Weekly Fishing Report: Jan. 26, 2021
Los Alamos Daily Post
The weather forecast is a bit more promising this coming week. Several storms are in the forecast bringing much-needed rain and snow to New Mexico.
The situation has improved in Colorado. Wolf Creek Pass Ski Area reports that the have now received over 200 inches of snow so far this season. Wolf Creek Pass straddles the Continental Divide, so the snowpack there feeds river basins that flow east and flow west. It is the headwaters of the Rio Grande, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It is also the headwaters of the San Juan River, which flows west and runs into the Colorado River. The Colorado River used to empty into the Gulf of California, but dams on the river have reduced the flow to where it no longer does.
Weekly Fishing Report: Jan. 22
Los Alamos Daily Post
New Mexico State Parks remain open for day use only with no overnight camping. They are reserved for New Mexico residents only.
Heron Lake State Park is open. Recent photos show that Heron Lake is frozen over. It opened for ice fishing Jan. 11 at the Dam Site Recreation Area. The kokanee salmon snagging season is over. The best fishing will be for rainbow trout with the possibility of catching a lake trout. Call (575).588.7470 for conditions.
El Vado Lake State Park is closed for the season. The only area open at El Vado is the Dam Day Use Area. Ice fishing is allowed here. In addition to rainbow trout, you might hook a brown trout at El Vado, as well as small smallmouth bass.
Weekly Fishing Report: Dec. 23, 2020
New Mexico’s State Parks remain open for day use to New Mexico residents only.
Lakes in Northern New Mexico are starting to freeze-up, but in most cases the ice is not yet thick enough to allow ice fishing. Now is a good time to plan a trip to Southern New Mexico. The weather is usually warmer. State parks are a little less-crowded, as are National Parks and Monuments. The state Game and Fish Department stocks many of the small municipal lakes and ponds with catchable-size rainbow trout between 9-12 inches long during the winter. In most cases, these waters will not support trout through the hot summers. Only a handful of lakes in the Gila National Forest around Silver City and the Lincoln National Forest around Ruidoso are able to sustain trout the year-around.
Weekly Fishing Report: Dec. 16, 2020
Los Alamos Daily Post
With below-freezing temperatures forecast this week, it won’t be long before the ice-fishing season gets into full swing here in Northern New Mexico.
Currently, none of the popular destinations for ice fishing are open as the ice is still considered unsafe for fishing.
New Mexico State Parks are open for day use only, usually between the hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Only New Mexico residents may use the facilities. Masks must be worn and social distancing practiced.
Many people are surprised that there is ice fishing in New Mexico and that temperatures can plummet to well-below zero in many locations.