This week's stocking report

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This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish, has been generated from the best information available from area officers, anglers, guides and local businesses. Conditions may vary as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

Oct. 4, 2011

Northwest

Animas River - The flow is 121 cfs. The river continues to fish fair to good for trout using various bead-headed nymphs, spinners and worms.
Chama River - Upper section flow is 31 cfs. Below El Vado, the flow is 206 cfs and the flow below Abiquiu is 283 cfs. The upper Chama flowing downstream to the village of Chama and into El Vado reservoir is fair to good with the recent drop in flow. Special Kokanee Salmon Snagging Season Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 - Chama River from El Vado Lake to west boundary of Rio Chama Wildlife and Fishing Area. Check the Fishing Rules and Information booklet for the details. The river below El Vado is fishing good to excellent. All methods are catching fish with limits of rainbows being taken. Some brown trout are also reported being landed a bit lower down river from the spillway using black and gold Panther Martins.
San Juan River - Upper section - Catch and Release flow is 754 cfs. Flows have come back up a bit but the fishing remains good. Midges are hatching all day long. At the moment they are very small, midge pupa and larvae, size 22 to 28, black, chocolate, dark grey, cream and olive have been the best. Blue winged olives are on the move and the hatches are getting better. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size 24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emerger. Small 16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The lower river was stocked last week with 1,800 rainbow trout.
Abiquiu Lake– Special Kokanee Salmon Snagging Season Oct. 1 - Dec. 31. Check the Fishing Rules and Information booklet for the details. Not much has changed at the lake and conditions remain the same. Fishing is slow for all species including walleye with smaller-sized fish being caught. No report on other species.
El Vado Lake – Trout fishing is reported as slow to fair with better reports from the Chama River inlet and the dam. Fish are being landed with worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait and spinners. The main boat ramp is open but the primitive ramps are closed due to low water. Special Kokanee Salmon Snagging Season Oct. 1 - Dec. 31. Check the Fishing Rules and Information booklet for the details.
Heron Lake– Salmon fishing has picked back up and is reported as good. Some anglers are having better luck than others. Fish are being caught at 30 - 35 feet deep with down riggers and lead-core lines. Anglers are having success with double whammies tipped with corn or garlic Power Bait. Best bet is to use a x-mas tree, large copper spinner or dodger to pick up the bite. Special Kokanee Salmon Snagging - Snagging Season is closed Oct. 1 - Nov. 10 at Heron Lake and Willow Creek. Snagging season is open at Heron Lake and Willow Creek Nov. 11 - Dec. 31. Trout fishing is reported slow to fair when using worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait and spinners from shore. Better reports for bigger trout when trolling on the north end of the lake using Rapala's and Panther Martins.
Jackson Lake – Trout fishing is reported as fair using Power Bait, salmon eggs and worms form shore. Spinners and black wooly buggers are reported working well on the back side of the lake.
Lake Farmington – Trout fishing is reported as fair to good by the spillway using Power Bait, salmon eggs and worms. Best success is reported close to the dam.
Morgan Lake – Fishing is slow for bass with very little traffic at the lake.
Navajo Lake - Bass fishing continues to be good when using CVD Strike King Lures in a shad pattern. Northern pike are reported as fair to slow in the mornings when trolling along structure with big flashy lures. Special Kokanee Salmon Snagging Season is Oct. 1 - Dec. 31.

