By GEORGE MORSE
Sports And Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post
Streamflows in Northern New Mexico continue to drop as spring runoff slows down. With little if any snowpack remaining, we’ve seen the peak of runoff already and streamflows are already running well-below normal. Trout face a tough summer ahead, especially if the monsoon rains fail to deliver.
Trout are a coldwater fish and water temperatures above 70-degrees cause them to become lethargic and cease growing. They start to die at 75-degrees and at 80-degrees massive dieoffs can occur. In lakes that are deep enough, the trout will seek out cooler water temperatures. In rivers and streams, they’ll seek out cooler springs and hide in the undercuts of the stream banks to escape the heat of the day. Early morning and evening fishing are the best times to be on the water.
As we get deeper into summer, if the monsoon rains don’t deliver streamflows may reach critically low levels and water temperatures will become too hot for trout. Anglers will need to make a decision whether to keep fishing. Under stress, even catch-and-release fishing can put the trout under too much stress and prove lethal. Colorado has asked anglers on some rivers to voluntarily quit fishing by noon to protect the fish two out of the last three seasons.
Wildfires have destroyed thousands of acres of forest this spring in New Mexico. Although we need monsoon rains, they can lead damaging flash floods. Ash-laden floodwaters can choke the gills of fish and kill them. This also needs to be considered.
Some anglers seem to have the impression that there are hardly any areas left to fish. While Santa Fe National Forest and Carson National Forest remain closed, as do many state parks, there are still plenty of places left to go fishing.
For day trips from Los Alamos, Santa Cruz Lake near Chimayo would be the closest fishing spot open for fishing. The Lake is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which has not closed any of its properties as of yet.
Santa Cruz Lake has open water and fishing has been good. It was stocked May 2 with 3,208 catchable size rainbow trout and with 300 rainbow trout averaging 18.3 inches in size. There are also some wild brown trout. The Overlook Campground is open. The lake is open Thursday-Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. For updated conditions, check the Bureau of Land Management website or call 505.351.1438.
The Bureau also manages the Orilla Verde Recreation Area along the Rio Grande at Pilar. Camping is on a first-come basis. No reservations. The Rio Grande streamflow is 370 cubic-feet-per-second at Taos Junction Bridge. This is lower than last week. The fishing had been fair for rainbow trout and brown trout. The Rio Grande at Pilar was stocked May 24 with 2,003 rainbow trout.
From the Colorado state line downstream to the Taos Junction Bridge, the limit is two-trout-per-day in the Rio Grande.
The Rio Grande is open for fishing from the Colorado/New Mexico state line downstream through the Wild Rivers Recreation Area. The Rio Grande Gorge above Pilar was stocked May 24 with 249 rainbow trout.
State Parks that are currently closed due to extreme fire conditions include: Fenton Lake, Cimarron Canyon, Morphy Lake, Coyote Creek, Pecos Canyon. The following State Parks are open for fishing.
Eagle Nest Lake at Eagle Nest State Park is now open to bank fishing. Boating is closed as the lake is being used as a source of water to fight the Calf Canyon/Hermit Peak Wildfire. It was stocked April 19 with 82,237 fingerling kokanee salmon. A new state-record kokanee was caught at Eagle Nest last year. Fishing should be good for rainbow trout, yellow perch and northern pike. It was stocked two weeks ago with a total of 12,364 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 709 rainbow trout averaging 15.8 inches in size. For more information and current conditions, call 575.377.1594.
Lake Maloya at Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton is now open to fishing. Lake Alice, also at Sugarite State Park, is open for fishing. Lake Maloya was stocked May 25 with 2,591 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 400 rainbow trout averaging 15.8 inches in size. Lake Alice was stocked with 499 rainbow trout. Call 575.445.5607 for current conditions.
Clayton Lake State Park opened March 1 for fishing. It is stocked with rainbow trout and has big walleye. The state-record walleye was caught here. This is a trophy bass lake. The daily limit is two largemouth bass with a 14-inch and longer size limit. It was stocked June 1 with 3,999 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 200 rainbow trout averaging 16.2 inches in size. There are also catfish. Call 575.374.8808 for current conditions.
Heron Lake State Park has open water for bank fishing. Be aware that the banks are very muddy. The boat ramps are closed. The lake level is still low. It was stocked April 20 with 147,290 fingerling kokanee salmon.
Call 575.588.7470 for conditions at both Heron Lake and El Vado Lake.
El Vado Lake State Park has rainbow trout, brown trout, perch and small smallmouth bass. Boating is closed. The Dam Day Use Area is closed for construction. Water level is low. The banks are very muddy.
Bluewater Lake State Park is open. Camping is allowed by reservation only. Lake water level is low. Tiger muskies are being caught and the fishing for them is fair using big crank baits and waterdogs. The limit on tiger muskies is one-per-day at least 40 inches in length. Boating is closed. Call 505.876.2391 for current conditions.
