By GEORGE MORSE

The “Catch of the Week” section of the State Game and Fish Department’s weekly fishing report has a story to tell. With the exception of a brown trout caught in the Chama River below El Vado Lake, the big fish that were caught were warmwater species such as bass and catfish. The warm weather we’ve been experiencing has kept the fall fishing season from taking off.

That should change soon. The temperatures in the higher elevations are already dropping into the 30’s and it was actually below freezing Sept. 18 in Angel Fire. There’s a cold front expected to come in Friday and drop the temperatures significantly. That should help make the trout more active and the fishing improve dramatically.

I took a trip to the upper Chama River above El Vado Lake last week. The water in this stretch of the river is cold thanks to releases from beneath Heron Dam. The fishing was excellent. The flows in the upper Chama River have held up well this summer, which benefits the trout.

There was some good news recently. The State Game and Fish Department had been planning on draining Laguna del Campo near Los Ojos this fall. That decision has been changed and ownership of Laguna del Campo will be transferred to the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant. This was a popular fishing spot for locals and even attracted fisherman from Rio Rancho and Albuquerque. The Rio Arriba County Commission and other members of the local community were opposed to the closure. The State Game and Fish Commission voted to transfer ownership to the Land Grant at an Aug. 24 meeting in Albuquerque. Laguna del Campo will not be drained.

The fishing at Laguna del Campo was rated as good last week. As previously-mentioned, the fishing in the upper Chama River has been excellent and is also very good in the Chama River below El Vado Dam. With the seasons about to change and the aspen trees getting ready to turn into their golden fall colors, a late September trip to the Tierra Amarilla and Chama areas should reward anglers with some good fishing and spectacular scenery.

The fishing at Abiquiu Lake has been good for smallmouth bass and fair for walleye. I expect the walleye fishing to pick up as the water cools down. The trout fishing at Abiquiu should also get better as the weather cools down.

The fishing in the Chama River below Abiquiu remains slow. The streamflows need to come down and the water needs to clear before the fishing will improve in this area.

The fishing in the Jemez Mountains should improve with the cooler weather. Fenton Lake fished well over the weekend and the fall colors should start to show soon. Fenton Lake kicks out a big brown trout every now and then. The streams in the Jemez are low and clear.

While driving to Taos the other day the water in the Rio Grande looked absolutely beautiful-low and clear. The fishing has been very good and should be great this fall. Time to take a trip up to Questa for some great scenery, cool weather and fish the Rio Grande Gorge for big brown trout.

While in the Questa area, Eagle Rock Lake has been fishing well for stocked trout. The Red River below the Red River Fish Hatchery has been very good and the brown trout activity should be picking up here.

Eagle Nest Lake lies in the Moreno Valley, as does Angel Fire. The fishing, which has been good, should just get better with the very cool temperatures this area is experiencing.

Lake Maloya near Raton has been good. Flows in the Pecos River are low and clear and the fly-fishing is likely prime now.

Over in the Four Corners, Navajo Lake has been fishing well for bass and northern pike. Flows in the San Juan River below Navajo Dam are expected to be cut back slightly. The fishing in the Quality Water has been good with various fly patterns. Below the Quality Waters, where bait is allowed, the fishing has been good.

There have been a few pictures of big bull elk that have been harvested in Northern New Mexico during the bow-hunting season, which is going on right now. The grouse season has been good for some hunters and I need to get out to see if I can find some birds. I need to take my own advice and spend some time outdoors during one of the best times of the year. The Rocky Mountains in Northern Colorado  have already received a dusting of early snow and it won’t be long before that happens here in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. The combination of fall foliage and some snow in the mountains makes for some absolutely beautiful scenery.