By GEORGE MORSE 
Sports and Outdoors 
Los Alamos Daily Post 

Kokanee salmon snagging season is open at Navajo Lake, El Vado Lake and Eagle Nest Lake.  

Snagging season at Heron Lake begins Nov. 11 after the egg-taking operation. Possession of kokanee salmon at Heron Lake is prohibited from Oct. 1 until Nov. 11. 

All snagging seasons end Dec. 31 at all locations. 

In recent years, the best snagging success has been at Navajo Lake. 

Southern Colorado has experienced heavy rainfall and rivers are flooding. The San Juan in Colorado is flooding at Pagosa Springs. The Piedra, Pine and Animas Rivers are all running much higher than last week.  

In New Mexico, the Chama River above El Vado Lake is running much higher. So is the Chama River above the town of Chama. Flows are likely higher on the Rio de los Pinos and the Navajo River on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation.  

The Quality Waters of the San Juan River have not been affected. The flow here is controlled at Navajo Dam. 

The streamflow in the Rio Grande at Cerro near the Colorado border is just 73.3 cubic-feet-per second. This is higher than last week but below normal.

Streamflow in Rio Grande at Embudo was 233 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week. It is below normal. 

Fenton Lake State Park is open. Camping is reservation only. Fenton Lake. Was stocked twice last week with a total of 1,794 catchable-size rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout and some Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Only two cutthroat trout may be kept as part of a five-trout daily bag limit.   

Call 575.829.3630 for current conditions. 

The Rio Cebolla flows into and out of Fenton Lake. It was stocked Oct. 9 with 399 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. There are also some wild brown trout. It is north of Fenton Lake. It was stocked Aug. 20 with 200 rainbow trout averaging 17.4 inches. It was stocked Aug.27 with 450 catchable-size rainbow trout. 

The Jemez River streamflow was 20.9 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little higher than last week. It was stocked Oct. 9 with 999 rainbow trout and has wild brown trout. 

The San Antonio River, another Jemez tributary, was stocked Sept. 9 with 687 rainbow trout. All streams in the Jemez drainage have wild brown trout. 

Santa Cruz Lake near Chimayo is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The state-record rainbow trout was caught here. It was stocked Sept. 30 with 1,928 catchable-size rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout. It is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Monday. Call 505.351.1438 or visit blm.gov/visit/santa-cruz-lake-recreation-area. 

Blue-green algae has been detected at Santa Cruz. Do not let pets get in or drink water from the lake. Do not swim in the water. 

The Bureau also manages the Orilla Verde Recreation Area on the Rio Grande at Pilar. The Rio Grande at Pilar was stocked Oct. 8 with 1,998 rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Some Rio Grande cutthroat trout are now being caught thanks to earlier stockings. 

From the Colorado border to the Taos Junction Bridge the limit is two trout per day on the Rio Grande.  Streamflow was 199 cubic-feet-per-second at Taos Junction Bridge. This is higher than last week. The Rio Grande Gorge above Pilar was stocked Aug. 21 with 20,000 Rio Grande cutthroat trout. It was stocked Oct. 8 with 248 catchable-size rainbow trout. 

The Rio Pueblo near Penasco streamflow was 12.4 cubic-feet -per-second. This is a little higher than last week and normal. It was stocked Sept. 22 1,202 rainbow trout and has wild brown trout. 

The streamflow on the Red River below Questa was 38.7 cubic-feet-per-second below Questa. This is higher than last week. It was stocked Sept. 18 with 698 rainbow trout and has wild brown trout. 

The Red River above Questa streamflow was 21.9 cubic-feet-per-second. This is a little higher than last week. It was stocked Sept. 8 with  2,904 catchable-size rainbow trout. The East Fork and West Fork of the Red River were each stocked Aug. 25 with 301 rainbow trout. 

The Red River Hatchery Pond is open. It was stocked Oct. 2 with 400 catchable size rainbow trout. Fishing is for anglers 11 years old or younger and 65 years old or older.  

Eagle Rock Lake near Questa was stocked Oct. 8 with 499 catchable-size rainbow trout. 

The Shuree Ponds on the Valle Vidal are open. They were stocked Aug. 7 with 500 rainbow trout averaging 15.8 inches. 

Cabresto Lake is a high-elevation lake accessible by four-wheel drive. It 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-to-good for smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie and catfish. Anglers are starting to catch some small largemouth bass. 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 28.8 cubic-feet-per-second. This is the same as last week and well below normal. It was stocked  Oct. 1 with 1,070 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 5,012  fingerling rainbow trout. There are some big, wild brown trout here. The limit here is two-trout-per day. 

The Canjilon Lakes are now accessible and open. They were stocked Oct. 9 with 2,001 small Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Anglers were also catching some brook trout and previously stocked rainbow trout. 

The Trout Lakes near Cebolla are open. Access to these lakes can be difficult when it rains. They were stocked Oct. 9 with 530 rainbow trout. 

Laguna del Campo, a small lake near Los Ojos, reopened May 1. It was stocked Sept. 15 with 126 catchable size rainbow trout and with 150 rainbow trout averaging 17.9 inches. Fishing is for anglers 11 years-old and younger or 65 years-old and older. 

Heron Lake State Park is open. Fishing for rainbow trout has been fair. Kokanee salmon snagging season begins Nov. 11. El Vado Lake State Park is now open for fishing. El Vado Lake was stocked Sept. 17 with 8,304 fingerling rainbow trout. Kokanee salmon snagging season began Oct. 1. Call 575.588.7470 for information.  

