Jicarilla Fishing Blog

Fishing Report 5-15-12

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:41:00 GMT

Fishing Report 5/15/12

Fishing is good at the Jicarilla Lakes. Mundo Lake and Dulce Lake are getting the majority of attention, producing some very nice Rainbow Trout to anglers using various gear types and strategies. Mundo Lake has been a little fickle though, and there have been a couple of days where fishing was very tough. Bass fishing is picking up and so is action for nice Channel Catfish. Dulce Lake has been quite popular and the Big stockers continue to fight hard and break lines. Enbom Lake is now considered a complete kill. We lost around 4,500 fish in total. Water quality remains poor with very low levels of dissolved oxygen. We will monitor water quality in hopes that we can restock this year. However, in the meantime, Enbom Lake will be closed to fishing and Camping. Stone Lake has good water quality and lots of bugs but very few fishermen. The Navajo river is fishing well for Browns and Rainbows with nice trout reported. The big news this week is that we will have 5 double vaulted toilets installed at Mundo Lake, Dulce Lake, Enbom Lake, and Two units at Stone Lake by the end of the week. These restrooms will contribute to a comfortable camping experience at the Jicarilla Lakes.

Mundo Lake has been good in general, but there have been a couple of tough days too. Some very nice 14-16 inch Largemouth Bass were reported this week. We also had a really nice 30 inch Channel Catfish caught on Sunday by Sutherland White, our newest member of the Game and Fish Biological staff. The average trout is 10-16 inches with bigger fish in the mix and lots of people are limiting out. The bait report includes powerbait and worms and yellow is one color reported as hot. Flies including beadhead nymphs and woolly buggers are getting action fished deep and slow. We plan to begin weed harvesting at Mundo next week to get going on what has been an early year for aquatic weed growth.

Dulce Lake has been good from the shore and really good from a small boat or tube. Flies have been hot and there were a few 15 fish days reported this week. One angler lost all of his beadheads battling big bows only to find that a bugger was just as hot. Green powerbait is on the charts again this week as our custodian Keith Velarde hasn’t changed up due to good success over the past three weeks. He has been fishing with a bobber and catching bows between 16 and 19 inches consistently.

Stone Lake is looking great minus the lack of anglers. The water is still surprisingly clear and the insects are really going including damsel flies that are beginning to crawl out and begin the terrestrial adventure. The Callibaetis mayfly hatch has been tremendous for the second year in a row. I talked to two very frustrated anglers last week that gave Stone a good shot (4-5hours) from tubes without even a hello bump. Fishing damsels deep and slow in the southwest bay is probably the best place to start. I haven’t heard anything from trollers or anglers casting lures.

The Navajo River continues to produce some very nice trout to spinners and Bait. Rosenberg Tafoya, our fisheries technician along with his grandson Devon and foster son Anthony had a good outing over the weekend. Rosie caught a big white sucker and the two boys each caught nice 17 inch rainbows. They were using grasshoppers which have had a very early and prolific start and they were fishing in the newly enhanced pools on the upstream end of the reservation stretch. Small panther martin spinners are working too and have been for a couple of weeks in the larger pools. The mild spring has made for a great bloom on the flowering plants and shrubs at the river.

That’s about it for this week. Good fishing and Camping weather is in the forecast so get out here and enjoy the Jicarilla Lakes.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Game and Fish

Fishing Report 5-9-2012

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:17:00 GMT

Fishing Report 5/9/2012

Dulce Lake and Mundo Lake have both been very good this week. Anglers are catching a variety of Rainbows from 12 to 20 inches at both lakes and some real monsters have been lost at each. Stone Lake needs some love but the water quality is in excellent shape and insect activity has picked up. Enbom is a sad story this week as we are now confident that we lost over 90% of the fish. We continue to investigate this fish kill but for the time being Enbom will be closed for fishing and camping. A big thanks goes out to those of you who called in a fishing report this week.

