martins. Stocker size rainbows are good with salmon eggs.
San Juan River – Upper section-Catch and Release, flow is at 453 cfs and visibility is 4 – 5 feet. Fishing is reported as good with cream UFO’s, black Jujubees, olive zebra midges, chocolate foam wing emergers and gray or brown RS2’s. Dry fly action is good with Parachute Adams or Comparaduns. Lower section – Open waters, fishing is good for rainbows and browns with salmon eggs, worms and the same flies as for the upper section.
Abiquiu Lake – The water is green and murky. Walleye are fair with jigs, minnows and worms. A few browns have been caught with spinners and worms. No reports on other species.
El Vado Lake – The water is clearing. Shore fishing has been good for 20-22 inch rainbows and browns with Rapalas, spinners and worms.
Heron Lake – Due to the winds, trolling is difficult and lake trout are reported as slow. Some rainbows are being caught on Power Bait and salmon eggs fishing from the east shore near the dam. Kokanee are not yet starting to school.
Jackson Lake – Trout are reported as good with gold spinners or Power Bait.
Lake Farmington – Trout are good with spinners or Power Bait.
Morgan Lake – No report.
Navajo Lake – Pike are good with spinners and deep divers in the San Juan and Pine arms. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are reported as good with jerk baits and tubes. Reports are good for Crappie in La Jara, Francis Canyon and Negro Andy Canyon with jigs and minnows. Rainbows and browns are being caught in shallow water around the shoreline with salmon eggs and worms.
Northeast
You’ll find trout, trout and more trout in the waters in northeast New Mexico. Some pike and catfish are also being landed, but trout fishing is predominate and landing fish. Get those Wooly Buggers out.
Cimarron River – The flows are 1.5 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam and 58 cfs near Cimarron. Trout are slow to fair with small bead head nymphs, black WD40’s and worms.
Costilla Creek – The flows are 1.0 cfs below the dam and 145 cfs near the town of Costilla. The Valle Vidal is closed until July 1.
Red River – Flows at Questa are 198 cfs, and 248 cfs below the hatchery. The water is very high and fishing is tough. Small nymphs or worms are your best bet. 2056 rainbows were stocked above Questa last week, and the East and West forks were each stocked with 213 rainbows.
Rio Grande - Flows are 1,190 cfs at Taos Junction Bridge and 505 cfs near Cerro. The water is lower and visibility is 18 inches. Browns and rainbows are reported as fair with black woolly buggers or #8-12 bead head nymphs. Pike are good using big streamers.
Rio Hondo – Trout are fair in the lower Hondo with #14 bead head caddis nymphs.
Rio Pueblo – Flow is 212 cfs. The water is still high and muddy and there is no report. 851 rainbows were stocked last week.
Cabresto Lake – No report.
Charette Lakes – Fishing is good for 12-18 inch rainbows with white Power Bait or worms under a bobber. Perch are good using worms.
Clayton Lake – Trout are good from the shore with Power Bait and many limits have been reported. Bass are generally slow with an occasional report of one being caught while fishing for trout. There are no reports on other species.
Eagle Nest Lake – High winds kept anglers off the water, but shoreline fishing for trout is fair with Panther Martins, worms and Power Bait. Perch are slow with worms.
Lake Alice and Lake Maloya– Fishing is reported as good at both lakes for 12-15 inch rainbows using gold spoons, Pistol Pete’ s, Power Bait, or salmon eggs.
Maxwell Lakes – Fishing is improving and 12-16 inch rainbows are being caught on purple Power Bait. Catfish are slow with worms.
Santa Cruz Lake – The water is murky and winds have slowed the fishing. Trout are slow from the bank and fair from boats with Kastmasters, Pistol Pete’s, Rapalas and Power Bait working best.
Shuree Ponds – Closed for the season.
Springer Lakes –Catfish are fair with worms and cut bait. Pike, up to 28 inches, are good with Rat-l-traps and Mepps spinners. A few bass have been caught on spinner baits.
West-Central, including the Jemez Mountains
More trout are being landed in West Central New Mexico. Get out there with your trout gear and cash in on the great fishing.
Jemez River, East Fork, Guadalupe and San Antonio – Flow on the Jemez River is at 234 cfs. Fishing continues to be good for stocker size rainbows with bead head nymphs, San Juan worms, salmon eggs or worms fished off the bottom. Some dry fly action is reported with stimulators or black ants. Stonefly hatches started last week in the lower Guadalupe and Jemez and are now starting in the upper parts of the streams. Last week, 524 rainbows were stocked in the East Fork, 1,450 in the Jemez, and 531 in the San Antonio.
Metro Drainages – No report this week. Catfish will be stocked in May.
Bluewater Lake – Fishing is good for 15-inch trout from shore with salmon eggs. Catfish are fair with worms or liver. No reports on other species.
Cochiti Lake – The water is high, green and murky with lots of debris. Water release has started and the lake level is dropping, so conditions should improve. The Cochiti boat ramp is expected to open later this week. No fishing report.
