Charette Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using Garlic PowerBait and silver spinners.
Cimarron River: Water levels are extremely low. Streamflow near Cimarron Wednesday morning was 8.01 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Clayton Lake: The most recent report was received July 17. At that time, fishing for trout was slow when using PowerBait and lures.
Conchas Lake: The most recent report was received July 10. At that time, fishing for white bass was slow to fair when using jerkbaits. Fishing for walleye was fair to good when using purple crankbaits.
Cowles Ponds: The most recent report was received July 24. At that time, fishing for trout was very good when using gold spinners.
Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for rainbow trout was fair to good when using PowerBait. For updated lake conditions and potential hazards, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.
Gallinas River: The river was recently stocked the first time since the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using Pistol Petes and PowerBait.
Lake Maloya: The most recent report was received July 24. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good when using lures.
Monastery Lake: Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using worms. The lake is part of the Department’s Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property.
Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Wednesday morning was 89 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using caddis flies, Parachute Adams flies and stone flies.
Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Wednesday morning was 43.7 cfs.
Red River City Ponds: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Velveeta cheese.
Red River Hatchery: The most recent report was received July 24. At that time, fishing for rainbow trout was good when using Green PowerBait.
Rio Fernando: The most recent report was received July 10. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good when using salmon eggs.
Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Wednesday morning was 238 cfs.
Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Wednesday morning was 13 cfs. The most recent report was received July 17. At that time, fishing for trout was slow when using flies.
Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Wednesday morning was 44.2 cfs.
Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Wednesday morning was 22 cfs.
Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was slow when using PowerBait and spinners.
Storrie Lake: The most recent report was received July 24. At that time, fishing for trout was good when using Panther Martin spinners.
Stubblefield Lake: The most recent report was received July 24. At that time, fishing for catfish was fair to good when using cut bait.
Ute Lake: The most recent report was received July 24. At that time, fishing for largemouth bass was fair to good when using Berkley Stunner jerkbaits.
We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Cabresto Lake, Costilla Creek, Coyote Creek, Eagle Rock Lake, Lake Alice, Los Pinos River, Maxwell Lake 13, Morphy Lake, Shuree Ponds and Springer Lake. |
Editor’s Note: We are digging into our archives to bring you some tips and tricks from the past. Last week, we ran an excerpt from Col. Joseph D. Bates, Jr.’s book, “Elementary Fishing,” which was originally published in the March-April 1970 edition of New Mexico Wildlife as the first part of a two-part series. This week, we’re publishing Part II, which appeared in the May-June 1970 edition. Keep in mind that some information in this article may be outdated and may not necessarily align with today’s rules – please see the 2025-2026 Fishing Rules and Information booklet for current rules and regulations.
Another year, late in the spring, the warden invited me to meet him at his place on a little lake in Maine. He had a small aircraft waiting, resting on its pontoons beside the dock. We flew to an isolated lake in northern Maine and stayed in an abandoned lumber camp. The old log cabin had been used by squirrels and mice all winter and there were signs that a bear had broken in. But we swept out the place and patched it up and made it quite comfortable.
“This week,” the warden said that evening as we sat on a log in front of the cabin, “let’s do some trolling. To show you the good spots, I’ve traced a topographical map of this lake, and I’ve marked the good fishing places on it. There’s no use bothering with the others except perhaps in the very early spring when fish might be almost anywhere. Right now we should find them near the brook mouths because food comes into the lake there. When the water gets warmer they’ll be in deep water, close in by the brook mouths or up in the brooks. Since these trout spawn in the fall, most of them will be up in the brooks then, too, because they like to spawn in gravelly brooks.
“Let’s go around the map clockwise and decide where we should fish now, when the surface water is cool. Our camp is at ‘A,’ and you can catch trout from shore in the brook and in the lake in front of it. There are two more brooks coming in on this side where I’ve marked ‘x.’ Between them is a steep rocky bank with plenty of shade from the trees, and insects dropping into the water. Good food and protection all up this side. Also, in good weather the breeze blows from west to east, or from ‘C’ to ‘A.’ This drifts insects and other food to this side.
“At the head of the lake are two islands, with a shallow gravel bar between them. Since they are rocky, fishing should be good around them. At the head of the lake it’s very swampy, and a brook splits and flows in there. There’s a steep dropoff about twenty-five feet from shore, so it’s a good place to anchor for fly fishing or spinning. A big stream comes in at ‘C,’ so fishing all around the head of the lake should be good. But there’s not much reason for fish to be from ‘C’ down to ‘B,’ and it is very shallow and rocky in the cove. The cove is full of chubs; you can have some fun with them if you want to. At the head of the cove is an old log dam, with a small pool below it and a big pool farther down. Fishing is only fair in the pools now, but it’s excellent in the fall when trout are running upstream. Lastly’ at the bottom of the sketch you’ll see where two brooks come in. You can see the place off to your right, but the brooks are hidden in grass and small bushes. It’s very swampy, and moose often feed there.
“So now you know why all the spots marked ‘x’ should have good fishing. Sneak up on them quietly. Anchor well off or to one side of the brook mouths. Let the anchor down carefully and make no noise in the boat. Cast carefully so your line will disturb the water as little as possible. If you’re using a wet fly or streamer, fish it near the surface for a few casts. If you get no strikes, try letting a few casts go down deep. If no results then, change the fly. This lake has a lot of small smelt in it. Now they’re about two inches long. So try a streamer of the same size that imitates a smelt — my ‘Supervisor,’ or a ‘Gray Ghost’ or a ‘Ballou Special,’ for example. I’ll be away all day tomorrow, so you can go out and fool around a bit. Save two or three big trout for dinner, but don’t kill more than we can eat. If the fishing is as good as it should be, pinch the barb off the lucky fly. With a barbless hook you can land the fish on a tight line, or can let them shake loose by giving them some slack.
“Now,” the warden went on, “let’s talk about trolling. You should troll a streamer or bucktail, or a minnow and most other lures, fairly fast; about five miles an hour, or as fast as a man can walk. With the water as cool as it is, try trolling close to shore. I’ve marked the best places with this dotted line on the map. Follow the shoreline, going into all the little coves. If you don’t get strikes near the surface, troll out a little farther and fish a little deeper.
“Later in the year,” the warden added, “the surface water will be too warm for trout, except in spring holes and perhaps around stream mouths. Warm water is lighter than cold water, so it stays in a layer on top. This warm layer may be ten feet deep or so. Under that, the water gets colder rapidly. That’s why you usually should troll deep in summer, even if you have to use a wire line or something similar.” |
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