New Mexico fishing report

SANTA FE (KRQE) - This fishing report, provided by Department of Game and Fish area offices in Albuquerque, Raton, Roswell and Las Cruces, has been generated from the best information available from officers and anglers. Conditions may vary as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

NORTHWEST AREA

• ABIQUIU LAKE: 35 percent of the lake is iced over making it difficult to fish. A person could fish from the shore in shallow areas, but still no reports from anglers
• ALBUQUERQUE DRAINS: Trout fishing in the Albuquerque, Corrales, Belen and Bernalillo continues to be good using power bait, fireballs, and panther martins. There hasn’t been much of a change since last week.
• JACKSON LAKE: Closed to fishing due to unsafe ice conditions.
• BLUEWATER LAKE: Closed until spring of 2010.The main area of the park is scheduled to open March 1.
• CHAMA RIVER: Fishing is fair below El Vado Lake and Abiquiu Lake, anglers reporting that big nymphs with flash and sparkle along with streamers below El Vado and baetis nymphs, midges and crane fly larvae below Abiquiu Lake. No reports from anglers this week near the village of Chama.
• COCHITI LAKE: Closed to fishing due to unsafe ice conditions.
• EL VADO LAKE: The lake is iced over and ice fishing is allowed. Park Rangers ask that you stop by the ranger station and check in prior to ice fishing. No reports this week.
• NAVAJO LAKE: Fishing is slow at this time with people fishing from the banks near the main marina with little luck.
• SAN JUAN RIVER: Fishing is good on the upper part of the stream with the exception of some floating moss. Fish are being caught on Johnny Flashes, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Brown or Orange San Juan Worms, Amazon Ants, No. 20-22 Parachute Adams and midge patterns with red in them. Yellow and rainbow powerbait have been doing the trick below the quality waters.
• FENTON LAKE: The lake has been closed to fishing and will re-open in the spring of 2010.

NORTHEAST AREA

• CIMARRON RIVER: Frozen.
• CHARETTE LAKES: Closed until March 1, 2010.
• CLAYTON LAKE: Closed until March 1, 2010.
• CONCHAS LAKE: Very slow.
• EAGLE NEST LAKE: Fishing is fair for trout using jigs, power bait, and roe sacks. Fishing is good for perch using worms. Ice thickness is 20". Fishing pressure is light due to recent snows.
• LAKE MALOYA/ LAKE ALICE: Lake Alice is closed due to thin ice. Ice fishing is fair to good at Lake Maloya using jigs with salmon eggs, and dough bait, at about 12'-15' of water. Ice thickness at Maloya is 16".
• McALLISTER LAKE: Closed indefinitely.
• MONASTERY LAKE: Closed to ice fishing.
• PECOS RIVER: The upper Pecos is iced over in most places. The only fishable stretch is all the way down at Villanueva State Park and reports are slow to poor.
• RED RIVER: Fair to good near the warm water springs below the hatchery, but slow on the rest of the upper Red River. Very few anglers but they report good fishing near the hatchery.
• RIO GRANDE: No report
• SHUREE PONDS: Closed until July 1, 2010.
• SPRINGER LAKE: Closed to ice fishing.
• STORRIE LAKE: Closed due to thin ice.
• UTE LAKE: Fishing is slow due to snowy weather, but a few walleye have been caught on jerk bait at about 30'.

SOUTHEAST AREA

• WINTER TROUT WATERS (Carlsbad Municipal, Bataan, Higby Hole, lower Pecos River, Lake Van, Green Acres, Oasis, Roswell Kids Pond, Green Meadows, Chaparral, Jal, Bottomless Lakes, Carrizozo Pond): Fishing has been good on Power Bait and salmon eggs.
• GRINDSTONE LAKE: Trout fishing has been good on Power Bait and salmon eggs.
• BONITO LAKE: Closed until April 1.
• PECOS RIVER BELOW BRANTLEY LAKE: Anglers have been catching a few catfish on worms, chicken liver and shrimp.
• CORONA POND: Closed due to ice.
• SANTA ROSA AND SUMNER LAKES: Fishing has been slow due to cold weather. Anglers will have best results deep jigging on outside main channel bends for walleye at Santa Rosa and near the spillway at Sumner. Use silver jigging spoons or minnow tipped jig heads.

SOUTHWEST AREA

• BEAR CANYON: Fishing has been fair for trout using powerbait, salmon eggs and worms.
• BILL EVANS LAKE: Fishing has been fair for trout using powerbait, salmon eggs and worms.
• BURN LAKE: Fishing has been good for trout using powerbait and salmon eggs.
• CABALLO: Fishing has been slow for all species. Walleye are expected to start spawning in March and April making fishing at night in shallow water and in the river more productive.
• ELEPHANT BUTTE: Fishing has been slow for all species.
• ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing has been good for trout using powerbait, salmon eggs and corn.
• GILA FORKS: Slow for all species.
• GLENWOOD POND: Fishing has been slow for trout using powerbait and salmon eggs.
• LAKE ROBERTS: Fishing has been fair for trout using powerbait, salmon eggs and worms.
• QUEMADO LAKE: Frozen.
• SNOW LAKE: Frozen.
• YOUNG POND (kids pond): Fishing has been good for trout using powerbait and salmon eggs.