Mundo Lake has been very good for Rainbows on bait, spinners, and flies. There were some big fish that were caught and some big ones that got away. The area around the dam has been hot and so has the west side. Leon Jake, a dulce local caught a beautiful 22 inch 4 lb male Rainbow at Mundo Last week. This fish was in great condition. Leon was using a castmaster and the fish had another hook and sinker in its mouth when he caught it,A which as it turns out belonged to the angler fishing next to him. I also got a report from Vincent Tafoya who lost a beauty near the dam on a beadhead prince nymph. Vin told me that his 4 wt fly rod was bent in half for that aquahog. Don, out of Albuquerque did well with brown flies including pistol petes catching 12 fish up to 16 inches last Tuesday and another 12 fish on Thursday.

Dulce Lake has been good with green powerbait. The best action has been on the northern side of the lake in deeper water. Insects are hatching in good numbers and the callibaetis mayfly hatch is particularly good at Dulce Lake this year. The water quality is great and the campgrounds are in good shape. A boat or tube is the best way to fish Dulce Lake but be aware that the boat ramp is not suitable for large heavy trailers. Brown and olive buggers or callibaetis emerger patterns like hares ear nymphs are a good bet for fly fishing. Damsel flies and Dragon Fly nymphs are also good options. Spinners in dark colors and lures are a good bet as well.

Stone Lake has been tough as far as I know. I did get one report from Don who struck out after 4.5 hours. The bugs are going off and the damsel migration will kick off soon. Fishing near weed lines very slowly with damsels should prove fruitful for the patient angler looking for a challenging fishery.

The Navajo River has been good recently with spinners and bait. Browns over 20 inches have been reported as have rainbows in the 14-18 inch class. Starting at the upstream boundary and working down will get you over 2 miles of great pool habitat and there is a road that parallels the entire reach. I expect buggers would work too but we haven’t had a fly report from the river yet this year. There is a gauge on the Navajo below the Oso Diversion dam and checking the flows will help determine what the water will look like in terms of clarity and size.

We are preparing to install 5 permanent vaulted toilets at the fishing lakes next week. These units should be operational by Saturday may 19^th. A huge thanks goes out to the Tribal Leadership for supporting this significant capital improvement project. These facilities are sure to make your fishing and camping trips more enjoyable. We look forward to seeing you out on the lakes.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Game and Fish Dept.

Fishing Report 5-2-12

Wed, 02 May 2012 23:43:00 GMT

Fishing Report 5/2/2012

The Jicarilla Lakes have been fair to good this week ,with the exception of Enbom Lake which has experienced a fish kill event that began late last week. It is too early to conclude whether or not the kill was complete, but the indication is that the kill was severe. We are investigating the cause of the fish kill and so far the conditions are different from other open water events that have caused fish to die. One factor that is quite baffling is that the Dissolved oxygen levels have plummeted in the last few weeks. We will report more on this issue next week but in the meantime, fishing at Enbom is not recommended. Mundo Lake and Dulce Lake have been good to hot with the recently stocked trophy Rainbows showing up in reports at both lakes. Stone Lake has been slow to fair but reporting is still down as is fishing pressure. Insect activity is picking up across the board at all of the lakes.

Mundo Lake is fishing good for Rainbows and fair for Catfish. Anglers have had success with powerbait in various colors on the bottom and near the top with bobbers. There is good variety in the size of Rainbows that have been caught at Mundo with fish ranging from 8 inches to 20+. I had one report of a behemoth that was hooked and nearly landed by the dam. It was supposedly a huge fish estimated at near 30 inches and 8+ lbs. I never put much stock in these “fishy” stories of the one that got away, but I do know the angler and I believe that he had a really big one get away from him. The fish still has his castmaster, and after hearing the story I would suggest that lures are probably working pretty well. I haven’t had any direct reports of fly action at Mundo, but with the insect activity picking up, I am sure that the usual suspects like chironomidae’s, damsels, and wooly buggers are good.

Dulce Lake is fishing good from the shore on the SW side of the lake and all over with a boat or float tube. The fish have aggressively taken to the natural feed and several of the trophy fish were already holding salamanders in their stomachs. Lures including castmasters and panther martins are working well and green powerbait was reported fished from a bobber. The buzz this week is about Dulce Lake and I have been in Dulce long enough to know that you don’t need a direct report when you start to hear the hushed word on the street.

