ABIQUIÚ LAKE: The fishing for walleye was fair using crank baits, tubes, jerk baits and spinner/Gulp combinations. The majority of the fish were taken in water 2 to 10 feet deep. The fishing for smallmouth bass was slow to fair using jerk baits, tubes and crank baits. A few trout were taken by anglers using worms and crank baits. The level of the lake has risen considerably and the water is stained.
CHAMA RIVER: The water flows below El Vado and Abiquiú dams Monday morning were 1,520 cubic feet per second and 1,810 cubic feet per second, respectively. The fishing below El Vado was fair using night crawlers for 16 to 18-inch brown trout.
EAGLE NEST LAKE: The trout fishing was fair to good using power bait, worms, spoons, Pistol Petes and salmon eggs. The fishing for perch was fair using worms.
FENTON LAKE: The fishing for trout was fair to good using Pistol Petes, small spinners and wooly buggers from boats and float tubes.
HERON LAKE: The fishing for lake trout from boats was slow, but a few 4 to 7-pound fish were taken on jigs in 30 to 35 feet of water. The fishing for kokanee salmon is picking up, and a few fish were taken on double whammies tipped with corn. The fishing for rainbow trout and small lake trout from the bank was fair using corn and power bait.
NAMBÉ LAKE: The fishing was great over the weekend for rainbow trout. Salmon peach power bait, rainbow power bait, corn-flavored power bait, salmon eggs and olive green Pistol Petes produced the best results in the morning hours. The lake was stocked May 15 with 4,000 rainbow trout from 12 to 15 inches in length.
RIO GRANDE: The water flow at Taos Junction Bridge Monday morning was 2,260 cubic feet per second. The fishing was slow for all species.
SAN JUAN RIVER: The water flow below Navajo Lake Monday morning was 522 cubic feet per second. The trout fishing through the Quality Waters was fair to good using parachute adams, dead chickens, hair jigs, BWOs, red annelids, San Juan worms and wooly buggers. The fishing in the bait waters was fair to good using night crawlers, salmon eggs, wooly buggers and jerk baits. The water flow will be increased beginning May 26 to 5,000 cubic feet per second for one week. Around June 12, it will be lowered to 500 cubic feet per second.
SANTA CRUZ LAKE: The trout fishing was good using power bait, salmon egg/corn combinations, wooly buggers and spinners.
The Fishing Report is published weekly by the state Game and Fish Department. To submit information or Catches of the Week, e-mail fishforfun2@hotmail.com. The SUN also seeks photos of big catches made by our readers. Submit your photo prints in person at 123 Railroad Ave., by mail to P.O. Box 790, Española, NM, 87532, or e-mail a high-resolution digital file to rgsun@cybermesa.com. Include the angler’s name, hometown, where and when the fish was caught, and the size of the fish. For more information, contact Assistant News Editor Sarah Welsh at 753-2126.