By GEORGE MORSE
Sports and Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish stocked a total of 39,163 rainbow trout weighing 16,359 pounds. Most of the stocking will now be in Northern New Mexico.

It looks like there will be one of the weakest spring runoffs in memory this year. The snowpack is already disappearing, and the weather has been unseasonably warm and dry. This is reflected in streamflow measurements. Normally, the Rio Grande would be swollen with spring runoff from the melting snow. Streamflows above 1,000 cubic-feet-per-second would be common.

Streamflow in the Rio Grande increased slightly but was still below average near the Colorado border and stayed that way further downstream over the past week. At Taos Junction Bridge, the streamflow today was 271 cubic-feet-per-second. The streamflow at Cerro near the Colorado border was 113 cubic-feet-per-second. The streamflow at Embudo was 269 cubic-feet-per-second.

The Rio Grande is one of the most reliable fishing locations. It is well-stocked with rainbow trout, especially in the Pilar area. One of the few benefits of the low streamflow is that conditions are very good for fly-fishing anglers.

The diminished streamflows are evident in the tributaries of the Rio Grande that originate in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Santa Cruz River, Embudo River, Ojo Caliente River and Rio Pueblo are all running well-below normal.

Anglers should be reminded that they will need to purchase a new fishing license. In New Mexico, the license year runs from April 1 until March 31 of the following year.

Fenton Lake State Park is open. Camping is by reservation only. Fenton Lake was stocked twice last week with a total of 721 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 500 rainbow trout averaging 15.9 inches. There are also wild brown trout and some Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Only two cutthroat trout may be kept as part of a five-fish limit.

The Rio Cebolla flows into and out of Fenton Lake. It was stocked May 5 with 398 rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout.

The Jemez River streamflow was 10.2 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week and extremely below normal. It was stocked May 5 with 999 rainbow trout and has wild brown trout.

The Rio de las Vacas, a Jemez tributary, was stocked April 15 with 499 rainbow trout. The Rio San Antonio, another tributary, was stocked April 28 with 749 rainbow trout. All Jemez River tributaries have wild brown trout.

The Seven Springs Brood Pond, also known as the Kid’s Pond, was stocked twice last week with 449 catchable-size rainbow trout and with  200 rainbow trout averaging 15.9 inches. It is a few miles north of Fenton Lake. Fishing is for anglers 11 years old or younger.

Santa Cruz Lake near Chimayo is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The state-record rainbow trout was caught here. There are also wild brown trout. It is open Thursday through Monday. It was stocked May 5 with 3,503 catchable-size rainbow trout.

The Rio Pueblo near Penasco received its second stocking of the season April 22 of 1,200 rainbow trout. Streamflow was 14.7 cubic-feet-per-second which is much below normal.

The streamflow on the Red River below Questa was 30.9 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little higher than last week and much below normal. It was stocked April 14 with 701 rainbow trout and has wild brown trout.

The Red River Hatchery Pond was stocked April 14 with 399 rainbow trout. Fishing is for anglers 11-years old or younger and 65-years old and older.

Eagle Rock Lake near Questa is not frozen. Ice fishing had been good for rainbow trout. There is now open water. It was stocked May 5 with 554 rainbow trout.

Cabresto Lake is a high-elevation lake accessible by four-wheel drive. It has good fishing for wild brook trout and wild cutthroat trout. It may still be frozen over. Use caution if attempting to ice fish. There should be some open water.

Abiquiu Lake is managed by the Corps of Engineers. The fishing has been fair-to-good for walleye and smallmouth bass. It was stocked April 7 with 737,613 walleyes. There are some good-sized trout in Abiquiu, and they are now being caught trolling. There are also largemouth bass. Camping by reservation. Call 505.685.4371 for more information.

The streamflow in the Chama River below Abiquiu Dam was 224 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week. It was stocked May 5 with 1,017 rainbow trout. There are some big, wild brown trout here. The limit here is two-trout-per-day.

Heron Lake State Park is open, and bank fishing is fair. The water level is dropping and the banks are muddy.

El Vado Lake State Park is now open for fishing and boating. Call 575.588.7470 for more information.

The streamflow in the Chama River below El Vado Dam was 250 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little higher than last week. It has wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout. The state-record brown trout was caught here. It was stocked April 15 with 543 rainbow trout.

The Canjilon Lakes are now accessible. The fishing has been good for stocked rainbow trout.

The Trout Lakes near Cebolla are open. Fishing has been fair-to-good.

The Chama River above El Vado Lake streamflow was 177 cubic-feet-per-second at La Puente. This is lower than last week and much below normal. It was stocked April 14 with 1,073 rainbow trout.

