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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. Photos containing sensitive material may be altered or excluded at the Department's discretion.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST STOCKING REPORT

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

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.

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

NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Pecos River: Robert Montoya of Santa Fe caught and released a 28-inch brown trout using a size-16, pheasant tail Warrior Fly on Sept. 26 (above left). Donald Gutierrez of Albuquerque (below left) and his grandson Damian (below right) caught a 23-inch, 4.5-pound rainbow trout using a worm with salmon eggs on Sept. 24.

NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT

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

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

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Monday morning was 5 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Clayton Lake: Fishing for bass was fair to good using crankbait lures.

Conchas Lake: Fishing for bass was fair when using shallow-diving crankbaits in the mornings.

Costilla Creek: Fishing for trout was good when using Mayfly Flies.

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

Coyote Creek: Fishing for trout was fair when using small dry flies.

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using various PowerBait. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using large rainbow-trout-pattern spinners. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using PowerBait. Fishing for perch was slow to fair when using worms. For updated lake conditions, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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 good when using streamer flies and Pistol Pete spinner flies.

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

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was good when using orange PowerBait Marshmallows and salmon eggs. 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: Fishing for trout was good when using Green PowerBait. 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 50 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using size-16 Pheasant Warrior Flies, dry flies, bead-head Caddis Flies, Stone Flies, Squirmy Wormy Flies, yellow Jig Sticker Flies, worms and salmon eggs.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 50 cfs. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using small nymph flies near the town of Red River.

Red River Hatchery: Work to replace the water line to the hatchery pond has been completed and stocking has resumed.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 212 cfs. Fishing for trout was good when using dry flies, bead-head Caddis Flies, Stone Flies, Squirmy Wormy Flies and yellow Jig Sticker Flies.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Monday morning was 21 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Monday morning was 18 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Monday morning was 9 cfs.

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

Shuree Ponds: Fishing for trout was fair when using Elk Hair Caddis Flies.

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

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 when using crankbaits and swimbaits. Fishing for white bass was fair when using slab spoons and blade baits in 35 to 50 feet of water. Fishing for smallmouth bass was slow when using topwater lures in the back of coves. Fishing for crappie was slow. Fishing for catfish was slow. The main lake’s water-surface temperature was in the mid 70 F range, and the water was stained.

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Bluewater Lake: Joshua Garcia of Los Lunas caught a 26-inch, 7-pound catfish using hot dogs on Sept. 22.

Canjilon Lakes: Andres Jojola, age 7, of Isleta Pueblo caught multiple trout using bait at the upper lake on Sept. 28.

San Juan River: Robert Montoya of Santa Fe caught and released a 24-inch brown trout using a size-24 midge-pattern fly on Sept. 25.

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 179 cfs.

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

Bluewater Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using hot dogs. Fishing for tiger muskie was slow.

Brazos River: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using black flies upriver from the last cabins.

Canjilon Lakes: Fishing for trout was good when using garlic-scented, natural-colored PowerBait and worms.

Cochiti Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using worms.

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 fair to good when using Yellow PowerBait Eggs, worms and green spinners. 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: We had no reports from anglers this week.

Jemez Waters: Streamflow near Jemez Monday morning was 7 cfs. Fishing for trout on the Rio Cebolla near Fenton Lake was fair when using attractor dry flies. Fishing streams on the Valles Caldera for trout was fair to good when using Hopper 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: Fishing for catfish was slow to fair when using worms. Fishing for bass was slow when using worms.

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

Navajo Lake: Fishing for kokanee salmon was slow when using spinners tipped with corn. Fishing for pike was fair to good when using deep-diving crawdad-pattern Bomber lures and chartreuse crankbaits. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using Mepps spinners.

Rio Chama: Streamflow below El Vado Lake Monday morning was 123 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Tuesday morning was 140 cfs. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was fair to good when using size 12-16 bead-head Caddis Flies and size 8-12 Stone Flies. 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 Monday morning was 609 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was fair when using size-22 zebra-midge-pattern flies and chocolate midge-emerger flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters was good when using Kastmaster lures.

Seven Springs Kids’ Pond: We had no reports from anglers this week. If you catch a native Rio Grande chub in the Kid's Pond, 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 nightcrawler worms and hot dogs.

Trout Lakes: Anglers reported dirty water and poor fishing conditions.

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Elephant Butte Lake: Hank Masterson, age 5, of Truth or Consequences caught a 29-inch, 5-pound walleye using a white crank bait on Sept. 30.

Quemado Lake: Jason Smith of Las Cruces caught and released a 35-inch tiger muskie using a red Rooter Tail spinner on Sept. 25.

SOUTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Alumni Pond: Closed for repairs until further notice.

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using bluegill cut bait. Fishing for bluegill was good when using worms.

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

Caballo Lake: Fishing for all species was slow.

