This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish in cooperation with Dustin Berg of www.gounlimited.org (“supporting disabled anglers”), has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Tell us about your latest New Mexico fishing adventure, or your catch of the week. Send it to us at funfishingnm@gmail.com. We may include your story in our next report. For catches of the week include: name, age, hometown, date, location, type of fish, length and weight if possible, and bait, lure or fly used. Fish weights and measurements are provided by the angler and printed here as received.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST STOCKING REPORT

The 2024-25 license year is here. Get your new Fishing License now!

2023-24 Fishing Licenses are no longer valid. A 2024-25 Fishing License is now required since the new license year began on April 1. The 2024-25 Fishing Rules and Information Booklet (RIB) is available online and in print in English and Spanish.

Check the Fishing Conditions and Trip Planner!

The Department's Fishing Conditions and Trip Planner was created using data from past Weekly Fishing Reports to develop graphs depicting fishing conditions for several species and waterbodies throughout the year. Each graph represents the average fishing conditions for each week of the year over the four-year period. 

The Department has also developed an interactive Fishing Waters Map with a wealth of information on fishing locations in New Mexico. It displays hundreds of fishing access points with information of fish species available, facilities, accessibility, boat ramps and general regulations.

Check out the webpage to plan your trip now!

Take the Bass and Trout Challenges!

To promote fishing opportunities in New Mexico and encourage anglers to branch out and discover new fishing waters and species, anglers can participate in the New Mexico Bass Challenge, the New Mexico Trout Challenge and the Master Angler Challenge. Who knows, you could catch a New Mexico Record Fish.

Catch all the challenge species that are found throughout New Mexico or a New Mexico State Record Fish and receive a certificate and challenge coin for your accomplishment!

Land Management Agency Links

The Department reminds anglers to “know before you go” and to contact land management agencies regarding additional regulations or restrictions on specific properties of interest prior to heading afield.

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
• New Mexico State Lands
• New Mexico State Parks 
• New Mexico Open Gate Properties 
• New Mexico Wildlife Management Areas
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Consult local government websites for information regarding specific city and town fishing access. 

NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Conchas Lake: Weston Cole Elebario, age 2, of Tucumcari caught his first fish, a 14-inch, 2.3-pound smallmouth bass, using a Berkley Gulp minnow on Aug. 6.

Hopewell Lake: Cole, Avery and Hailey Jaramillo, ages 7, 5 and 9, of Las Vegas caught multiple trout using PowerBait and worms on Aug. 1.

NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Cabresto Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Charette Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using spinners.

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 46 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fishing for trout was good when using worms, salmon eggs, San Juan Worm flies, yellow Humpy flies and bead-head Hare’s Ear flies. Fishing at the Gravel Pits was good when using worms, salmon eggs, Glitter PowerBait and Woolly Bugger flies.

Clayton Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using spinners.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using Berkley Gulp minnows.

Costilla Creek: Fishing for trout was good when using size-22 Mayfly flies, orange Stimulator flies, yellow Stimulator flies and dry fly Hoppers with a nymph dropper fly.

Cowles Ponds: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using salmon eggs.

Coyote Creek: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout was good when trolling using silver spinners. For updated lake conditions, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using salmon eggs and PowerBait.

Gallinas River: National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Hopewell Lake: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using live worms, PowerBait and pink Berkley Power Worms.

Lake Alice: Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using worms and PowerBait. Fishing for perch was slow to fair when using worms.

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using worms and PowerBait. Fishing for perch was fair to good when using worms. The ADA dock is open to anglers with priority given to mobility-impaired persons.

Los Pinos River: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Mayfly Nymph flies, Prince Nymph flies and Hare’s Ear flies.

Maxwell Lake 13: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Monastery Lake: The lake is part of the Department’s Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property. 

Morphy Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Monday morning was 298 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using nightcrawler worms and Green PowerBait.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 61 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using salmon eggs, Panther Martin spinners and small nymph flies near the Red River Fish Hatchery.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 306 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using black-and-gold spinners.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Monday morning was 19 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Monday morning was 155 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 18 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using Prince Nymph flies.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Shuree Ponds: Fishing for trout was fair when using dry fly Hoppers with a nymph dropper fly. Fishing the Red Chile sections of streams for trout was good using Elk Hair Caddis flies.

Springer Lake: Fishing for pike was fair when using spoons.