Fenton Lake – Fishing is good from shore with worms or brightly colored Power Bait. Tingley Beach – South Pond catch and release – Trout are hit or miss with Griffith gnats, dead chickens and stripping bead head nymphs. Early mornings and late evenings are best. Children’s and Central Ponds – Trout are reported as fair with yellow Power Bait and salmon eggs. Bluegills are good with worms. Catfish are very slow.
East–Central, including the Pecos River
East Central New Mexico is like the rest of the state, with good trout action. However, anglers are also landing good numbers of walleye. Good fishign is here – get out there!
Coyote Creek – Flow is 3.2 cfs and the water is murky. Trout are fair to good with Pistol Pete’s, Panther Martins, salmon eggs and Power Bait. 568 rainbows were stocked last week.
Pecos River – Flows are 524 cfs near Pecos and 116 cfs below Sumner Dam. The water is high and wading is difficult. Trout are slow, but San Juan worms or weighted stonefly nymphs drifted along the bank may work. Last week 1,848 rainbows were stocked from Cowles to the Village of Pecos.
Conchas Lake – The water is fairly clear and the temperature is 65 degrees. Walleye are good from shore and trolling, with some limits reported. Jigs, worms, Rapalas or crank baits are working well. Crappie are slow with jigs and minnows. A few white bass have been caught while tolling for walleye. No reports on catfish.
Morphy Lake – Trout are reported as good with spinners, glitter rainbow or yellow Power Bait and salmon eggs.
Santa Rosa Lake –Walleye are good jigging orange or white curly tails. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are reported as slow with crank baits and jigs. Crappie are good using chartreuse and white curly tails, sassy shads and plastics, with some limits reported. No report on catfish.
Storrie Lake –Trout are reported as fair with Power Bait, corn and fireballs. No reports on other species. 2,138 rainbows were stocked last week.
Sumner Lake – Winter trout waters, stilling basin – Fishing has been slow with light pressure due to high winds over the weekend. A few white bass were caught on shiny lures, and walleye and crappie are slow. No reports on other species.
Ute Lake – The water is lightly stained and temperature is 62 degrees. Walleye are good trolling deep diving crank baits. Crappie are reported as good using small jigs and minnows. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are good at 3-5 feet with crank baits or soft plastics. White bass are scattered with a few being caught on minnows. Catfish are fair using stink bait.
Southwest
In the southwest, murky waters have made fishing difficult. Anglers are catching trout as well as white bass and some walleye. The waters havve made things difficult, but it will get better, be patient.
Gila River – The flow is at 244 cfs and the water is murky. Fishing is picking up in the East Fork and trout are reported as fair with Panther Martins, spinners and salmon eggs.
Rio Grande - The flow is 1,660 CFS below Elephant Butte Dam. No fishing report.
Bill Evans Lake: Winter trout waters – No report.
Caballo Lake – White bass are reported as good from the bank with minnows and trolling any shiny, white lure. Walleye are good with crank baits and night crawlers. Catfish are good at night with worms or shrimp on trotlines. Crappie are fair with minnows along the west side of the lake.
Elephant Butte Lake – White bass and smallmouth bass are reported as good drifting or still fishing with white bombers. Walleye are good, with a few big ones taken on shiners. Crappie are good with minnows. Striped bass are still slow but starting to pick up using live bait. No reports on other species.
Glenwood Ponds –Trout are reported as fair with salmon eggs or worms.
Lake Roberts – Fishing is good for rainbows up to 16 inches, with salmon eggs. Many limits have been reported and best fishing has been from the bank and near the spillway. Catfish are fair with chicken liver and worms. No reports on bass.
Quemado Lake – Trout are good using copper Z-rays with red spots and chartreuse or garlic Power Bait. Tiger muskies are reported as fair to good with yellow Z-rays.
Snow Lake – No fishing report.
Southeast
Trout, trout trout. Need we say more? Get out there and fish!
Black River – Flow is 7.4 cfs. There is no fishing report.
Bonito Creek – Trout are good with Panther Martins and salmon eggs. 356 rainbows were stocked last week
Rio Ruidoso – Flow is at 66 cfs. Trout are reported as good with Panther Martins and salmon eggs working well. 891 rainbows were stocked last week.
Bonito Lake – Fishing is good with Pistol Pete’s, salmon eggs and Power Bait. 2,129 rainbows were stocked last week.
Bottomless Lakes: Winter trout waters – There will be no more reports until stocking resumes in the fall.
Brantley Reservoir – A mandatory catch and release is in place at Brantley Lake from the dept. of Game and Fish. Pesticides, DDT’s have been found in the fish, do not keep or eat them. No fishing report this week.
Carlsbad Municipal Lake – No report.
Grindstone Reservoir – Trout are reported as fair in the evenings with Pistol Pete’s and Power Bait.
Lake Van: Winter trout waters – There has been light pressure and fishing is slow.
