By GEORGE MORSE
Sports And Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post
The recent monsoon rains have helped New Mexico bounce back nicely from a hot and dry spring. Streamflows are in much better shape in the smaller tributaries of the Rio Grande, Rio Chama, Pecos River and Jemez River. The main stem of the Rio Grande remains well-below normal.
The flow into New Mexico from Colorado is just 157 cubic-feet-per-second. Normal flow would be 605 cubic-feet-per-second. Unfortunately, this low flow eliminates the popular Rio Grande Box run for kayakers and rafters.
The recent rains have allowed New Mexico to open most of its State Parks. All of New Mexico’s National Forests have reopened. The Pecos River Canyon and all of the Gallinas River drainage in Santa Fe National Forest remain closed due to the threat of flooding from heavy rains falling on the Calf Canyon/Hermit Peak burn scar.
For day trips from Los Alamos, Santa Cruz Lake near Chimayo would be the closest fishing spot that stayed open for fishing.
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 big wild brown trout. The Overlook Campground is open. The lake is open 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Lake water levels are holding their own thanks to recent rains. 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 387 cubic-feet-per-second at Taos Junction Bridge. This is a little higher than last week. The fishing had been fair-to-good for rainbow trout and brown trout. Fishing for smallmouth bass should be improving. Some northern pike are being caught around Pilar. The Rio Grande at Pilar was stocked June 22 with 2,844 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 June 22 with 250 rainbow trout.
- State Parks closed due to wildfire and/or flooding:
- Morphy Lake; and
- Pecos Canyon.
The following State Parks are open for fishing:
Fenton Lake State Park reopened June 24 for fishing and is now open for camping. The fishing was very good. It is heavily-stocked with rainbow trout. It also has wild brown trout and some Rio Grande cutthroat trout from earlier stockings. Only two cutthroat trout may be kept as part of the five fish daily limit at Fenton. For more information call (575).829.3630.
The Seven Spins Brood Pond, also known as the Kid’s Pond, is open. The fishing is for anglers 11-years of age or younger. The limit is three trout-per-day.
Eagle Nest Lake at Eagle Nest State Park is now open for boating. It was stocked April 19 with 82,237 fingerling kokanee salmon. A new state-record kokanee was caught at Eagle Nest last year. The best kokanee fishing is normally done trolling from a boat. Fishing should be good for rainbow trout, yellow perch and northern pike. It was stocked June 23 with 5,456 catchable-size rainbow trout. For more information and current conditions, call 575.377.1594.
Cimarron Canyon State Park reopened for fishing June 24.The fishing is good for stocked rainbow trout and wild brown trout. The streamflow below Eagle Nest Dam was 2.81 cubic-feet-per-second. This is very low. The streamflow near the town of Cimarron was 10.7 cubic-feet-per-second, also very low. The Cimarron River was stocked June 28 with 2,423 rainbow trout. Check the Carson National Forest website to see which campgrounds are open.
The Cimarron Gravel Pit Lakes at Maverick Campground were stocked June 28 with 354 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 45 rainbow trout averaging 17.1 inches in size.
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. It was stocked June 27 with 40,006 sub-catchable-size rainbow trout.
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, spinners and hot dogs. The limit on tiger muskies is one-per-day at least 40 inches in length. The boat ramp is closed. Anglers may launch boats at their own risk along undeveloped shoreline. Call 505.876.2391 for current conditions.
Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas is open for bank fishing. It was stocked June 7 with 3,034 rainbow trout. It also has some big catfish.
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.
Popular fishing locations on Carson National Forest now available again to anglers include the Canjilon Lakes, the Trout Lakes near Cebolla and Hopewell Lake between Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla. They were all heavily-stocked just prior to the closure May 19 and the fishing should be very good to excellent.
The campground at the Canjilon Lakes is now open. These lakes received a stocking May 9 of 115 rainbow trout that averaged 18.3 inches in size. They were stocked June 27 with 1,076 catchable-size rainbow trout.
The campground at Hopewell Lake is now open. Hopewell was stocked May 10 with 242 rainbow trout averaging 18.3 inches in size.It was stocked again June 27 with 1,673 catchable-size rainbow trout. It also has wild brook trout. The fishing has been very good since reopening.
The Rio de los Pinos near the border with Colorado is also reopened for camping and fishing. It was stocked June 28 with1,718 rainbow trout and also has wild brown trout.
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 382 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week and less than 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 June 15 with 4,400 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.
The trout fishing had been good in the Jemez River below Jemez Spring). The streamflow is much lower at 61.2 cubic-feet-per-second. Due to flooding concerns from the Cerro Palado Fire, the day-use areas on the Jemez are closed downstream from Battleship Rock.
The following locations also are 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. Night fishing for catfish could be worth a try. 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 91.6 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week. The water here is murky. It was stocked June 7 with 3,080 rainbow trout. The fishing is likely fair 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 91.4 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower 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 15 with 598 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 50 rainbow trout averaging 16.2 inches in size. 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 146 cubic-feet-per-second. It has risen somewhat and fishing should be picking up here. It was stocked June 15 with 1,195 catchable size rainbow trout and with 80 rainbow trout averaging 16.2 inches in size.
Streamflow in the Rio Brazos was 65.8 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week. The Brazos was stocked June 15 with 598 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 50 rainbow trout averaging 16.2 inches in size.
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 June 14 with 2,500 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 June 30 with 501 catfish averaging 18 inches in size. It was stocked June 8 with 55 largemouth bass averaging 13.7 inches in size.
The Red River below the Fish Hatchery is flowing at 101 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little than last week. It was stocked June 21 with 699 rainbow trout. The Red River above Questa is now open. The streamflow 76.7 cubic-feet-per-second. It was stocked June 28 with 1,832 rainbow trout.
The Red River Hatchery Pond is now open. It was stocked June 28 with 464 catchable-size rainbow trout. Fishing is for anglers 11 years of age or younger and 65 years old or older. The limit is three-fish-per day.
The Red River City Ponds were stocked June 26 with 68 rainbow trout averaging16.3 inches in size. They were stocked June 29 with 600 catchable-size rainbow trout. The West Fork of the Red River and the East Fork of the Red River were each stocked June 28 with 299 rainbow trout.
Eagle Rock Lake near Questa is open. It was stocked June 30 with 499 catchable-size rainbow trout and 54 rainbow trout averaging 15.9 inches in size.
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