The fishing on the Chama River below El Vado Dam is fair-to-good. Courtesy Photo​

By GEORGE MORSE
Los Alamos Daily Post

The Rio Grande and streams flowing out of the Sangre de Cristo mountains are still running high. The Pecos River may be your best bet. Despite heavy flows, the fishing has been fair to good. Fly fishers should go with nymphs or San Juan worms. Flows in the Red River are still heavy. The Red River above Questa received a stocking of bigger-than-average trout last week.

Streams in the Jemez mountains are in better condition as the runoff has already peaked and streams are dropping and clearing. All the streams in the Jemez are reporting good fishing using various flies and bait. The Jemez River, Rio Cebolla and Rio de las Vacas all received stockings of rainbow trout last week. All of these streams also contain naturally-reproducing populations of brown trout.

The fishing on the Chama River below El Vado Dam is fair-to-good, but below Abiquiu Dam the fishing is slow. Always check the streamflows in the Chama and other rivers on the USGS (United States Geological Survey) website. If they cut back on the water releases below these dams, the fishing can improve dramatically. The upper Chama is still running very high.

The best fishing is still to be found in the lakes, although the rising air temperatures will soon push fish deeper. Under these conditions fishing early in the morning or in the evening can be better than the middle of the day. Fenton Lake has been good all spring and fishing there is still holding up well. It still kicks out a few bigger-than-average trout each week. If you have kids younger than 12, give the Seven Springs Brood Pond at nearby Seven Springs Hatchery a try. It consistently yields some big trout. Once again, there are no reports on Hopewell Lake near Tres Piedras. This is surprising. The fishing should be good for brook trout and holdover rainbow trout.

The Trout Lakes (also known as the Nutrias Lakes) near Cebolla received their first stocking of rainbow trout this season last week, so the fishing should be pretty good. It was a large stocking of more than 1,300 trout for this small lake. Eagle Rock Lake near Questa received two stockings of bigger-than-average trout last week and fishing here has been good.

Laguna del Campo near Los Ojos received a planting of bigger-than-average trout last week and the fishing here has been good. This is a great place to see ospreys and if you’re lucky see them catch a trout. Across the border in Colorado, the fishing in the high mountain lakes like Platoro Reservoir, Road Canyon Reservoir, Big Meadows Reservoir and Williams Creek Reservoir should be prime right about now. Fishing at Echo Canyon Reservoir near Pagosa Springs should be good for rainbow trout, especially in the evenings.

This lake is loaded with sunfish and this is where the Colorado record largemouth bass was caught. This lake is VERY weedy, so do not use heavy sinkers and fish on the bottom. Flies or a worm beneath a bobber are the best way to go. Eagle Nest Lake has been good from the bank and from boats. Lake Alice and Lake Maloya near Raton are good. Storrie Lake near Las Vegas has been yielding some big trout and the fishing for catfish should be good in the evening and at night. Nearby Morphy Lake has been fair-to-good with pretty much whatever you choose-flies, spinners or bait. Monastery Lake near Pecos received a stocking of bigger-than-average trout last week and the fishing has been good all spring there.