Over in the Four Corners, Navajo Lake State Park is open. Camping is by reservation only. Trolling minnow-imitating lures like Rapalas could produce a trophy brown trout. Fishing for northern pike has been fair. Bass fishing should be picking up. Fishing for catfish has been good, while crappie fishing is fair. It was stocked April 20 with 219,027 kokanee salmon fingerlings. Boating conditions are good. Call 505.632.2278 for conditions.
Anglers with boats should start checking with the Marina to see if the kokanee salmon are starting to school up and at what depth they can be found at. Deep trolling for kokanee salmon is a popular method of catching these fish in the summer at Navajo Lake.
The best river in the state and well-known throughout the angling world is the San Juan River below Navajo Dam. The streamflow here is 284 cubic-feet-per-second. This is about the same as last week and less than 25-percent of normal.
The San Juan offers world-class fly fishing for big trout.
The fishing has been good with a variety of fly patterns in the four miles of Quality Water below the Dam. The fishing here is catch-and-release with flies and lures having a single, barbless hook. There are big, wild brown trout in the Quality Water. Some of these fish would likely shatter the state record if they could be kept and weighed.
The fishing in the Bait Water of the San Juan below the Quality Water has been fair-to-good with flies, bait and lures. A regular daily limit of five trout may be kept here. There are some big brown trout here too. It was stocked May 3 with 2,268 rainbow trout.
Also in the Four Corners area, Tiger Park Pond and Aztec Pond #1 in Aztec are being stocked. Tiger Park Pond was stocked May 3 with 864 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 150 rainbow trout averaging 18.3 inches in size. Aztec Pond was stocked May 18 with 406 catchable-size rainbow trout.
Lake Farmington has been stocked again. On April 25, it was stocked with 1,494 rainbow trout. This lake is managed by the City of Farmington.
The trout fishing has been good in the Jemez River below Jemez Springs (closed above Jemez Springs). The streamflow is now 8.01 cubic-feet-per-second. This is very low. The fish are concentrated in deeper pools. It was stocked May 17 with 1,000 rainbow trout.
The following locations are also open for fishing Abiquiu Lake is open, including the boat ramp and picnic areas. Camping is open. It is managed by the Corps of Engineers. Reservations may be made at www.recreation.gov. The water level is low at Abiquiu, but should be rising. A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended for launching boats. The fishing has been slow for walleye and smallmouth bass. Trout fishing could pick up. There are some good-sized trout in Abiquiu. It was stocked April 26 with 516,849 walleye fry. Call 505.685.4371 for more information.
The Chama River below Abiquiu Dam is flowing at 500 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week. The water here is murky. It was stocked June 1 with 1,008 rainbow trout. The fishing is likely slow for stocked and holdover rainbow trout. There are a few big, wild brown trout here. The limit here is two-fish-per-day.
The Chama River below El Vado Dam is flowing at 513 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week. The fishing has been fair for stocked rainbow trout and wild brown trout. You may hook a cutthroat trout here. It was stocked June 2 with 501 rainbow trout. The state-record brown trout was caught here.
Above El Vado Lake, spring runoff is winding down on the Chama River. The streamflow at La Puente was 116 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week. It has been dropping and fishing should be picking up here. It was stocked June 1 with 1,512 rainbow trout.
Streamflow in the Rio Brazos was 53.4 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week and the streamflow here is dropping. The Brazos was stocked June 2 with 504 rainbow trout.
Laguna del Campo, a small lake near Los Ojos, is open. It was stocked June 2 with 378 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 80 rainbow trout averaging 16.1 inches in size. Fishing here is for anglers 11 years old and younger or 65 years old and older. The limit is three-trout-per-day.
The Charette Lakes between Wagon Mound and Springer have good fishing for good-sized, holdover rainbow trout.
Lower Charette Lake was stocked April 19 with 2,249 rainbow trout.
Cochiti Lake has reopened. The fishing has been fair-to-good for northern pike and bass. Night fishing for catfish could be worthwhile. Tetilla Peak Recreation Area is open, but the campground is closed.
Tingley Beach in Albuquerque is no longer being stocked with rainbow trout. It is now being stocked with channel catfish. It was stocked May 26 with 476 catfish averaging 18 inches in size.
The Red River below the Fish Hatchery is flowing at 61.4 cubic-feet-per-second. This is much lower than last week. It was stocked May 17 with 698 rainbow trout. The Red River above Questa is closed.
The Red River Hatchery Pond is now open. It was stocked May 17 with 400 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 80 rainbow trout averaging 15.4 inches in size. Fishing is for anglers 11 years of age or younger and 65 years old or older. The limit is three-fish-per day.
Eagle Rock Lake near Questa may be open. This little lake is right off the highway between Questa and Red River. It was last stocked May 5 with 398 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 55 rainbow trout averaging 16.4 inches in size.
In Southern New Mexico, Elephant Butte State Park and Caballo Lake State Park are both open and offer good fishing for white bass, walleye and catfish. If you prefer trout, Grindstone Reservoir and Alto Lake near Ruidoso are managed by the City of Ruidoso and open for fishing. Both are well-stocked with rainbow trout. Both also contain catfish.
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