By GEORGE MORSE
Sports and Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post
Spring runoff has peaked early and streamflows are dropping throughout the state. This is an excellent time to fish streams like the Rio Chama, Rio de los Pinos and the Pecos. The higher flows of spring runoff put the trout in an actively feeding mood and now that the flows are dropping and easier to fish the fishing can be quite good.
Lakes and reservoirs are starting to warm up. Fish will be moving into deeper water. This is a good time to start exploring the small tributary streams where most of the fish will be wild as a result of natural reproduction as these streams are cooler than the main rivers. The Rio Grande is running well below normal. Some good catches are already being recorded. Early mornings and evenings will soon be the best times to be out on the water.
The format has changed a bit, and the focus will be on waters close to Los Alamos and Santa Fe.
Fenton Lake State Park is open. Camping is by reservation only. The fishing has been fair-to-good. It was stocked June 6 with 860 rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout here and some Rio Grande cutthroat trout from earlier stockings. Only two cutthroat trout may be kept as part of a five trout daily bag limit. Call 575.829.3630 for current conditions.
The Rio Cebolla flows into and out of Fenton Lake. It was stocked June 6 with 651 rainbow trout. It also has wild brown trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout above Fenton Lake.
The Seven Springs Brood Pond, also known as the Kid’s Pond, is open to anglers 11 Yeats of age and younger. It was stocked June 6 with 899 rainbow trout. There are also some wild brown trout and a few Rio Grande cutthroats. It is north of Fenton Lake.
The Jemez River streamflow was 22.3 cubic-feet-per second. This is lower than last week and below normal. It has been stocked with rainbow trout and has wild brown trout.
The tributaries of the Jemez River have been stocked with rainbow trout. The Rio de las Vacas, San Antonio River and Rio Guadalupe also have wild brown trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
Santa Cruz Lake near Chimayo is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It was last stocked on May 2. The water here is warming up and the trout heading to deeper water. It also has brown trout, and the state record rainbow trout was caught here. It is open Thursday-Monday from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Call 505.351.1438 or visit blm.gov/visit/santa-cruz-lake-recreation-area.
The Bureau also manages the Orilla Verde Recreation Area on the Rio Grande at Pilar. The Rio Grande at Pilar was stocked May 29 with 1,698 rainbow trout. There are also wild brown trout, northern pike and smallmouth bass.
From the Colorado border to the Taos Junction Bridge the limit is two trout per day on the Rio Grande. It was stocked on May 29 with 213 rainbow trout.
The streamflow on the Rio Grande was 710 cubic-feet-per-second at Taos Junction Bridge. This is much lower than last week and below normal.
The streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Penasco was 56.2 cubic-feet-per-second. This is lower than last week. It was stocked June 11 with 1,201 rainbow trout. It has wild brown trout.
The streamflow on the Red River was 92.4 cubic feet per second below Questa. This is slightly lower than last week. It was stocked June 7 with 700 rainbow trout and has wild brown trout.
The Red River above Questa was stocked June 11.