Stone Lake has been tough like usual but the pressure has been way down again this week. I had one report from a good friend and Stone Lake vet who fished Saturday and Sunday for several hours from a tube. He caught one nice 19 to 20 inch fish on a small olive leech pattern similar in size (1 inch) to the damsels that were packed in his stomach. He had a bunch of very soft hits too and had all of his action was in the SW aerators. That is the one report for the week.

That’s what we have for this week. Fishing in May is traditionally excellent. Get up here and enjoy some fishing before the weeds get going and the days get too hot. Stay tuned for more info from Enbom. Have a fabulous week.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Dept.

Fishing Report 4-25-2012

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:28:00 GMT

Fishing Report 4-25-12

The Jicarilla Fishing Lakes have all been stocked for the spring. Fishing has been good at all four lakes and the fly-fishing Team USA qualifier was a great success. The official results will be posted on the website as soon as I get them. The last load of Trophy Trout was stocked into Mundo Lake on Monday (4-23). This load completes the spring stocking at the Jicarilla Lakes. A list of lakes stocked and the numbers of fish will be provided below. The weather has been very warm here and the outbreak of spring fishing fever is spreading rapidly. Camping season has also started and we want to remind everyone that camping at the lakes and the Navajo River is FREE with your valid Jicarilla Fishing Permit.

The following Lakes have been stocked this spring. Mundo Lake was stocked with 5,600 8” Rainbows and 500 lbs (approx.500-600 fish) of Trophy class (12-20 inch) Rainbows. Mundo Lake will also be stocked with 200, 12-13 inch Tiger Musky next week (May 3^rd). Enbom Lake was stocked with 4,000 8 inch Rainbows and 500 lbs (approx.500-600 fish) of Trophy class (12-20 inch) Rainbows. Dulce Lake was stocked with 4,000 8 inch Rainbows and 500 lbs (approx.500-600 fish) of Trophy class (12-20 inch) Rainbows. Stone Lake was stocked with approx. 45,000 six inch Rainbows. Horse Lake has been stocked with approx. 30,000 2 inch Rainbows, and they should be 12-14 inches this fall.

Mundo Lake has been fishing good for Rainbow Trout from 8-20 inches. Anglers are having limited success with bait and better action with lures and flies. One of the team USA guys was able to catch 25 fish in 3 hours on Saturday. So far, the Bass and Bluegill have not been biting except for a few individuals. Cat-fishing has been fair at Mundo, but I don’t have any specific reports on bait or locations to share.

Enbom Lake is still a rusty color, which is typical of spring conditions out there. The lake almost filled up which is a great relief after last fall’s super low conditions. I haven’t heard anything from Enbom, but I expect that fish are biting and the big boys should be acclimated by now. We often see good numbers of leeches in Enbom in the spring and a brown or black woolly bugger or leech pattern is a great way to get the fish to hit. Lures are also effective in Enbom.

Dulce Lake is fishing good, especially for the larger fish that were recently stocked. The water is very clear and shoreline access is better during the spring than at any other time of year. Due to the shallow conditions currently at Dulce Lake, a boat or float tube that can be launched by hand will improve success. Dulce Lake is very productive with multitudes of aquatic invertebrates and the growth rates are quite high. These fish will grow fast and usually have lots of fight in them.

Stone Lake is slow by most standards, but good by others. What I mean is that the catch rate is quite low with an average of less than 1 fish per hour. However, several of the team USA anglers were able to catch 3 fish in three hours. On the other hand, there were several anglers in the competition that struck out completely. Another report came in from a long time Stone Lake vet Kurt Kinifick of Albuquerqe, who caught 8 fish at Stone on Saturday. Kurt was on the Lake with two companions nearly the entire day. Kurt’s big fish of the day was larger than any captured in the competition and went 25 inches and 9 lbs. As the competiton went along, it became clear that most of the action was near the aerators on the Southwest side of the lake. This is also the area where Kurt had success. Most folks in the comp caught fish on some kind of a damsel pattern but a few fish were caught with buggers and leech patterns. The holdover fish at Stone Lake are in great shape and are very challenging to catch. Stone is a great spot for experienced lake anglers looking to test their skills. Sorry folks, we don’t have any news on spawners showing up near the shore, but we are looking. The Chironomidae midges are coming off but not in huge numbers and the same goes for Callibaetis mayflies. Damsel time is just around the corner but as the competition showed, they are a factor year round at Stone Lake.