Northeast

Cimarron River – The flow below Eagle Nest Dam is 31 cfs and 23 cfs near Cimarron. The release out of Eagle's Nest Dam has been sporadic at best. With the current flows fishing is reported as fair to good. But this can change at any time. Check the flows before you go. Trout are hitting on most methods with spinners and bead headed flies working best.
Costilla Creek – The flow is 1.4 cfs near the town of Costilla and 6.9 cfs at the dam. Fishing is reported as fair to slow with the low flows. The release has lowered to a point where the fishing is going to be tough, at least above Comanche Creek anyway. Check the flows before you go. The river was stocked last week with 758 triploid rainbow trout.
Red River - Flows are 16 cfs near Questa and 31 cfs below the hatchery. Trout are being found on the entire stretch of the river from the upper forks to the confluence with the Rio Grande. Below the hatchery is reported as the best bet though. All methods are producing fish.
Rio Grande - Flows are 169 cfs near Cerro and 271 cfs below the Taos Junction Bridge. Low current velocity has made trout fishing slow. Best fly fishing on the Rio is for smallmouth bass on streamers. Cover the deeper slower runs for the bass. No report on pike.
Rio Hondo – The flow is 14 cfs and fishing is reported as fair in the upper stretches by the ski area. Dry flies, small spinners and worms are all working.
Rio Pueblo - The flow is 10 cfs. The fishing is fair. Same as the Rio Hondo, dry flies, small spinners and worms are all working.
Cabresto Lake – The lake is closed for repairs to the dam.
Charette Lakes – Fishing is good in the deeper water. Try to avoid the moss. Topwater fly fishing is reported as good in the mornings and evenings. Perch are fair using small lures and worms.
Clayton Lake – Trout fishing is reported as fair to good when using Power Bait, worms or spinners. The lake was stocked last week with 3,799 triploid rainbow trout.
Eagle Nest Lake – Fishing continues to be good. The perch are reported as good from shore and better from anchored boats. Trolling is great for trout using lightweight tackle. Trout fishing is good when trolling top water gear and hit and miss from the bank using Power Bait. Special Kokanee Salmon Snagging Season is Oct. 1 - Dec. 31.
Lake Alice and Lake Maloya– Sugarite Canyon State Park has reopened and fishing is good on Lake Maloya for trout. Fish are being landed using Power Bait and salmon eggs from shore. Fly fishing is reported as good in the early mornings and late evenings. Lake Alice has been affected by runoff from the fire and no fishing is reported there.
Maxwell Lakes – The water level is very low at Lake No.13 and fishing is slow.
Shuree Ponds – The water level on the upper pond is reported to be 50 percent down. This is making float tubing difficult and fishing is reported as fair overall. All methods are catching fish. Be sure to get past the weed beds for a better bite.
Springer Lakes – Fishing is reported as slow. Water levels are dropping due to irrigation so water levels are low.

West-Central, including the Jemez Mountains

Jemez River, East Fork, Guadalupe and San Antonio - Flow on the Jemez River is 15 cfs. Low water and ash washing into the river from the fire are plaguing the streams of the Jemez. The only really water worth fishing is the Cebolla or the Rio De Las Vacas/Guadalupe watershed. Ash runoff from the Las Conchas fire has killed quite a lot of fish on the East Fork and Rio San Antonio, and the streambed is covered in it. This side of the Jemez has not been stocked since the fire started. On a good note, reports do say that the San Antonio is showing some signs of clearing and if the rains continue to subside it should start to come back pretty quickly. The Cebolla River in and out of Fenton Lake was stocked with 1,674 rainbow trout last week.
Metro Drainages - Stocking has ended for the season and trout fishing is reported as slow.
Bluewater Lake –  Fishing for trout has improved with the last stocking a couple of weeks ago. Anglers are reporting success with most methods working. The tiger muskies are fishing good. The fish reported were caught on rattletraps while trolling and jerk baits from shore.
Cochiti Lake – The lake is open with a few fishermen trying their luck. Reports of few catfish and bluegill being taken, but traffic and water quality are still issues. More than 100 tons of debris was removed from the lake and there is plenty more on the shore. Water clarity is also a problem with the ash from the fire being swept into the lake by runoff from rain.
Fenton Lake – Fishing for trout is reported as fair with worms and Power Bait.
Tingley Beach - Fishing for catfish in the Tingley Beach Children's and Central Ponds has been fair. Best reports are from anglers using worms or hotdogs. No reports on largemouth bass. The rainbow trout stocking season for Tingley Beach is almost here. Look forward weekly stockings of 2,400 rainbow trout from October through April! No reports from fly-rod anglers at the South/Catch and Release Pond.

