NM fishing/stocking report for March 5

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Tell us about your latest New Mexico fishing adventure, or your catch of the week. Just visit the Department's Weekly Fishing & Stocking Report website and use the iFish form at the bottom of the page. Submissions received by 5 p.m. Monday will be considered for inclusion in that week's fishing report. For catches of the week, include: your name, age, hometown, date, location, type of fish, length, and weight if possible, and bait, lure, or fly used. Fish weights and measurements are provided by the angler and displayed here as received. Photos containing sensitive material may be altered or excluded at the Department's discretion.

This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish, has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake, and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST STOCKING REPORT

The 2025-2026 license year is ongoing!

Licenses for the 2025-2026 license year remain valid until March 31, 2026. The 2025-2026 Fishing Rules and Information Booklet (RIB) is available online in both English and Spanish, and will soon be available in print at Department offices and vendors statewide.

Check the Fishing Conditions and Trip Planner!

The Department's Fishing Conditions and Trip Planner was created using data from past Weekly Fishing Reports to develop graphs depicting fishing conditions for several species and waterbodies throughout the year. Each graph represents the average fishing conditions for each week of the year over the four years.

The Department has also developed an interactive Fishing Waters Map with a wealth of information on fishing locations in New Mexico. It displays hundreds of fishing access points with information on available fish species, facilities, accessibility, boat ramps, and general regulations.

Check out the webpage to plan your trip now!

NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Eagle Nest Lake: Jackson Chapman caught a rainbow trout using Rainbow PowerBait from the bank near the boat ramp on Feb. 27.

Morphy Lake: Carol Valdez caught four trout using Salmon Peach PowerBait on March 1.

Pecos River: Kim Castillo Jaramillo caught three trout using worms on March 1.

NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT

Cimarron River: Streamflow near Cimarron Wednesday morning was 4.81 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing for rainbow trout was fair to good when using Rainbow PowerBait from the bank. The lake is now open for boating, though the courtesy docks have not been installed. The lake surface may have a thin layer of ice early in the morning that burns off by midday. Avoid the boat ramp when there is snow and ice on it. For updated lake conditions, visit the park’s webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake: The most recent report was received Feb. 26. At that time, fishing for trout was slow to fair when using PowerBait.

Lake Alice: For more information, visit Sugarite Canyon State Park’s webpage or call 575-445-5607.

Lake Maloya: Fishing for trout was fair to good when using floating PowerBait. For more information, visit Sugarite Canyon State Park’s webpage or call 575-445-5607.

Monastery Lake: The lake is closed due to unsafe ice conditions. Monastery Lake is part of the Department’s Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property .

Morphy Lake: Fishing for trout was very good when using Salmon Peach PowerBait.

Pecos River: Streamflow near Pecos Wednesday morning was 48.3 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow to fair when using worms.

Red River: Streamflow below the Red River Hatchery on Wednesday morning was 37.5 cfs.

Rio Grande: Streamflow below the Taos Junction Bridge on Wednesday morning was 596 cfs. Fly-fishing for rainbow trout was slow when using midges, blue wing olives and dry flies.

Rio Hondo: Streamflow near Valdez Wednesday morning was 10.1 cfs.

Rio Mora: Streamflow near Terrero Wednesday morning was 11.1 cfs.

Rio Pueblo: Streamflow near Peñasco Wednesday morning was not measured due to ice.

Santa Cruz Reservoir: The most recent report was received Feb. 26. At that time, fishing for trout was very good when using PowerBait, mealworms, Joe’s Flies and Panther Martins.

Ute Lake: The most recent report was received Feb. 12. At that time, fishing for walleye was good to very good when using deep-diving lures, 4-inch Gulp minnows and blade baits. Fishing for catfish was good when using 4-inch Gulp minnows and blade baits. Fishing for white bass was very good when using 4-inch Gulp minnows and blade baits.

We received no reports for the following waterbodies over the past three weeks: Cabresto Lake, Clayton Lake, Charette Lakes, Conchas Lake, Cowles Ponds, Coyote Creek, Gallinas River, Harris Pond, Los Pinos River, Maxwell Lake 13, Red River City Ponds, Red River Hatchery, Rio Costilla, Shuree Ponds, Springer Lake, Storrie Lake and Stubblefield Lake.

NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Bluewater Lake: Lowell Smith caught a trout using a green, yellow and orange Kastmaster on Feb. 27.

Liam Knight Pond: Benito Lujan caught a 28-inch catfish using a worm on March 1.

San Juan River: Laine, from Springfield, Mo., caught 12 rainbow trout while fly-fishing at Crusher Hole on Feb. 28. “He recently took up fly fishing, so I helped out with some casting lessons, fishing techniques and shared several of my flies with him,” William Defino said. “He is a true natural!”

San Juan River: William Defino caught a brown trout using a rabbit strip swing fly on March 1.

San Juan River: William Defino caught a rainbow trout using a bead-head Woolly Bugger on Feb. 22. “The rainbow struck violently as I lifted close to the bank and bolted to the middle of the river,” he said. “I truly didn’t expect to land it. I told myself, ‘if I can at least see it before the tippet snaps.’ I am…