Fishing season is in full swing. The lakes are stocked and the campgrounds are ready. Most importantly, fish are biting, so get up here and catch some fish!!!

Kevin Terry, Fisheries Biologist, Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish

Fishing Report 4-18-12

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:04:00 GMT

Fishing Report 4-18-12

There is a lot happening at the Jicarilla Lakes, but the fishing remains fair to slow. Mundo Lake seems to be picking up on a daily basis as the insect activity increases. Stone Lake is still slow and the few reports we have reflect that. I promised a personal report this week but I am sorry to say that my camping trip at Stone this weekend was not very fun. However, I now know that my tent can withstand Hurricane force winds and snow. We started stocking the 12-20 inch trout today, and the first load of 500 pounds was delivered to Dulce Lake this morning. Tomorrow, 500 pounds of the same fish will be stocked at Enbom Lake and next week 500 pounds will be stocked in Mundo Lake. The team USA fly fishing competition this weekend will be held at both Mundo Lake and Stone Lake on Saturday and Sunday and we are very excited to see how the pros fare at our lakes.

Stone Lake has had a slow start in terms of insect activity. It’s possible that the extra week or two of ice delayed the big Chironomidae Midge hatch. I was putting the net pens out at Stone yesterday and had a quick chat with a couple camped out there. They hadn’t had a bite when I talked to them but they did say that the fish finder was locating plenty of fish. This happens a lot and I would venture to guess that more than a couple of fish finders have been destroyed or otherwise abused after a Stone Lake trip. Things should pick up soon so stay tuned.

Mundo Lake has been getting better and better by the day. I have talked to a few guys who are catching some nice 13-15 inch rainbows on both bait and lures. Powerbait and worms are working and spinners and spoons are also good. I haven’t heard much from the fly side. We had a capsized boat at Mundo yesterday that was apparently caused by major excitement when one of the two anglers hooked a “Monster” on the south end of the lake. Both anglers were uninjured and made it to shore safely. We were able to get out there and retrieve their boat, minus 5 poles and two motors. One other item that was salvaged happened to be a very nice 15 inch rainbow still attached to the stringer. This recovery provided a little relief to otherwise bummed out fishermen. This morning we were able to recover some more of their equipment and the search will continue tomorrow. The docks are all out at Mundo and the water is crystal clear.

Enbom and Dulce will be completely stocked for the spring by tomorrow around noon. I hope to have a fishing report to share next week. That’s all I have this week. See you on the lakes this weekend!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Dept.

FIshing Report 4-11-12

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:33:00 GMT

Fishing Report 4-11-12

Things are picking up at the Jicarilla Lakes. I still don’t have any direct reports to share but I have been hearing that the fishing is picking up at Mundo Lake this week. A few anglers have been at Stone Lake too, but they have failed to report. Enbom Lake, Dulce Lake, and Mundo Lake will all be stocked with 8 inch rainbow trout tomorrow (4/12). Enbom and Dulce will receive 4,000 fish and Mundo will receive 5,600. The larger trophy class fish will be stocked next week in the same three lakes and I will report the sizes and numbers in next week’s report. Horse Lake will not be stocked for a few weeks to allow time for an algae bloom to subside.

Stone Lake is crystal clear which is odd for this time of year. This is because Stone Lake really didn’t receive any runoff this year. The midges are starting to come off at Stone, but so far the huge hatches we are accustomed to in April and May haven’t happened. The water temp on the surface is over 50F and the oxygen levels are very good. I will be fishing Stone this weekend and therefore we will have at least one report for next week.

