By GEORGE MORSE
Sports and Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post
As expected, the spring runoff in the Jemez River has passed its peak. Streamflow is dropping and fishing conditions are improving. Now is a good time to fish the Jemez River and its tributaries if you would like to catch a bigger-than-average trout. The heavy flows will have the fish actively feeding. There should be some surprisingly big fish caught, particularly brown trout.
Anglers and for that matter anyone traveling through the Jemez Mountains and Santa Fe National Forest should be aware that State Road 126, which runs through the Jemez Mountains, is closed from Mile Marker 17 near the Seven Springs Fish Hatchery to Mile Marker 25 east of Cuba. Portions of this road are dirt and in bad shape. It can be rough when drivers in regular passenger cars discover that what looks like the shortest route through the mountains ends up being more than they expected and their vehicle can handle.
This is a good time to fish lakes to catch bigger-than-average fish. Any holdover trout from last year’s stockings will have put on weight. Both holdover trout and wild trout will be actively feeding in the warmer shallow water.
The Bureau of Land Management manages Santa Cruz Lake Recreation Area near Chimayo. It will be open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The fishing should be good for stocked rainbow trout and some wild brown trout. It was stocked April 17 with 2,562 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 300 rainbow trout averaging 14.9 inches in size. Overlook Campground will reopen April 15. For updated conditions, check the Bureau of Land Management website at: blm.gov/visit/santa-cruz-lake-recreation-area 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 was 1,110 cubic-feet-per-second at Taos Junction Bridge. This is about the same as last week and above normal. The Rio Grande at Pilar was stocked April 13 with 1,801 rainbow trout. There are some big, wild brown trout. Northern pike are caught on big streamers in the Pilar and Taos Junction Bridge areas.
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 Gorge above Pilar was stocked April 14 with a total of 15,252 fingerling Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
Fenton Lake State Park is open for camping. The lake is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Camping by reservation only. Much of the ice has melted and there is more open water for bank fishing. It is heavily stocked with rainbow trout. It also has some wild brown trout and some Rio Grande cutthroat trout from earlier stockings. It was stocked April 20 with 1,825 rainbow trout. Only two cutthroat trout may be kept as part of the five fish daily limit at Fenton. For more information and current lake conditions call 575.829.3630.
The Rio Cebolla, which flows into and below Fenton Lake, was stocked April 5 with 320 rainbow trout.
The Jemez River reached flood stage this past week, overflowing its banks. The streamflow Sunday was 369 .cubic-feet-per-second. Streamflows reached as high as over 1,200 cubic-feet-per-second during the last week. It is much lower now. N.M. 4 is not closed. The US Forest Service closed fishing and camping areas along N.M. 4 below Jemez Springs. The river is still very high with spring runoff and fishing will be very difficult.
The smaller tributaries of the Jemez River are also swollen with runoff. San Gregorio Lake likely has rapidly deteriorating ice. Portions of State Road 126 were closed due to heavy snow last week so check: nmroads.com for closures:
The Seven Springs Brood Pond, also known as the Kid’s Pond, is open. The fishing is for anglers 11-years of age or younger. It was stocked April 20 with 361 rainbow trout. It also has some wild brown trout and some Rio Grande cutthroat trout from an earlier stocking. The limit is three trout-per-day.
Eagle Nest Lake at Eagle Nest State Park now has plenty of open water for bank fishing. Boating is closed.
Fishing should be good for rainbow trout, yellow perch, northern pike and an occasional kokanee salmon. The state-record kokanee was caught at Eagle Nest. It was stocked April 19 with 95,939 kokanee salmon fry. For more information and current conditions, call 575.377.1594.
The Cimarron River in Cimarron Canyon State Park is opening up. The streamflow below Eagle Nest Dam was 16.1 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week. The Cimarron River near the town of Cimarron is ice-free and streamflow was measured at 39.1 cubic-feet-per second. Check the Carson National Forest website to see if campgrounds are open.
The Cimarron Gravel Pit Lakes at Maverick Campground are likely open now but have not been stocked.
Lake Maloya and Lake Alice at Sugarite State Park near Raton have some open water. Lake Maloya was stocked April 19 with 2,400 rainbow trout and Lake Alice was stocked with 401 rainbow trout. Call 575.445.5607 for current conditions.
Clayton Lake reopened March 1. The state-record walleye was caught here and it is heavily stocked with rainbow trout. It was stocked April 5 with 1,830 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 400 rainbow trout averaging 17.8 inches in size. Call 575.374.8808 for conditions.
Heron Lake State Park is now closed to ice fishing due to deteriorating ice conditions. Should be some open water for bank fishing soon. It was stocked April 20 with 65,651 kokanee salmon fry. The boat ramps are closed. The lake level is still low.
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. The lake surface is closed due to poor ice conditions. Boating is closed. The Dam Day Use Area is closed for construction. The water level is low. The banks are very muddy. Try fishing at the north end of the lake where the Chama River comes in.
Laguna del Campo, a popular, small lake near Los Ojos, will open May 1 for fishing. It was stocked April 18 with 362 rainbow trout.
Bluewater Lake State Park is open. Camping is allowed by reservation only. The lake water level is low but it is rising. Currently, the lake is mostly open water. Tiger muskies were being caught and the fishing for them was fair using big crank baits, spinners and hot dogs. The limit on tiger muskies is one-per-day at least 40 inches in length. It was stocked March 15 with 6,000 rainbow trout. The trout fishing should be good until the stockers are caught by anglers or eaten by tiger muskies. Call 505.876.2391 for current conditions.