The streamflow in the Chama River below El Vado Dam was 97.1 cubic-feet-per-second. It has wild brown trout. It was stocked Oct. 1 with 436 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 5 012 fingerling rainbow trout. The state-record brown trout was caught here. 

The Chama River above El Vado Lake streamflow was 261 cubic-feet-per-second at La Puente. This is much higher than last week. It was stocked Oct. 1 with 1,070 rainbow trout. It has wild brown trout.  

The streamflow in the Rio Brazos was 96.0 cubic-feet-per-second. This is much higher than last week. It was stocked Oct. 1 with 545 rainbow trout. It has wild brown trout and brook trout in the headwaters. 

Over in 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. Bass fishing has been fair. Navajo Lake has the best kokanee salmon fishing in the state  Kokanee salmon snagging season began Oct. 1 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 435 cubic-feet-per-second. This is  lower than last week and normal. It has world-class fly-fishing for big trout. Conditions for wading anglers have improved. 

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. The Quality Water is stocked with small rainbow trout that grow quickly. It was stocked Sept. 18 with 24,998 fingerling 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 angling for brown trout has been picking up. 

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 Oct. 1 with 2,445 catchable size rainbow trout. 

Lakes in the Aztec area are now being stocked. Aztec Pond #1 was stocked Sept. 25 with 109 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 47 rainbow trout averaging 18.8 inches. Tiger Park Pond was stocked with 1,090 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 150 rainbow trout averaging 18.8 inches. 

Hopewell Lake is a small, high elevation lake between Tierra Amarilla and Tres Piedras. It has stocked rainbow trout and wild brook trout. It was stocked Oct. 10 with 1,205 small Rio Grane cutthroat trout. It was twice last week with a total of 2,409 catchable size rainbow trout. 

The Lagunitas Lakes received their second stocking of the year Sept. 2 of 1,500 rainbow trout. 

The Rio de los Pinos north of Tres Piedras near the Colorado border is heavily-stocked with rainbow trout. It also has wild brown trout. There are brook trout in the headwaters. It was stocked Aug. 18 with 1,800 rainbow trout. 

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 Oct. 9 with 6,102 sub-catchable rainbow trout. 

There are also northern pike, yellow perch and an occasional kokanee salmon. The state-record kokanee was caught here. Snagging season for kokanee salmon began Oct. 1. If you catch a pike at Eagle Nest you have to kill it. You cannot release it back into the lake. 575.377.1594 for more information.  

Blue-green algae has been detected at Eagle Nest. Do not let pets drink from the lake. The toxins produced by the algae can be fatal to dogs and sicken humans. 

The Cimarron River at Cimarron Canyon State Park is stocked with rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout. It was stocked Oct. 7 with 2,420 rainbow trout. The streamflow below Eagle Nest Dam was 9.14 cubic-feet-per-second. The Cimarron River near Cimarron streamflow was 11.6 cubic-feet-per-second.  

The Cimarron Gravel Pit Lakes at Maverick Campground were stocked Oct. 7 with 401 catchable-size rainbow trout.  

Lake Maloya in Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton. Lake Maloya was stocked Oct. 8 with 3,837 rainbow trout. Lake Alice, a smaller lake at the park, was stocked Oct. 8 with 501 rainbow trout. Call 575.445.1507 for more information.  

Clayton Lake State Park was stocked Sept. 30 with 4,001 catchable-size rainbow trout. There are also walleye, largemouth bass and catfish here. It was stocked Sept. 30 with 7,998 small largemouth bass. The state-record walleye was caught here. Be sure to check out the dinosaur tracks at Clayton. 

The Charette Lakes between Wagon Mound and Springer were stocked July 1 with 2,500 rainbow trout. There are also yellow perch and some good-sized holdover trout. 

Maxwell Lake 13 on the Maxwell Lakes National Wildlife Refuge was stocked Sept. 29 with 2,001 rainbow trout. It had dried up in 2020 and is being stocked again. 

Morphy Lake State Park near Mora is open. It was stocked Oct. 7 with 1,352 catchable size rainbow trout and with 150 rainbow trout averaging 15.8 inches. 

Coyote Creek State Park is open. Coyote Creek was stocked Sept. 9 with 800 rainbow trout. Coyote Creek Pond was stocked with 601 rainbow trout. 

Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas was stocked Oct. 2 with 3,036 catchable size rainbow trout and with 9,996 fingerling rainbow trout. There are also catfish here.  

The Pecos River in Pecos Canyon State Park was stocked Oct. 7 with 3,001 catchable size rainbow trout. Fishing has been fair for rainbows and wild brown trout.  

The streamflow in the Pecos River at Pecos was 64.7 cubic-feet-per-second. This is higher than last week and normal. 

Cow Creek was stocked Aug. 11 with 500 rainbow trout. Holy Ghost Creek was stocked Sept. 15 with 402 rainbow trout. 

The Cowles Ponds were stocked Aug. 18 with 180 catchable-size rainbow trout and with 21 rainbow trout averaging 15.2 inches. 

Monastery Lake near Pecos is now open. It was stocked Oct. 10 with 1,020 rainbow trout. 

Tingley Beach in Albuquerque is no longer being stocked with rainbow trout. It was stocked Aug. 28 with 449 channel catfish. It was stocked June 12 with 99 largemouth bass averaging 17 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 Oct. 9 with 4,148 rainbow trout. Call 505.876.2391 for information. 

McGaffey Lake near Grants was stocked May 28 with 3,504 rainbow trout. It was stocked Aug.28 with 133 channel catfish.