Mundo Lake is picking up for rainbows averaging between 10 and 13 inches. I have heard that anglers are doing well with powerbait and worms as well as yellow lures and several different nymph patterns. All four docks will be set up at Mundo by late tomorrow. No news yet on the Bass, Bluegill, and Catfish but please take a moment to review your proclamation as limits have changed for these species. This is especially important for Bluegill which are now mandatory keep due to overpopulation. Tiger Musky will arrive at Mundo in the next few weeks and they should help us clean up the bluegill problem. Tiger Musky have a job to do and they will be catch and release only for the next couple of years.

The Jicarilla Lakes will be hosting the SW qualifier for the USA fly fishing team next weekend. The competition will be held at both Mundo Lake and Stone Lake on Saturday and Sunday (4/21-4/22) with Friday (4/20) as a practice day. This competition is a serious event and there will be some very good fly-fishermen at this event. The lakes will remain open to the public, but we ask that anglers give the competitors a wide berth on Saturday and Sunday. The competitors will be fishing from boats at both lakes. I am sure many of you are just as intrigued as I am to see what the pros throw out there next weekend. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 4-4-12

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:29:00 GMT

Fishing Report 4-4-12

Open water season is on at the Jicarilla Lakes, but so far the fish are not cooperating. However, we only have a couple of reports to base that on. The gill nets revealed good overwinter success at both Mundo Lake and Stone Lake. Dulce Lake, Horse Lake, and Enbom Lake did not fare well though and they are considered complete winterkill. This was expected, and these lakes will be stocked in the next couple of weeks with 8” catchable rainbows as well as 14-20” trophy rainbows. The dates will be posted when available.

Stone Lake has been slow for the two to three guys who have tried it thus far. The water is unusually clear for this time of year due to the lack of runoff. Temps are getting into the upper 40’s and the year’s first insect activity is beginning with the Chironomidae midge hatch. The annual spring gill net captured a total of 27 fish. The surprise was the presence of smaller 10 inch fish in good numbers (9) which suggests that the fall stockings were successful with high survival. The largest fish in the net was 22 inches and 4.5 lbs. The average size was 16 inches but that reflects the presence of the smaller fish. 18 of the 27 fish were above 16 inches. Also of note, is that most of the large females captured were very close to dropping eggs. This should result in a false spawn soon which means sight fishing to large fish from the shore. Stay tuned for info on the spawn.

Mundo Lake also survived the winter and the fish came through in good shape. The Largest fish in the gill net was 16 inches and there were 6 out of 20 over 12 inches. The condition factor of the fish which takes into account the length to weight ratio was better than I expected but still a little low. Hopefully, the Tiger Muskies will help improve trout growth by reducing the bluegill and bass populations substantially. The first load of Tigers will be stocked by the end of April if all goes as planned. There are currently two docks at Mundo and the other two will be installed soon. So far, the reports from Mundo suggest that fishing has been slow. Most anglers have been using bait on the bottom and there really hasn’t been much pressure yet. The one fish that has been caught was on a beadhead nymph fished with spinning gear near the dam.

Please send us a report or give me a call at 575-759-3255. We are anxious to get a good start this year. Have a great week and an even better weekend fishing the Jicarilla Lakes.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Game and Fish Dept.

Fishing Report 3-27-2012

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:35:00 GMT

Fishing report 3-27-12

The Jicarilla Lakes are almost completely iced out after the warm weekend and yesterday’s high winds. The exception is Stone Lake, where there is 80% open water. There are still 4 days left on your 2011-12 annual permits, and now there is an opportunity to fish open water one last time before the start of the 2012-13 season. The two lakes that are fishable are Mundo Lake and Stone Lake. A short description of the current conditions of each lake can be found below. The new 2012-13 Non Tribal Fishing Proclamation is now available for download on our website (www.jicarillahunt.com). Please take a look at the changes for this year before fishing after April 1^st, 2012. As part of a transition to reduce paper waste and make our business more efficient and customer friendly, we are reducing the number of vendors that will offer Jicarilla fishing permits in 2012-13. The list of the vendors that will continue to provide license sales can be found on the new proclamation. We apologize to those of you who will be affected by this transition. For help using the online purchase system or for more information on our local vendors in Dulce please call us at 575-759-3255.