McGaffey Lake is being stocked again. It was stocked April 11 with 1,703 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 33 rainbow trout averaging 17.8 inches in size.
Morphy Lake State Park near Mora has reopened. This lake was heavily impacted by the Calf Canyon/Hermit Peak Fire. It was stocked April 18 with 2,398 catchable-size rainbow trout.
Coyote Creek State Park is open. Coyote Creek was stocked April 11 with 633 rainbow trout. The Coyote Creek Pond was stocked with 461 rainbow trout.
The Charette Lakes have good fishing for holdover rainbow trout and were stocked April 20 with 2,801catchable-size rainbow trout and with 250 rainbow trout averaging 17.4 inches in size. There are also yellow perch here.
Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas is open for bank fishing. Boating is closed. It was stocked April 17 with 3,745 rainbow trout. It also has some big catfish.
Pecos Canyon State Park is open. In the Canyon, the river has thawed and streamflow was measured 367 cubic feet per second. This is a little lower than last week and well above normal. There is a lot of open water. It was stocked twice two weeks ago with a total of 1,044 rainbow trout. The streamflow at Anton Chico is 518 cubic-feet-per-second which is still well-above average. It is lower than last week. The fishing has been fair-to-good for rainbow trout and brown trout, but high water may make fishing difficult. The Pecos River at Villanueva State Park was stocked twice two weeks ago with a total of 1,021 rainbow trout.
A Flood Advisory for the Pecos River was canceled. Anglers should pay attention for rising water anywhere in the state.
The Mora Fork of the Pecos River was stocked April 6 with 325 rainbow trout.
Monastery Lake near Pecos reopened March 9 after the ice melted. It was stocked April 17 with 403 rainbow trout. Fishing should be good.
The Cowles Ponds near Cowles were stocked April 18 with 161 rainbow trout.
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. It was stocked twice last week with a total of 17,348 sub-catchable rainbow trout. Boating conditions are good. Call 505.632.2278 for conditions. Navajo Lake does not freeze.
Aztec Pond #1 in Aztec was stocked April 4 with 244 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 45 rainbow trout averaging 14.7 inches in length. Tiger Park Pond in Aztec was stocked April 4 with 854 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 150 rainbow trout averaging 14.7 inches in size.
Lake Farmington was stocked April 11 with 2,250 rainbow trout.
Popular fishing locations on Carson National Forest include the Canjilon Lakes, the Trout Lakes near Cebolla and Hopewell Lake between Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla. These are high-elevation lakes that are now frozen.
The Forest Service roads to the Trout Lakes and Canjilon Lakes are likely snow packed and difficult to travel. Hopewell Lake is close to Highway 64 and may be accessed by hiking in or by snowmobile.
The campground at Hopewell Lake is now closed. The ice fishing has been good for stocked rainbow trout and wild brook trout. US Highway 64 has been reopened. Please be aware that this road may close during hazardous winter driving conditions. The ice is starting to deteriorate here and caution should be used. Check nmroads.com for road conditions.
The Rio de Los Pinos is near the border with Colorado. It is thawing and is hard to fish.
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 491 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week and way below 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 Quality Water was stocked twice last week with a total of 23,087 sub-catchable rainbow trout.
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 April 18 with 1,815 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, but higher than last year at Abiquiu. Mostly open water and no ice fishing. A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended for launching boats. The fishing has been slow for walleye, catfish and smallmouth bass. There are some good-sized trout in Abiquiu. They may have moved into shallow water. Call 505.685.4371 for more information.
The Chama River below Abiquiu Dam is flowing at 1,510 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week and above normal. The water is murky. It was stocked April 4 with 836 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.
Streamflow in the Chama River below El Vado Dam was 1,320 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a much higher than last week and above normal. The state-record brown trout was caught here. It was stocked April 17 with 488 rainbow trout.
Above El Vado Lake, the Chama River at La Puente has thawed and streamflow was measured 1,380 cubic-feet-per-second. This is much higher than last week and well above normal. It was stocked April 17 with 858 rainbow trout.
The Brazos River is ice-free and streamflow is 403 cubic-feet-per-second. It was stocked April 17 with 488 rainbow trout.
Cochiti Lake has reopened. The fishing has been fair-to-good for northern pike. Fishing for catfish could be worthwhile. Tetilla Peak Recreation Area is open, but the campground is closed.
Tingley Beach in Albuquerque will not be stocked with trout again until fall. It was not stocked last week.
The winter stocking of trout has ended in Albuquerque area drainage ditches. They were not stocked last week.
The Rio Pueblo near Penasco is free of ice and streamflow was measured at 181 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little lower than last week and above normal. It was stocked April 13 with 961 rainbow trout.
The Red River below the Fish Hatchery is flowing at 101 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little lower than last week and well above normal. It was stocked April 21 with 569 rainbow trout. It was stocked April 17 with 1,711 sub-catchable Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The Red River above Questa is losing its ice and streamflow was measured at 72.5 cubic-feet-per-second. It was stocked April 14 with 500 fingerling Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
The Red River Hatchery Pond is open. Fishing is for anglers 11 years of age or younger and 65 years old or older. The limit is now five fish per day. It was stocked April 21 with 320 rainbow trout.
Eagle Rock Lake near Questa is open. The ice is gone. It was stocked April 17 with 400 rainbow trout.
Cabresto Lake, a small, high-elevation lake accessible by four-wheel drive vehicle near Questa, has good ice fishing for wild brook trout and wild cutthroat trout. Ice is likely starting to deteriorate so use caution.