By GEORGE MORSE
Sports and Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post 

After a cool and wet start to August, the weather has changed to hot and dry. Now is a good time to do a little preseason scouting and learning of the Big Game hunting unit you plan on hunting this fall if you were lucky enough to draw a license.

This coming week should see a return of monsoon rains.

Anglers have been reporting murky to muddy water conditions at Pilar on the Rio Grande. Flows on the Rio are not too high, so the rain may be to blame.

Grouse season begins Sunday, Sept. 1, so keep an eye out for these birds. They are great eating but can be hard to find. Spotting some before the season starts may help you find a good spot.

Bow-hunting season for big game like elk and deer also begins Sunday, as does small game hunting for fox and squirrel.

Streamflows have dropped and water temperatures are rising. It is best to limit fishing to early mornings, evening and even at night. Daytime water temperatures are simply too warm for trout. Even if you practice catch-and-release the stress of being caught and released is often too much for the already heat-stressed trout.

Summer evenings can be a good time for night fishing for catfish in some of our reservoirs.

It is always a good idea to check conditions at the location you are headed to. Streamflows can be checked on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow website.

Labor Day weekend is coming up. Be sure to plan ahead as conditions may be crowded. 

So far streamflows have remained decent this summer and are now at a good level for fishing in the upper Chama and Pecos Rivers. The Quality Water of the San Juan River remains good because of the cold water released from below Navajo Dam.

Fenton Lake State Park is open. Camping is by reservation only. The fishing has been slow It was last stocked June 6 with 860 rainbow trout. It has not been stocked recently due to warm water conditions. There are also wild brown trout here and some Rio Grande cutthroat trout from earlier stockings. Fishing pressure can get heavy.  Only two cutthroat trout may be kept as part of a five trout daily bag limit. Fishing from a float tube or kayak may be your best bet. Call 575.829.3630 for current conditions.

The Rio Cebolla flows into and out of Fenton Lake. It was stocked July 30 with 870 rainbow trout. It also has wild brown trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout above Fenton Lake.

The Seven Springs Brood Pond, also known as the Kid’s Pond, is open to anglers 11 years of age and younger. It was stocked June 26 with 451 rainbow trout. There are also some wild brown trout and a few Rio Grande cutthroats. It is north of Fenton Lake.

The Jemez River streamflow was 13.1 cubic-feet-per second. This is higher than last week and below normal. It has been stocked with rainbow trout and has wild brown trout.

The tributaries of the Jemez River have been stocked with rainbow trout. The Rio de las Vacas, San Antonio River and Rio Guadalupe also have wild brown trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout.

Santa Cruz Lake near Chimayo is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It was last stocked on May 2. The water here is warming up and the trout heading to deeper water. It also has brown trout. The state-record rainbow trout was caught here. It is open Thursday-Monday from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Call 505.351.1438 or visit blm.gov/visit/santa-cruz-lake-recreation-area.

The Bureau also manages the Orilla Verde Recreation Area on the Rio Grande at Pilar. The Rio Grande at Pilar was stocked Aug. 23 with 25,003 sub-catchable rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout, northern pike and smallmouth bass. 

From the Colorado border to the Taos Junction Bridge the limit is two trout per day on the Rio Grande.  Streamflow was 243 cubic-feet-per-second at Taos Junction Bridge. This is lower than last week and below normal.

The streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Penasco was 14.5 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little higher than last week and just below normal. It was stocked July 22 with 1,200 rainbow trout. It has wild brown trout.

The Sipapu Pond was stocked July 11 with 66 rainbow trout.

The streamflow on the Red River was 61.4 cubic-feet-per-second below Questa. This is higher than last week. It was stocked Aug. 21 with 700 rainbow trout and has wild brown trout.

The Red River above Questa was stocked Aug. 21.with 2,000 rainbow trout. The streamflow was 35.3 cubic-feet-per-second.

The Red River Hatchery Pond was stocked July 3 with 400 rainbow trout. Fishing is for anglers 11 years-old or younger and 65 years-old or older.

The West Fork and the East Fork of the Red River were each stocked Aug. 12 with 300 rainbow trout.

Goose Lake, a high-elevation lake near Red River, was stocked Aug. 8 with 449 rainbow trout.

Fawn Lake at the Fawn Lake campground south of the town of Red River was recently stocked  according to anglers.

Eagle Rock Lake near Questa was stocked Aug. 13 with 631 rainbow trout.

The Shuree Ponds on the Valle Vidal opened July 1 for fishing. They were stocked Aug. 15 with 593 rainbow trout.

Cabresto Lake a high-elevation lake accessible by four-wheel drive, has good fishing for wild brook trout and wild cutthroat trout.

Abiquiu Lake is managed by the Corps of Engineers. The fishing has  been fair for smallmouth bass  walleye, crappie and catfish. Anglers are starting to catch some small largemouth bass. Most are under legal size. There are some good-sized trout in Abiquiu. Camping by reservation. Call 505.685.4371 for more information. 

The streamflow in  the Chama River below Abiquiu Dam was 592 cubic-feet-per-second. This is below normal and higher than last week. It was stocked Aug. 12 with 1,166 rainbow trout. There are some big, wild brown trout here. The limit here is two-trout-per day.

The Canjilon Lakes near Canjilon were stocked Aug. 12 with 1,344 rainbow trout. There are also some brook trout.

The Trout Lakes near Cebolla were stocked June 24 with 450 rainbow trout. The road to these lakes can be rough when it rains.

Laguna del Campo, a small lake near Los Ojos, was stocked June 17 with 496 rainbow trout. Fishing is for anglers 11 years-old or younger and 65 years-old or older.