Storrie Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Stubblefield Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Ute Lake: Fishing for walleye was slow. Fishing for white bass was fair when using slab spoons, blade baits and Gulp minnows in 30-35 feet of water. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was slow to fair when using live minnows. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken liver and cut bait. The main lake’s water surface temperature was in the high-70 F range, and the water was dirty from recent rains. 

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Cochiti Lake: Ben Allen of Albuquerque caught a 35-inch pike and a 2-pound smallmouth bass using a Firetiger-pattern crankbait on Aug. 10.

Navajo Lake: Stephen Howard of Gallup caught a 20-inch smallmouth bass using a crankbait on Aug. 4.

Tingley Beach: Jeraldine Thomas (above) of Albuquerque caught and released a 22-inch, 3.5-pound catfish using dough bait on Aug. 10. Wayne Garcia (below) of Albuquerque caught and released a 4-pound, 3-ounce largemouth bass using a shad-pattern Whopper Plopper lure on Aug. 10.

NORTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing for walleye was fair when using jig heads tipped with worms. Contact the Abiquiu Lake Main Office at 505-685-4371 for updated lake conditions and closure information.

Animas River: Streamflow below Aztec Monday morning was 584 cfs.

Albuquerque Area Drains: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bluewater Lake:  Fishing for trout was fair to good when using crankbaits, worms and corn.

Brazos River: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Canjilon Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair when using Firetiger-pattern crankbaits. Fishing for white bass was fair to good when using live minnows. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using Firetiger-pattern crankbaits, white Flicker Shad lures, white Rapala X-Rap lures, curly-tail grubs, lipless white crankbaits and spoons. Fishing for crappie was fair when using minnows and curly-tail grubs. Fishing for catfish was slow.

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

Fenton Lake: Fishing for trout was slow. For updated lake conditions and potential closure information, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630.

Grants Riverwalk Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Heron Lake: Fishing for carp was fair to good when using fake corn.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 14 cfs. Fishing for trout on the Rio Cebolla near Fenton Lake was good when using corn and worms. Fishing streams on the Valles Caldera for trout was fair to good when using Hopper flies. Fishing the East Fork for trout was very good when using spinners, Copper John flies, Pheasant-Tail Nymph flies, Prince Nymph flies and Caddis Stimulator dry flies.

Laguna del Campo: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lagunitas Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using flies, spinners, worms and PowerBait.

Lake Farmington: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Liam Knight Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

McGaffey Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Navajo Lake: Fishing for kokanee salmon was fair to good when using spinners tipped with corn 70 feet deep. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using chartreuse swimbaits. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using crankbaits and 3-inch watermelon with red-flake plastic worms.

Rio Chama: Streamflow below El Vado Lake Monday morning was 492 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Tuesday morning was 390 cfs. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiquiu Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of only two trout.

Rio Grande: Fishing for catfish was good when using shrimp.

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

San Gregorio Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

San Juan River: Streamflow near Archuleta Tuesday morning was 942 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using bead-head, black midge emerger flies.

Seven Springs Kids’ Pond: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using salmon eggs with glitter. Rio Grande chub are native fish to the Jemez River drainage and can be found in the Seven Springs Kids’ Ponds. If you catch a Rio Grande chub, please do not leave it on the bank; return it to the water where it can survive as part of our native ecosystem.

Tiger Park Reservoir: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Tingley Beach: Fishing for catfish was fair when using dough bait. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using shad-pattern Whopper Plopper lures.

Trout Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week. 

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Elephant Butte Lake: Bjorne (above left) and Brooke Loberg (above right), ages 8 and 6, of Los Lunas each caught their first white bass using chartreuse Flicker Shad lures while fishing with their grandparents on Aug. 5.

Young Pond: Richard Vasquez of Las Cruces caught a 29.75-inch, 10-pound catfish using chicken breast cut bait on Aug. 4.

SOUTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Alumni Pond: Closed for repairs until further notice.

Bear Canyon Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bill Evans Lake: Fishing for bluegill was good when using worms.

Caballo Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for bass was good when using drop-shot rigs and red-and-white Bomber lures. Fishing for white bass was good when using pink Wally Diver lures, Flicker Shad lures and vertical-jigging Kastmaster lures. Fishing for walleye was good when using Wally Diver lures, chartreuse grubs and silver spinners. Fishing for striped bass was fair when using white slab spoons and silver Kastmaster lures. Fishing for crappie was very good when using live minnows near the Dam Site Marina. Fishing for catfish was good when using live minnows and shrimp.

Escondida Lake: Fishing for carp was fair when using worms.

Estancia Park Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver.

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 48 cfs.

Glenwood Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Roberts: Fishing for catfish was good when using hot dogs and stink bait.