East–Central, including the Pecos River

Coyote Creek - The flow is 0.74 cfs. Fishing is fair for trout. Better fishing reported in the beaver ponds downstream from the camp areas.
Pecos River – The flow is 35 cfs. The river is fishing well and the water is clear on the upper stretches. If you see murky water down low, consider driving upriver to find clearer water. Use small flies during clear water and switch to a bigger more flashy fly if the water is murky. Blue winged olives, yellow sallies, hoppers, ants, and beetles have been the best producers dry fly wise. Nymphing with a dry dropper rig can end your slump if they aren't coming up on your dry fly. Try flashback pheasant tails or a nitro caddis. The lower river from Cowles to the Village of Pecos was stocked last week with 2,708 rainbow trout. The Mora River, a tributary to the Pecos was also stocked with 664 rainbow trout last week.
Conchas Lake – Fishing is reported as slow with very few fishermen out and very few fish being caught. North Dock reports that white and black bass when trolling top water and plastics are your best bet. Some walleye have been picked up when trolling crank baits in 18 - 20 feet of water. No report on other species.
Morphy Lake –No fishing report this week.
Santa Rosa Lake – Water levels are low and launching boats is down to one at a time. Please use caution and common sense. The smallmouth bass fishing has been slow. Catfish have been fair using cut bait and stink bait. No report on other species.
Storrie Lake – Fishing is fair for trout using Power Bait, cheese balls and worms.
Sumner Lake – Fishing is slow for all species, no good reports as of late. Below the dam, no reports. The water level is very low.
Ute Lake – The main lake is clear and the river arms are lightly stained. White bass are fishing good to excellent. Find the schools from where the Ute empties into the Canadian to Horseshoe and then use Leprechaun swim slabs (White) to hammer them. Walleye are fishing fair with reports of catching one here and there. Small and largemouth bass are reported as fair. Reports of good fish being taken with jigs in the trees and frogs early in the morning. Channel catfish are reported as excellent with stink baits and chicken liver fished near brush in 6-15 feet of water.

Southwest

Gila River - The flow is 30 cfs and fishing is fair to slow with the best success in the upper reaches of the river on the West, East and Middle forks.
Rio Grande - The flow is 2.5 cfs below Elephant Butte Dam. Catfish are fair using worms, liver or stink bait. Walleye are reported as good here and better below Caballo Lake with worms and shiners.
Bill Evans Lake: Winter stocking for trout has ended for the year and will resume late next fall. No fishing report.
Caballo Lake – Fishing is slow. Water levels are very low. Best bet is below spillway on the Rio Grande.
Elephant Butte Lake – Fishing for white bass is reported as fair but slowing down. Most anglers are catching fish with shiners and spinners. Stripped bass are reported slow by the dam with a few fish being landed. No report on other species.
Glenwood Ponds – Fishing is fair for trout when using Pistol Petes, worms and Power Bait.
Lake Roberts – Fishing is reported as good for catfish with liver and worms. Trout fishing is reported as good since the recent stockings with worms. No report on other species.
Quemado Lake – Trout fishing is reported as fair. Anglers are having success using green Power Bait. No report on the tiger muskies. The lake was stocked last week with 8,497 triploid rainbow trout.

Southeast

Rio Ruidoso - Flow is 0.13 cfs in town and 5.3 cfs at Hollywood. Fishing is reported as fair to good. Best bet is to fish the deeper holes were fish will be holding in the low water conditions.
Bonito Lake – Trout fishing continues to be good in the mornings and evenings. Green and yellow Power Bait, spinners and black woolly boogers our reported working well.
Bottomless Lakes: No report, stocking will resume in late fall.
Brantley Reservoir – There has been light pressure and no current report. A mandatory catch and release is in place at Brantley Lake because pesticides have been found in the fish. Do not keep or eat them.
Grindstone Reservoir – Fishing is reported as good with better fishing reported in the mornings and evenings for trout using worms, Power Bait and Pistol Petes.

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Published : Sunday, 04 Sep 2011, 3:44 PM MDT

Web Producer: Bill Diven

TAOS, N.M. (AP) - Crews are continuing to fight one small lightning-caused wildfire in the Taos area while another is being monitored and a third has been fully contained.

via Fires still burning in Carson forest | Taos, N.M. | KRQE News 13.

via N.M. fishing report, Sept. 2, 2011 | Fishing Tips!.

via Angel Fire Resort to Build a World-Class RV Resort in the Enchanted Circle of New Mexico | Enterprise Communications and Collaboration Technologies.

via Wildlife center tends to injured, orphaned bears | The Associated Press | Health | San Francisco Examiner.

via N.M. fishing report, Aug. 19, 2011 - The Santa Fe New Mexican.