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Fishing report for April 9, 2026
CATCHES OF THE WEEK
Daisy Torrez caught the biggest catfish of her life using a worm at Stubblefield Lake on April 4.
Ashlynn, Caelynn and Addison caught and kept 13 rainbow trout using PowerBait in the bait waters on the San Juan River, and threw back even more, on April 2. Addison, 6, caught the biggest fish at 14 inches, and also had her first catch ever.
Brenda Hume caught two striped bass, including a 28-inch, 13-pound, 14-ounce fish, using small umbrella rigs at Elephant Butte Lake on April 3.
Lizzie Navarette, 8, caught and released nine largemouth bass on a #2/3 Mepps inline spinner at Brantley Lake on March 28.
Let the New Mexico Department of Wildlife know how your fishing trip went with the iFish form: or email darren.vaughan@dgf.nm.gov.
NOTES FROM NMDOW
Northeast fishing report
Fishing for yellow perch at Charette Lakes was slow using worms. Fishing for trout was fair to good using Orange Powerballs.
Clayton Lake has reopened to the public.
Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Wednesday morning was 10.7 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Fishing for largemouth bass at Conchas Lake was good using Texas-rigged weightless green pumpkin stick bait. Fishing for walleye and smallmouth bass was slow to fair using plastic worms.
For updated conditions at Eagle Nest Lake, visit the park鈥檚 webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.
For more information on Lake Alice, visit Sugarite Canyon State Park鈥檚 webpage or call 575-445-5607.
Fishing for trout at Lake Maloya was good trolling yellow Panther Martin spinners. For more information, visit Sugarite Canyon State Park鈥檚 webpage or call 575-445-5607.
Lakes 13 and 14 at Maxwell Lakes have reopened to the public.
The most recent report for Monastery Lake was received April 2. At that time, fishing for trout was very good using Mice Tails without a bobber. Monastery Lake is part of the Department鈥檚 Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about the property.
Fishing for trout at Morphy Lake was very good using PowerBait.
Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Wednesday morning was 47.1 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using nightcrawlers and size-16 green zebra midges under a Parachute Adams fly.
Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Wednesday morning was 36.7 cfs.
Fishing for trout at Red River City Ponds was good using PowerBait and corn.
Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Wednesday morning was 247 cfs. The most recent report was received April 2. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good using worms.
Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Wednesday morning was 17.4 cfs.
Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Wednesday morning was 11.1 cfs.
Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Pe帽asco on Wednesday morning was 20.1 cfs.
The most recent report for Santa Cruz Reservoir was received March 26. At that time, fishing for trout was fair to good using nightcrawlers.
Fishing for catfish at Stubblefield Lake was slow using worms.
Fishing for largemouth bass at Ute Lake was slow to fair using Texas-rigged green pumpkin stick bait.
The department received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Cabresto Lake, Cowles Ponds, Coyote Creek, Eagle Rock Lake, Gallinas River, Harris Pond, Los Pinos River, Red River Hatchery, Rio Costilla, Shuree Ponds, Springer Lake and Storrie Lake.
Northwest fishing report
Contact the Abiqui煤 Lake Main Office at 505-685-4371 for updated lake conditions and closure information.
Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Wednesday morning was 511 cfs.
The most recent report for Bluewater Lake was received March 26. At that time, fishing for tiger muskie was slow to fair using rooster tail lures and fair to good using PowerBait. Fishing for trout was very good using garlic cheese. Visit Bluewater Lake State Park鈥檚 webpage or call 505-876-2391 for more information.
Fishing for walleye at Cochiti Lake was slow to fair using crankbaits.
El Vado Lake is open to boating and angling with a primitive boat ramp available at the Dam Day Use Area, as well as the main (concrete) boat ramp and courtesy dock at El Vado Lake State Park. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Park鈥檚 webpage or call 575-588-7247.
The most recent report for Fenton Lake was received March 26. At that time, fishing for trout was slow to fair using Orange Garlic PowerBait. For more information, visit Fenton Lake State Park鈥檚 webpage or call 575-829-3630.
Anglers reported that the water level at Heron Lake is slowly coming up but remains extremely low.
At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near the Village of Jemez Springs on Wednesday morning was 31.8 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow to fair on the Rio Guadalupe and the Rio de las Vacas using dry and dropper flies.
The most recent report for Navajo Lake was received April 2. At that time, fishing for crappie was very good using jigs.
Streamflow on the Rio Chama below El Vado Lake on Wednesday morning was 404 cfs; streamflow below Abiqui煤 Lake on Wednesday morning was 420 cfs. Fishing for trout was good using Rainbow PowerBait below Abiqui煤 Lake. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiqui煤 upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiqui煤 Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of only two trout.
