Romeo Lopez, 13, of Penasco was trolling a trout jig and caught this 21-inch rainbow trout March 1 at Santa Cruz Lake. . Courtesy photo
By GEORGE MORSE
Sports & Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post
The ice fishing season is over for this year. This is an early end and that seems to be the norm in recent years.
Checking last year’s report, it was March 12 when lakes were closed due to deteriorating ice conditions. The current weather pattern has storms coming up from the south. These are relatively warm weather systems with good amounts of moisture.
The chance of lakes refreezing are slim and none. Lower elevations will see rain and only the highest elevations will see snow.
This winter started off well with snowpack levels in the northern mountain above average. It was not sustained as the winter went on and snowpacks in the drainages of the major rivers are now reading below normal. In contrast, because of the southerly flow snowpack levels in the southern mountain ranges are now above normal. The Sangre de Cristo mountains appear to have the best remaining snowpack. The Chama River, Rio Grande, Jemez River, Upper San Juan and Pecos River drainages are noticeably below normal.
It looks like an early spring runoff this year. Spring officially starts March 19, which is also early.
The signs of spring are everywhere. Down in Albuquerque there are already trees in bloom. In the Espanola Valley, it won’t be long before apricot trees are blooming. Bulbs are starting to poke their way out of the ground.
Lakes that are closed to fishing because of unsafe ice conditions will soon have open water to allow for bank fishing. Call ahead to check on these conditions.
Eagle Nest Lake is closed to ice fishing. Once there is open water fishing should be good for rainbow trout. Yellow perch and northern pike can also be caught. Pike will be moving into the shallows to spawn. Call (575).377.1594 for conditions.
Lake Maloya and Lake Alice at Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton should have good fishing for rainbow trout when there is enough open water. Call (575).445.5607 for conditios.
Fenton Lake in the Jemez Mountains is closed to ice fishing. It should have good fishing for stocked rainbow trout once there is open water. It was stocked all winter. There may still be a few Rio Grande cutthroat trout left over from a fall stocking. Fenton also has some big, wild brown trout that can be caught in the spring. It was stocked March 3 with 1,100 rainbow trout. Call (575).829.3630 for conditions.
If you head to Fenton Lake and it’s still closed to fishing, try the Rio Cebolla, which flows out of Fenton. It was stocked March 3 with 251 rainbow trout.
There is currently no open water at Heron Lake, but when there is the fishing from the bank should be good for holdover rainbow trout. You might hook a lake trout while fishing from the bank this time of year. Call (575).588.7470 for conditions.
Other lakes now have open water and at some of them the fishing has been very good.
Santa Cruz Lake near Chimayo has been producing some big 20-inch rainbow trout the last couple of weeks. These fish are holdovers from an October stocking of 20-inch rainbow trout at Santa Cruz. They look fat and healthy. There are also some big, wild brown trout in Santa Cruz. It was stocked March 4 with 4,576 rainbow trout. The fishing has been good.
The Seven Springs Brood Pond at Seven Springs Fish Hatchery north of Fenton Lake is open to anglers under 12 years of age. There are some big, stocked rainbow trout here as well as wild brown trout. Young anglers have a chance to hook some real lunkers here. The fishing has been good.
The Jemez River was stocked March 3 with 1,001 rainbow trout. Fishing has been good below Battleship Rock. Fishing for brown trout in the streams near La Cueva like the Rio San Antonio has been reported as good.
I urge anglers to try Maxwell Lake 13 on the Maxwell Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. You can catch some really nice, holdover rainbow trout from this fertile lake in the spring. There have been no reports but it should be at least fair.
The nearby Charette Lakes should also be good for holdover rainbow trout. There are also yellow perch here. Lower Charette Lake was stocked March 5 with 2,499 rainbow trout.
No reports from Storrie Lake near Las Vegas, but the fishing could be very good here. It received a heavy stocking last week of 7,635 rainbow trout.
The fishing has been good at Monastery Lake near Pecos. It was stocked March 3 with 251 rainbow trout.
Manzano Lake at Manzano Mountains State Park was stocked March 2 with 301 rainbow trout. The fishing should be at least fair here.
The fishing in the Pecos River has been good. Conditions should be improving on the Pecos above the town of Pecos.
Fishing has been good in the Villanueva area for stocked rainbow trout. It was stocked march 3 with 501 rainbow trout.
The streamflow in the Rio Grande at Taos Junction Bridge was 584 cubic-feet=per-second.The fishing has been fair-to-good drifting nymphs. Baits like salmon eggs and nightcrawlers should also work well and spinners are always worth a try.
The fishing has been fair-to-good in the Red River below Questa.
The streamflow in the Chama River below El Vado Dam was 99.5 cubic-feet-per-second. No reports on the fishing. This is a nice flow for fishing so it should be fair-to-good for rainbow trout and brown trout.
The streamflow in the Chama River below Abiquiu Dam was 50.6 cubic-feet-per-second. No reports on the fishing.
Access here is limited due to a stream habitat improvement project being conducted by the State Game and Fish Department. Information on access can be found by calling (505).685.4371.
Water levels are still low at Abiquiu Lake and the launching of boats very difficult. Bank fishing could a worth a try for walleye and rainbow trout.
Over in the Four Corners, the streamflow in the San Juan River below Navajo Dam was 418 cubic-feet-per-second.
Fishing has been good in the Quality Water with a variety of fly patterns. The fishing in the Bait Water has been good with bait, flies and spinners.
No reports from Navajo Lake You might try trolling at Navajo Lake for trout and northern pike should be in the shallows spawning soon.
Tiger Park Pond in Aztec was stocked March 3 with 1,203 rainbow trout, including 150 rainbow trout averaging 15.5 inches in size. The fishing should be good.
Heading south, no reports from Cochiti Lake. It could be good for catfish. Northern pike should be moving into the shallows.
The trout fishing has been very good at Bluewater Lake near Grants. The fishing for tiger musky has been fair.
Tingley Beach in Albuquerque is still being stocked with rainbow trout on a weekly basis. It was stocked twice last week with a total of 2,499 rainbow trout, including 243 rainbow trout averaging 14.5 inches in size.
The drainage canals in the Albuquerque area are still being stocked weekly with rainbow trout. The fishing has been fair-to-good.
The fishing is picking up at Elephant Butte Lake. Trolling crank baits for white bass has been fair-to-good. Anglers are picking up a few smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and walleye. The fishing should be good for catfish.
The irrigation season has begun in the lower Rio Grande Valley, The streamflow below Elephant Butte Dam in now a heavy 2,200 cubic-feet-per-second. No reports on the fishing.
Caballo Lake below Elephant Butte Lake has been fair for walleye.
Trout fishing has been good in the Ruidoso area at Alto Lake and at Grindstone Reservoir.
In the Silver City area, Bear Canyon Reservoir was stocked March 4 with 998 rainbow trout. Bill Evans Lake was stocked March 2 with 1,520 rainbow trout. Lake Roberts was stocked March 4 with 998 rainbow trout.
The fishing for trout has been good at Lake Roberts and Bill Evans Lake. No reports from Bear Canyon, but it should be good here too. Bill Evans Lake and Lake Roberts are designated trophy bass waters. The limit is two-bass-per-day with a size limit of 18 inches or longer. There are some big largemouth bass in both lakes and they should be becoming more active. The state record largemouth bass was caught at Bill Evans Lake.