Heron Lake State Park is open. Fishing for rainbow trout has been fair. Fishing for carp is good. El Vado Lake State Park is closed for construction. Call 575.588.7470 for information.

The streamflow in the Chama River below El Vado Dam was 486 cubic-feet-per-second. It was stocked Aug. 19 with 515 rainbow trout. It has wild brown trout. The state-record brown trout was caught here.

The streamflow above El Vado Lake was  102 cubic-feet-per-second at La Puente. This is higher than last week and a little above normal. This is still an excellent flow for fishing. It was stocked Aug. 19 with 1,029 catchable rainbow trout. It was stocked Aug. 23 with 10,001 sub-catchable rainbow trout. It has wild brown trout.

The streamflow in the Rio Brazos was 32.6 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week and a little above normal. It was stocked June 4 with 482 rainbow trout.

The Brazos Lodge Pond was stocked May 20 with 255 rainbow trout.

Over in the Four Corners the fishing has been good at Navajo Lake State Park. Trolling minnow imitating lures like Rapalas could produce a trophy brown trout. The kokanee salmon are starting to school in deeper water near the dam. Check at the Marina for the depth they may be caught at. Navajo Lake has the best fishing for kokanee salmon in New Mexico. The fishing for northern pike has been fair-to-good. Bass fishing has been fair. Camping by reservation only. Boating conditions are good. Call 505.632.2278 for more information.

The San Juan River below Navajo Dam is the best river in New Mexico and well-known in the angling world. The streamflow was 590 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week and now below  normal. It has world-class fly-fishing for big trout.

The first four miles of river below the dam is known as the Quality Water. Angling is strictly Catch-and-Release using artificial flies and lures with a 14-inch single  barbless hook. The Quality Water is stocked with small rainbow trout that grow quickly. There are also big, wild brown trout. Some of these brown trout would shatter the state record if they could be kept and weighed.

The Bait Water below the Quality Water has good fishing and a five-fish limit may be kept here. There are big brown trout here, too. It was stocked Aug. 20 with 3,087 catchable-size rainbow trout. It was stocked Aug. 22 with 60,771 sub-catchable rainbow trout.

Hopewell Lake is a small, high elevation lake between Tierra Amarilla and Tres Piedras. It has stocked rainbow trout and wild brook trout. Fishing has been good. There have been some nice brookies caught recently. It was stocked July 24 with 1,039 rainbow trout.

Placer Creek, which flows into and below Hopewell Lake, was stocked July 15 with 1,250 fingerling brook trout.

The Lagunitas Lakes were stocked July 16 with 1,500 rainbow trout.

The Rio de los Pinos north of Tres Piedras near the Colorado border has good fishing. It was stocked Aug. 19 with 1,800 rainbow trout. It also has wild brown trout. There are brook trout in the headwaters.

Eagle Nest Lake State Park has been good for rainbow trout. This is a big  fertile lake that can produce large trout. It was stocked twice two weeks ago with a total of 12,551 rainbow trout. There are also northern pike, yellow perch and an occasional kokanee salmon. The Kokanee fishing has been picking up. If you catch a pike at Eagle Nest you have to kill it. You cannot release it back into the lake. Heavy weed growth has been hampering anglers at Eagle Nest. Call 575.377.1594 for more information.

The Cimarron River at Cimarron Canyon State Park was stocked Aug. 14 with 2,425 rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout. The streamflow below Eagle Nest Dam was 17.5 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little lower than last week.

The Cimarron Gravel Pit Lakes at Maverick Campground were stocked Aug. 14 with 355 rainbow trout.

Lake Maloya in Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton was stocked Aug. 20 with 2,599 rainbow trout. Lake Alice a smaller lake at the Park, was stocked Aug. 20 with 499 rainbow trout. Call 575.445.5607 for more information.

Clayton Lake State Park was stocked June 5 with 4,000 rainbow trout. The state-record walleye was caught here. This is a trophy bass Lake. The limit is two largemouth bass-per-day. Minimum size is 14 inches. There are also catfish. Check out the dinosaur tracks when at Clayton Lake.

The Charette  Lakes between Wagon Mound and Springer have good fishing for stocked and holdover rainbow trout there are also yellow perch. Lower Charette Lake was stocked June 13 with 2,501 rainbow trout.

Coyote Creek State Park was stocked July 22 with 800 rainbow trout. The Coyote Creek Pond was stocked with 600 rainbow trout.

Morphy Lake near Mora was stocked June 4 with 2,700 rainbow trout. There are a few cutthroat trout here.

Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas was stocked July 1  with 1,348 trout. There are also catfish here.

The Pecos River in Pecos Canyon State Park was stocked two times last week with a total of 3,001 rainbow trout. Fishing has been good for stocker rainbows and wild brown trout.

The streamflow in the Pecos was 77.1 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week and still below normal.

The Mora Fork of the Pecos River was stocked  Aug. 21 with 400 rainbow trout. Holy Ghost Creek was stocked Aug. 20 with  404 rainbow trout.

The Cowles Ponds were stocked Aug. 22 with 184 rainbow trout.

Cow Creek in the Pecos drainage was stocked Aug. 19 with 499 rainbow trout.

Monastery Lake near Pecos was stocked July 23 with 902 rainbow trout.

Tingley Beach in Albuquerque is no longer being stocked with rainbow trout. It was stocked Aug. 1 with 451 18-inch channel catfish.

Bluewater Lake near Grants has fair fishing for tiger muskies. Trout fishing is slow and there are some catfish here. It was stocked July 8 with 699 tiger muskies.

McGaffey Lake near Grants was stocked May 16 with 999 rainbow trout and Aug. 1 with 127 channel catfish.