Streamflow on the Rio Grande at Albuquerque on Wednesday morning was 254 cfs.
Fishing for trout at San Gregorio Lake was slow using flies.
Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Wednesday morning was 265 cfs. Fishing for rainbow trout in the bait waters was good using PowerBait. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was slow to fair using dry and dropper flies upstream of the Texas Hole boat launch.
The most recent report for Seven Springs Kids鈥� Pond was received March 26. At that time, fishing for trout was very good using olive-colored Pistol Petes. If you catch a native Rio Grande chub in the Kid鈥檚 Pond, please do not leave it on the bank; return it to the water where it can survive as part of our native ecosystem.
Fishing for trout at Tiger Park Reservoir was very good using orange-and-yellow spinners.
Fishing for bluegill, catfish, trout and largemouth bass at Tingley Beach was very good using worms. Fishing for trout was fair to good using homemade PowerBait.
The department received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Albuquerque Area Drains, Brazos River, Canjilon Lakes, Jackson Lake, Laguna del Campo, Lagunitas Lakes, Lake Farmington, Liam Knight Pond, McGaffey Lake, Rio Cebolla, Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) and Trout Lakes.
Southwest fishing report
Fishing conditions at Bear Canyon Lake have been adversely affected in the aftermath of the Trout Fire.
The most recent report for Bill Evans Lake was received April 2. At that time, fishing for largemouth bass was very good using HendrixFishing 6-inch VooDoo Finesse Worms and fair to good using square bills.
Fishing for striped bass at Elephant Butte Lake was slow to fair using small umbrella rigs. Fishing for largemouth bass was very good using worms. Fishing for white bass was fair to good using crankbaits. The South Monticello boat ramp is currently closed due to low water levels. The closure will be lifted when water levels rise and conditions allow.
Fishing for rainbow trout at Escondida Lake was slow using corn and salmon eggs.
Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Wednesday morning was 48.9 cfs.
Streamflow at the Gila Waters near Gila Hot Springs on Wednesday morning was 58.7 cfs.
The most recent report for Lake Roberts was received March 26. At that time, fishing for trout was slow to fair using PowerBait and good using rooster tail spinners from a kayak.
The most recent report for Quemado Lake was received April 2. At that time, fishing for trout was slow to fair using Garlic PowerBait.
The most recent report for Rancho Grande Ponds was received April 2. At that time, fishing for catfish was very good using PowerBait.
Streamflow on the Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam on Wednesday morning was 0.31 cfs.
Fishing for trout at Snow Lake was slow using spinners and flies.
The department received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Caballo Lake, Glenwood Pond, Percha Dam, Rancho Grande Ponds, Trees Lake and Young Pond.
Southeast fishing report
The most recent report for Alto Lake was received April 2. At that time, fishing for trout was good using Yellow and Green PowerBait.
Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on Berrendo Creek.
Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Wednesday morning was 4.16 cfs.
The most recent report for Blue Hole Park Pond was received April 2. At that time, fishing for trout was very good using Corn PowerBait.
The most recent report for Bonito Lake was received April 2. At that time, fishing for trout was very good using Green Garlic PowerBait. Only fishing activities are permitted at Bonito Lake.
Fishing for largemouth bass at Brantley Lake was very good using #2/3 Mepps inline spinners.
The most recent report for Corona Pond was received April 2. At that time, fishing for trout was good using flies on a spin bubble.
Fishing for bass at Greene Acres Lake was slow to fair using plastic crawdads.
Fishing for smallmouth bass at Grindstone Reservoir was very good using wacky-rigged worms. Grindstone Reservoir is currently open for fishing. Due to changing wildfire impact closures, please see the Grindstone Reservoir Webpage before planning a visit.
Fishing for trout at Lake Van was good using minnows.
Fishing for trout and catfish at Oasis Park Lake was fair to good using homemade dough bait.
Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Wednesday morning was 92.3 cfs.
Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Wednesday morning was 16.6 cfs. Fishing conditions will be adversely affected for an extended period of time due to recent flooding in the area.
The most recent report for Santa Rosa Lake was received April 2. At that time, fishing for largemouth bass was slow using poor house curly tail grubs.
The most recent report for Sumner Lake was received March 26. At that time, fishing for walleye was slow to fair using white shad.
The department received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Bataan Lake, Bosque Redondo Lake, Bottomless Lakes, Carlsbad Municipal Lake, Chaparral Park Lake, Dennis Chavez Pond, Estancia Park Lake, Eunice Lake, Green Meadow Lake, Harry McAdams Park Pond, Jal Lake, Ned Houk Ponds, Perch Lake, Rio Bonito, Rock Lake Hatchery Kids鈥� Pond and Spring River Pond.
