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2023-24 Fishing Licenses are no longer valid.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

Cowles Pond: Aspen Tapia, age 5, of Edgewood caught three rainbow trout, with the largest being 12 inches, using salmon eggs on Aug. 4.

Hopewell Lake: Zariah, age 11, caught his first fish, a 14-inch rainbow trout, using a pink Berkley Power Worm on July 24.

Pecos River: Cash Lujan, age 9, of Santa Fe caught his limit of rainbow trout using Green PowerBait on July 29.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Owen Middagh of Albuquerque caught multiple 15- to 16-inch rainbow trout using a size-22, brown nymph fly on July 28.

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 48 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 green Rapala lures. Fishing for white bass was fair to good when using Gulp minnows. Fishing for walleye was fair when using Gulp minnows. Fishing for crappie was fair when using 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 using garlic and cheese PowerBait. 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 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: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Orange PowerBait Mousetails, Yellow Garlic PowerBait, Green Garlic PowerBait, PowerBait Salmon Egg Balls and spinners.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Monday morning was 103 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using Green PowerBait.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 42 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 203 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using tungsten, bead-head nymph flies and gold spinners.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Monday morning was 16 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Monday morning was 61 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 11 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using Prince Nymph flies.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good when using size-22, brown nymph flies.

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 to good when using slab spoons, blade baits, and Gulp minnows in 30 feet of water. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was fair when using 4-inch, soft-plastic baits on drop-shot rigs and tubes fished off the bottom. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawler worms in shallow water. Fishing for bluegill was good when using worms and small jigs. The main lake’s water surface temperature was in the low-80 F range, and the water was clear. 

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Bluewater Lake: Carian Lee of Albuquerque caught a 16-inch rainbow trout using a crankbait on Aug. 3.

Cochiti Lake: Stephanie Perez of Bernalillo (above left) caught a 17-inch, 2.5-pound smallmouth bass using a spinner tipped with Garlic Rainbow PowerBait on Aug. 1. Albert Castillo and Antonio Castillo of Albuquerque (above right) caught a 38-inch pike using a curly-tail grub on July 29.

Jemez Waters: Bruce Handrich of Socorro caught his limit of rainbow trout using corn and worms on the Rio Cebolla near Fenton Lake on July 30.

Rio Chama: Santiago Soto of Las Cruces caught a 34-inch lake trout and a 26-inch brown trout on July 18.

San Juan River: Jonathon Casados of Albuquerque (above left) caught a 24-inch rainbow trout using a Red Annelid fly on Aug. 4. Andrea Thomas of Granbury, Texas (above right), caught a 32-inch rainbow trout using a size-26 nymph fly on July 7.

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 95 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 spinners. Fishing for white bass was fair to good when using live minnows. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using 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 good when using fake corn.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 18 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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 3-inch watermelon with red-flake plastic worms.

Rio Chama: Streamflow below El Vado Lake Monday morning was 473 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Tuesday morning was 513 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 1,210 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was good when using Red Annelid flies, size-26 midge-pattern flies and large hair jigs.

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. Anglers often mistake these fish for an invasive species and leave them on the banks to die. 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 to good when using nightcrawler worms.

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

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Bill Evans Lake: Cohen Rogers, age 3, of Lakewood, Colorado, caught his first fish, a 5-inch bluegill using worms on July 28.

Elephant Butte Lake: Alyssa Moody, age 10, of El Paso, Texas (above left), caught a 24-inch striper using a silver Kastmaster lure on Aug. 3. Joanne Tapia of Carnuel (above right) caught her first walleye and 18 white bass using Wally Diver lures on July 30.

Estancia Park Lake: Preston Cantu of Estancia caught a 28-inch catfish using chicken liver on July 31.

Rio Grande: William Schroeder of Las Cruces caught an 18.5-pound catfish using shad near Hatch on Aug. 3. 

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 striper 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 catfish was fair to good when using chicken liver.

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

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 64 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 2,020 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 fair when using chicken and nightcrawler worms. 

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Bataan Lake: Eli Renteria, age 12, of Carlsbad caught and released a 20-inch catfish using cut bait 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 4 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: Fishing for catfish was fair when using nightcrawler worms.

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: Evacuation orders in the Ruidoso area have been lifted, but please continue to exercise caution.

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 113 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 Tuesday morning was not reported. 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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Albuquerque District announced that it has scheduled a block release of water from Santa Rosa Lake to start Monday at 8 a.m. This release will force closure of the boat ramp. The boat ramp will remain closed until the lake returns to a safe level from monsoon rain and runoff.

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

BASS Nation Junior National Championships

By Michael Sage

Two weekends ago, the NM BASS Nation sent three, two-angler teams to Lake Chicamagua in Dayton, Tennessee, to participate in the BASS Nation Junior National Championships. The two-day tournament had a total of 129 teams participating from across the country as well as Canada. 

The team of Hannah Sage (Los Lunas) and Tanner Ortega (Albuquerque) placed 20th overall, with a two-day total of 15 pounds, 2 ounces.

Hannah Sage of Los Lunas and Tanner Ortega of Albuquerque with some nice bass that they caught.

In fact, Sage and Ortega were in second place after Day 1, with a total of 12 pounds, 12 ounces–a mere 1.5 pounds from first place! Sage caught a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass on Day 1. 

“Our primary successful patterns were drop-shotting a straight-tail worm, Neko-rigging a Berkley MaxScent General and Texas-rigging the Berkley MaxScent Hit Worm Magnum,” their boat captain Brian Stangel said.

Unfortunately, Day 2 proved challenging, as Sage and Ortega were only able to land one fish at 2 pounds, 6 ounces, bringing their two-day total to 15 pounds, 2 ounces. The winning team had a 2-day total weight of 20 pounds, 9 ounces.

During weigh in, Sage was given the opportunity to acknowledge her Navajo background and in the Navajo language; She introduced herself and thanked the Navajo Nation and its people for all their support.

Fellow New Mexico teams also joined the challenge from Ruidoso and Clovis. These included Bassmaster Junior Championship New Mexico Team Cason Curry and Jaxon Curry, captained by Catlin Curry. Bassmaster Junior Championship New Mexico Team Hayden VanWinkle and Kendal "Coy" Ward captained by Chance VanWinkle.

All of New Mexico should be proud of these young kids. They went toe-to-toe with the best junior anglers in North America and proved they belong! 

Bassmaster Junior Championship New Mexico Team Cason Curry and Jaxon Curry, captained by Catlin Curry. 

Bassmaster Junior Championship New Mexico Team Hayden VanWinkle and Kendal "Coy" Ward captained by Chance VanWinkle.

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!