Elephant Butte Lake: Fishing for white bass was good when using white jigs and chrome Kastmaster lures. Fishing for walleye was good when using white crankbaits and jigs tipped with worms. Fishing for crappie was fair 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 good when using catfish dough bait.

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

Gila River: Streamflow near Gila Monday morning was 24 cfs.

Gila Waters: Fishing for Gila trout was fair to good when using Elk Hair Caddis Flies near the Catwalk.

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

Lake Roberts: Fishing for trout was good when using nightcrawler worms and Panther Martin spinners. Fishing for bass was fair to good when using Panther Martin spinners. Fishing for crappie was slow to fair when using Panther Martin spinners.

Percha Dam: Fishing for walleye was fair when using chartreuse and white jigs with curly-tail grubs.

Quemado Lake: Fishing for trout was fair when using green or black-and-green Rooster Tail spinners. Fishing for tiger muskie was slow to fair when using red Rooster Tail spinners.

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

Rio Grande: Streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam on Tuesday morning was 1,400 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken liver and cut bait.

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

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

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

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Sumner Lake: James Schaerfl of El Paso, Texas, caught a 3-pound smallmouth bass using a chrome-colored shad-pattern crankbait on Sept. 28.

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: Fish stocking operations have resumed. Fishing for trout was fair to good when using Panther Martin spinners. The lake reopened to fishing only on Aug. 30. Only fishing activities are permitted at Bonito Lake. Visit https://www.nmfireinfo.com for the latest information.

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

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

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

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: Anglers reported poor fishing conditions due to large amounts of algae.

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

Greene Acres Lake: Fishing for catfish was fair to good when using nightcrawler worms.

Grindstone Lake: Fishing for trout was good when using worms. 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: Fishing for bass was fair to good when using plastic Creature Baits.

Pecos River: Streamflow below Sumner Lake Monday morning was 82 cfs. Fishing for catfish was good when using chicken breasts and cut bait. Fishing for bass was fair when using nightcrawler worms.

Perch Lake: Fishing for catfish was good when using worms and hot dogs. Fishing for bass was fair when using hot dogs.

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

Rio Ruidoso: Streamflow at Hollywood Monday morning was 3 cfs. The area has been experiencing heavy flooding because of recent fires in conjunction with heavy rain.

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

Santa Rosa Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.

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

Sumner Lake: Fishing for smallmouth bass was fair to good when using chrome-colored shad-pattern crankbaits.

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

TIPS, TRICKS AND STORIES

Gila Mountain Fishing Access

By: Dustin Berg

My wife and I wanted to get out of town for our anniversary and explore some new territory. We normally head north from our house in central New Mexico, but this time we decided to head south towards the Gila Mountains. Finding a place to stay for me can be a little tricky sometimes because a motorcycle accident years ago caused me to be a manual wheelchair user. I’m fortunate to be fairly resourceful and don’t need complete ADA access but do need to avoid stairs and narrow doorways and such. We booked a room in Glenwood, New Mexico at the Double T Catwalk Resort and headed off for a 3-day adventure. Of course, we brought a couple of fly poles for the possibility of catching the famed Gila trout.

On Saturday morning we headed to the Catwalk Recreation Area. It is in a beautiful canyon with large trees shading the bottom. Whitewater Creek flows through the recreation area at the bottom of the canyon. I have seen fishing reports from anglers who caught Gila trout here before, so we paid for our Gila fishing permit at the parking area and toted a fishing rod up the canyon. We didn’t see any fish until a mile or so up the canyon where the trail turns into an architectural masterpiece of suspended metal platforms 15-20 feet above the creek.

Catwalk Recreation Area, Gila Mountains, New Mexico

The canyon is narrow at this point and accessing the creek to fish requires some rock scrambling. I was unable to do it, but I did see a couple of younger, more agile anglers who had scurried down the rocks and they had caught a few Gila trout. The trail was beautiful and well worth it, but the fishing access is tough for a wheelchair user.

Later that day we took a scenic drive into the Gila Mountains through the old mining town of Mogollon. The Gila Mountains are in big country, and it took us several hours on dirt roads to meander our way over to Snow Lake.

Snow Lake, Gila Mountains, New Mexico

Snow Lake was surprisingly accessible. They even have an accessible fishing pier that looked to be located in a good spot for potentially catching some fish. Unfortunately, by now the wind had picked up, and it just did not look inviting enough for us to battle the winds. I will be back though, because Snow Lake is in a beautiful spot, and in a place that I could get around well enough to enjoy with my friends and family.

I hoped to report on catching a Gila trout, but I guess that will have to come another day. In recap, both places are absolutely worth visiting. But if you are looking to catch fish and you have compromised mobility, Snow Lake offers a bit more accessibility than the Catwalk.

Please let me know if there are other spots in the Gila that a guy in a wheelchair might be able to access with a chance of catching a Gila trout. Thanks!

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!