Stone Lake is almost completely ice free. The remaining ice is located in the North Eastern part of the lake. The line is almost due north form Manghani Point to the North Shore. The water is clear due to the lack of runoff into Stone this year. The water levels are quite low and the boat ramp on the south side of the lake is the recommended launch site at this time. We do not have any reports to share at this time, but we hope that changes after this weekend. As soon as the remaining ice has melted, we will conduct the annual gill net surveys. This data will be reported ASAP after the surveys.

Mundo Lake is completely open water. The water is quite turbid from runoff and the lake has come up a little in recent weeks. We expect to have the gill net data available for next week’s report. Overwinter survival is typically very high at Mundo and we expect to have a good start to the new fishing year.

The other lakes that are managed as seasonal fisheries include Dulce Lake, Enbom Lake, and Horse Lake. Both Enbom and Dulce Lake will be stocked in early April with both average catchable Rainbows (8”) and larger trophy class Rainbows (14-20”). The numbers and dates will be reported soon.

The Jicarilla Game and Fish Department is looking forward to another tremendous year of fishing. Your business is very important to us and we will do our best to provide excellent fishing opportunities at the Jicarilla Lakes. See you out there!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 3-22-12

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:44:00 GMT

Fishing Report 3/22/12

The Jicarilla Lakes are still in transition from ice to open water. Progress slowed down during the recent storm, but sunny warm conditions should persist through the weekend. It appears that we still have 2 to 3 weeks before complete ice out. Stone Lake is leading the way with Enbom close behind. Mundo Lake is still relatively locked up with only a small ring of open water along the shorelines. The largest area of open water at Stone Lake is in the SW cove near the RV park. The area is still very small and fishing would be difficult from the shore and inaccessible via a boat. We will report again next week on conditions. Have a great week!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Game and Fish Department

FIshing Report 3-13-12

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:56:00 GMT

Fishing Report 3/13/12

The fishing report this week has some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that all of you hard water (ice) fanatics will have to hang up the old auger. The good news is that the open water season is just around the corner. The ice sheet is still solid and quite thick, however, the edges are very soft and there is open water in some areas. Therefore, due to safety hazards around the edges, the Jicarilla Lakes will be officially closed to ice fishing beginning tomorrow March 14^th, 2012. We will continue to monitor the lakes and will report developments on the usual weekly basis. We are excited for the upcoming 2012-13 fishing year and want to remind folks that our new annual permits will be available on April 1^st. We are expecting another fabulous year and look forward to seeing all of you out at the beautiful Jicarilla Lakes.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Dept.

Fishing Report 3-6-12

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:20:00 GMT

Fishing Report 3/6/12

Ice fishing continues at the Jicarilla Lakes. The ice is 15 inches thick at both Stone Lake and Mundo Lake. I received one report this week from Stone where an angler lost a very nice fish at the ice. The edges of the lakes are getting a little soft on warm days. Use caution while entering the ice sheet. There is evidence of other anglers out at both lakes but I just haven’t had any reports sent in. Have a great week of fishing.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Game and Fish

Fishing Report 2-19-12

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:22:00 GMT

Fishing Report 2-29-12

Fishing pressure has been down again this week at the Jicarilla Lakes. Nasty unpredictable weather and the simple fact that late February is typically slow for ice fishing, has led to decreased pressure. A group of local anglers hurried to host an ice derby on Saturday but the turnout was minimal. However, these small events are a great way to add something to your fishing experience. The Jicarilla Game and Fish department is open to discussing and hosting other small events throughout the year as long as there is some outside organization and planning. If you have ideas or want to plan an event for a group of anglers, please don’t hesitate to contact us by emailing me through the www.jicarillahunt.com website.

Stone Lake did get three anglers on Saturday for the derby. It was a slow day and one fat 12 incher actually took the cash. Another report from Thursday afternoon was a little better with two anglers catching one fish each in less than an hour. The biggest was a 21 inch rainbow and the second fish was a nice 17 inch fatty. The ice is still 15-17 inches thick but water is beginning to flow on warm afternoons and folks should be careful around the edges of the lake when this happens. At this point, the weather forecast is calling for a chance of snow on Thursday and Friday but clear skies on Saturday and partly cloudy for Sunday.