Percha Dam: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Quemado Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Rancho Grande Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Tuesday morning was 1,960 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using shad near Hatch.

Snow Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Trees Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Young Pond: Fishing for catfish was very good when using worms and chicken breast cut bait. 

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Santa Rosa Lake: Paityn Chavez, age 13, of Santa Rosa caught a 2.3-pound walleye using a green Wally Diver lure on Aug. 1.

SOUTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Alto Lake: Alto Lake is closed indefinitely due to extensive damage caused by the South Fork Fire. The wildfire has left significant impacts on the natural environment and infrastructure surrounding the lake, necessitating immediate and prolonged closure for safety and restoration efforts. Please visit https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/ for the most current information.

Bataan Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using cut bait and worms.

Berrendo Creek: Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on this property.

Black River: Streamflow at Malaga Monday morning was 5 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Bonito Lake: The lake remains closed due to wildfire impacts. Visit https://www.nmfireinfo.com for the latest information.

Bosque Redondo Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair when using worms.

Bottomless Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Brantley Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Chaparral Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Dennis Chavez Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Eunice Lake: Fishing for bass was fair when using pink plastic worms.

Green Meadow Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Greene Acres Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using cut bait.

Grindstone Reservoir: Grindstone Lake is currently open for fishing. Due to changing wildlife impact closures, please see the Grindstone Lake Webpage before planning a visit.

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

Jal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Van: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Ned Houk Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Oasis Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 1,500 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken breasts and hot dogs.

Perch Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Bonito: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Ruidoso: Streamflow at Hollywood Monday morning was 46 cfs. The area has been experiencing heavy flooding because of recent fire activity in conjunction with heavy rains.

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

Santa Rosa Lake:  The boat ramp will remain closed until the lake returns to a safe level from monsoon rain and runoff after the recent water release. The lake remains open to non-motorized vessels. Fishing for walleye was fair when using green Wally Diver lures.

Spring River Pond: Fishing for catfish was good when using shrimp bait.

Sumner Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Timberon Ponds: We had no reports from anglers this week. 

TIPS, TRICKS AND STORIES

Tribute to Good Ol' Boys Fishing

We lost a good man and hardcore angler this past July 4. Farewell, Richard Hunksaker, may you rest in peace. This is the story submitted to the Department from lifelong friends, Bob and Richard, after their last spring fishing trip to Navajo Lake in 2023.

By Bob from the Grand Tetons

Ninety-one-year-old Bob comes down to New Mexico each year from the Grand Tetons, Wyoming to fish with his 88-year-old cousin Richard (aka. “Fishhead”), now a resident of Beehive Homes in Farmington. Because you are probably curious, Richard claims once upon a time that a fish swam through the crown of his hat and got stuck, earning him a unique nickname that also fits his long-standing love for fishing.

When Richard was young, he and his father made many yearly trips to Montana with a bucket of Utah nightcrawlers. The funny thing is they always ended up fly fishing and never used the worms. This experience taught Richard to be adaptable. For decades, he has fished anywhere and everywhere he could. He has even developed the most-effective spin pole action that a person could hope for. Richard is not a purist for any technique. Whatever catches fish is okay with him!

Richard Hunksaker (aka. Fishhead) with a nice brown trout that he caught at Navajo Lake on May 16, 2023. When you catch a nice fish like this, you immediately go back through that same spot several more times without question.

Bob and Richard from a Navajo Lake fishing trip a few years ago.

This attitude has brought the “Good Ol’ Boys” duo back to Navajo Lake many times in recent years. Their friend and boat captain Ken recalls from years ago: “we were fishing the early part of spring at Navajo Lake. We had a nice brown trout and were heading back to the marina. I was freezing my butt off! While heading in for the day, we caught a pike by the beach area. I said, ‘well, that’s a great day, what do you guys think?’ Richard replied, ‘I say we go back through that area a couple more times!’.”

The Good Ol’ Boys returned to Navajo Lake on May 16, 2023, for their latest adventure. During a great day of fishing, Richard landed a nice brown trout. Ken didn’t even ask and went back through that same spot a few more times like he knew Fishhead would prefer!

Richard’s daughter Kathy brought him out to fish with his cousin Bob last year. She gave permission to submit the included pictures and noted that Fishhead would love to have bragging rights at the Beehive! 

Let us know how your fishing trip goes! Share your tips and tricks with your fellow anglers by emailing us at funfishingnm@gmail.com and let’s help the next generation of anglers find success.

Thanks for reading and supporting our angling community!