Aug. 26 — Fishing report

New Mexico report

This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish and thefishphone.com, has been generated from the best information available from area officers, anglers, guides and local businesses. Conditions may vary as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

Northwest

Animas River — The flow is 201 cfs. The river is fishing fair for trout using various bead-headed nymphs, spinners and worms.

Chama River — Upper section flow is 83 cfs. Below El Vado, the flow is 1,000 cfs. The upper Chama in the Sargent Wildlife area has the most consistent good fishing on the Chama as a whole. The stretch flowing downstream of the village of Chama into El Vado reservoir is low and the water temps are high making fishing very slow. The river below El Vado is open within Cooper's El Vado Ranch, but the release is too high to wade. If you can find a spot, big nymphs dead drifted and finished with a swing or stripping streamers is the way to go there. The stretch below Abiquiu Dam typically won't really fish well until autumn when irrigators aren’t calling for water. The release here is also too high to wade safely. The river was stocked last week with 620 rainbow trout.

San Juan River — Upper section: Catch and Release flow is 897 cfs. Fishing is good. Declining flows on the Animas means more release out of Navajo Dam into the San Juan River. The extra water makes fishing the upper and lower flats better and your float downstream doesn't have as much bump and grind. Use smaller flies especially near the dam as the water is clear. In the mornings, use a red midge larva as your point fly and trail a size 24-26 black or gray midge pupa like a UV flash midge emerger. As the afternoon progresses, change your flies to baetis, such as a gray or chocolate RS2 or foam wing emergers. Small No. 16-18 ants fished along the banks are also bringing up fish. The PMD hatch on the lower river is waning but there are some still around from Simon downstream. The lower river was stocked last week with 2,040 rainbow trout.

Abiquiu Lake — Fishing is slow for all species including walleye with a few smaller-sized fish being caught. Some smallmouth bass have been reported but at best it is hit and miss for them. Catfish are reported as slow but a few bigger fish have been taken in the coves with stink bait and liver.

El Vado Lake — Fishing is slow due to a lot of recreational traffic on the water.

Heron Lake — Fishing is fair for trout from the bank and trolling. Most success has been by Willow Creek along the channel into the lake. Power Bait, worms and spinners tipped with corn are working well. Salmon fishing is good when trolling double whammies, Kokanee Killers and Panther Martins tipped with corn and garlic Power Bait in 25 to 35 feet of water. Best fishing is around Rattlesnake