Mundo Lake has been fished a little, as evidenced by tracks on the ice. I have not received any reports though and I suspect fishing is a little slow out there. Water has been running into the lake and on top of the ice, creating big brown puddles in the afternoons. Stay away from these areas, as it is hard to predict the impacts of this flowing water on the ice sheet. The problem areas are restricted to the southern part of the lake where arroyos drain melted snow from large sagebrush flats. The northern half of the lake still has a good stable ice sheet.

Ice season is winding down for us at the Jicarilla Lakes. We are preparing for open water and we are looking forward to a great year. The new proclamation will be available in the last couple weeks in March. A lot is happening at the lakes this year including the installation of permanent vaulted toilets. The Jicarilla Game and Fish Department is also making a move down the street to our brand new building. We should be open for business at the new location by the season opener (4/1/12). Stop by and check out our 300 gallon aquarium. See you soon.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Stone Lake Ice Fishing Derby 2-25-12

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:53:00 GMT

HELLO ICE ANGLERS

PLease share this information with anyone who you think would be interested in this event. This is a very late call but please share. This could be a great event with as few as 20 anglers. I will be on the ice helping out. The weather should be good and the format is very simple. CASH MONEY!!!!!!

Kevin Terry

Click Here For Derby Details

Fishing Report 2-21-12

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:40:00 GMT

Fishing Report 2-21-12

Ice fishing continues at the Jicarilla Lakes. The ice sheet is currently 15 inches thick at Stone Lake and assumed the same at Mundo Lake. The wet snow from last week’s storm was quickly incorporated into the ice sheet during recent clear cold nights. The weather outlook is good through the weekend this week. Stone Lake has received all of the attention recently and Mundo Lake remains untracked. Oxygen levels are hanging on at Stone and the fish caught are still fighting well.

Stone Lake has been getting some attention from local anglers. Fishing has been variable from day to day. At least 8 fish were caught over the long weekend by a group of anglers. Sunday was the best action with 6 fish landed between three anglers. The fish ranged in size from 12 inches to 19 inches. This group was on the North side of the lake and had some action each of three days this weekend.

Mundo Lake is covered in a fresh coat of snow with zero trace of fishing activity. The most recent report from last week came from a local angler who caught a diverse bag of fish near shore on the East side of the lake. He took Bass, Bluegill, Catfish, and a few skinny Trout with jigs.

Late winter ice fishing can be hit or miss. Fish are slow and hunkered down waiting for spring. The Dissolved Oxygen levels at or near the bottom will not support trout for an extended period of time. Fishing higher in the column will put you in more fish. The sunny weather coming up should make for great conditions on the ice. Soak up the rays and catch some nice fish too. See you out there.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 2-14-12

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:38:00 GMT

Fishing Report 2/14/12

Happy Valentines to all of you fish lovers out there. Hopefully your hearts are content with all of the great fishing presents you received. Thanks goes out to everyone who came to see us at Bob Gerding’s Outdoor Adventures Show. It’s nice to get feedback from veterans and to meet new anglers that are interested in the Jicarilla Lakes. The report this week will be brief, as we had very few reports.

Stone Lake is the source of the only the only reports and those were not very detailed. In total, I heard about two fish being caught over the weekend. One was small and I didn’t get any other news than that. The other report was sent via a txt message that included a very nice picture which will be attached below. Audie Reval caught this 19.5 inch beauty on Saturday.

The weather outlook is mixed with chances of snow at times throughout the week and into the weekend. Give us a call at 575-759-3255 if you want to check on the roads before heading out. The roads are currently wet and slushy in places. The ice is 12 inches thick at both lakes, but there is a layer of slushy wet snow on top from the recent storm.

Ice fishing continues at the Jicarilla Lakes. We have approximately one month left, as the lakes tend to thaw out in the last couple of weeks in March. Please send in reports by visiting the website www.jicarillahunt.com and clicking on the contact us menu. Check out Audies nice fish below and have a great week on the ice.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Dept.

Audie Reval, caught 2-10-12, 19.5 inch Rainbow Trout