The Rio Brazos streamflow was 88.3 cubic-feet-per-second. It was stocked April 15 with 543 rainbow trout.

Laguna del  Campo near Los Ojos is now open and was stocked April 29 with 1,038 rainbow trout. Angling is for anglers 11 years old or younger and 65 years old or older. It was stocked April 29 with 1,035 rainbow trout.

Over at the Four Corners, the fishing has been fair at Navajo Lake State Park. Trolling minnow imitating lures like Rapalas could produce a trophy brown trout.  The fishing for northern pike has been fair-to-good. Crappie fishing has been good. Bass fishing has been slow. Navajo Lake has the best kokanee salmon fishing in the state. It was stocked twice with a total of 466,721 small kokanee salmon. Camping by reservation only. Boating conditions are good. Call 575.632.2278 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 555 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week and 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 single barbless hook. Quality Water is stocked with small rainbow trout that grow quickly. It was stocked March 2 with 17,721 sub-catchable rainbow trout.

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 May 6 with 2,247 rainbow trout.

Lakes in the Aztec area are now being stocked. Aztec Pond #1 was stocked April 1 with 347 rainbow trout and with 39 rainbow trout averaging 15.4 inches. Tiger Park Pond was stocked April 20 with 1,477 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 150 rainbow trout averaging 15.5 inches.

Lake Farmington was stocked Apri 8 with 3,011 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. The ice may be breaking up. There have been reports of good fishing.

The Rio de los Pinos near the Colotado border was stocked for the first time this season. It was stocked April 29 with 1,802 rainbow trout. It also has wild brown trout and brook trout in the headwaters.

Lake Maloya and Lake Alice at Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton are open. Alice was stocked April 13 with 500 rainbow trout, and Lake Maloya was stocked with 3,004 rainbow trout. Call 575.445.1507 for information.

Eagle Nest Lake State Park is closed to ice-fishing but has mostly open water. The bank fishing has been good for rainbow trout. There is also northern pike, yellow perch and kokanee salmon. If you catch a northern pike at Eagle Nest you must kill it. You cannot release it back into the lake. The state-record kokanee salmon was caught here. Eagle Nest was stocked May 7 with 11,088 rainbow trout averaging I9 98.9 inches. It was stocked April 9 with 300,495 kokanee salmon averaging 1.3 inches. The Lake is open for boating, but the docks are not in. Call 575.377.1594 for information.

Clayton Lake State Park is where the state-record walleye was caught. It was stocked April 11 with 41,566 walleye fry. There are also catfish and some big largemouth bass. It was stocked April 26 with 3,601 rainbow trout. Be sure to check out the dinosaur tracks.

The Cimarron River received its first stocking of the season. It was stocked on April 21 with 2,425 rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout. Streamflow below Eagle Nest Dam was 12.0 cubic-feet-per-second.

The Cimmaron Gravel Pit Lakes at Maverick Campground were stocked May 8 with 456 catchable-size rainbow trout and stocked May 9 with 45 rainbow trout averaging 15.8 inches.

They have been catching some big catfish from Stubblefield Lake. The state-record channel catfish was caught here.

Maxwell Lake 13 is open. It was stocked April 16  with 2,000 rainbow trout.

Lower Charette Lake was stocked with 2 000 rainbow trout and has some good-sized yellow perch.

Morphy Lake State Park near Mora is now open. It was stocked May 5 with 3,000 catchable-size rainbow trout.

Coyote Creek State Park near Guadalupita received its second stocking of the season April 20 of 799 rainbow trout. The Coyote Creek Pond was stocked April 7 with 599 rainbow trout.

Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas is open. It was stocked May 4 with 4,050 catchable-size rainbow trout and 368 rainbow trout averaging 13.9 inches.

The Pecos River in Pecos Canyon State Park is open. Fishing has been fair for rainbows and wild brown trout. It was stocked May 4 with 1,500 rainbow trout. The Pecos River near Villanueva was stocked May 4 with 200 rainbow trout.

The streamflow in the Pecos River was 37.8 cubic-feet-per-second, which is extremely below normal. It is about the same as last week.

Holy Ghost Creek in the Pecos drainage was stocked May 4 with 400 rainbow trout.

Monastery Lake is open and was stocked May 4 with 1,311 rainbow trout.

The Cowles Ponds were stocked May 5 with 186 catchable-size rainbow trout and 20 rainbow trout averaging 15.7 inches.

Bluewater Lake near Grants has fair fishing for tiger musky and there are some catfish here. They have been catching some nice holdover rainbow trout. It was stocked March 10 with 3,800 catchable-size rainbow trout and 9,609 sub-catchable rainbow trout. Call 505.876.2391 for more information.

Tingley Beach was stocked April 23 with a total of 762 channel catfish.