Jicarilla Fishing Blog

Fishing Report 8-3-2010

            Fishing has been limited this week at the Jicarilla Lakes due to almost continuous monsoons. The torrential rains have been happening in the afternoons for the most part, but it has started just after lunch a couple of days. Mundo has been fair to good on the bottom for trout and good for bluegill and Bass. Enbom has been slow for trout, and Stone Lake is still a complete blank despite yet another angler report of a broken fish finder. Needless to say, the river is not a good option right now, as its color will remind you of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory.

            Mundo Lake is the “go to” spot of the week. Trout fishing has been good for Rainbows over 14 inches with several 18 ers mentioned. The majority of the action has been reported by bait anglers fishing worms or powerbait on the bottom. Weed harvesting between lightning events is at about 50 % of Mundo, so bottom fishing is less of a weed problem right now. Anglers fishiAng for trout with lures or flies on the top half of the water column have not fared as well. Fly fishermen are having a tough time keeping the bluegills off and lures aren’t working well either. Bass fishing is good with grubs and spinnerbaits. The average Mundo Lake Bass is 10 inches, but several notable fish were caught recently, including a 3 and ½ lb hog that was caught on a zoom horny toad by Richard Chavez a local high school student and Bass Junkie. The reports from catfish anglers suggest slow conditions but I spoke with a float tuber this morning who caught a nice one on a woolly Bugger (go figure!).

            Enbom Lake has been slow for trout with catch rates dropping to around 1 fish per hour. The fish that have been caught are nice healthy rainbows averaging 12 inches. Enbom did get a little color from the rains, but clarity is still good and the weeds have not rebounded completely yet. The kill event that was mentioned last week has subsided with total losses of less than 500 fish. We are keeping a close watch out there and will report any changes ASAP.

            Stone Lake is still driving me crazy. It looks good with relatively minimal weed growth and great clarity, but those brave souls who have ventured out there including my 2 summer workers this afternoon have all met the same skunk. However, we did receive another report of a broken fish finder at Stone Lake.  Apparently the thing was mapping small, medium, and large fish virtually everywhere and still not a single bite. Funny, I had the same problem with my piece of junk sonar unit. Things have to change out there at some point and I hope it is when you are on the water. Have a great week and keep your line wet.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 7-27-2010

          The summer monsoons are finally here and things have cooled off at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Fishing has been variable from lake to lake and day to day but there have been times of excellent action over the past week. Several notable fish were caught over the weekend and Saturday was reported as epic at Mundo Lake. Bass are still hot at Mundo, as are Bluegill, but the catfishing has slowed way down again. Enbom is suffering a partial summer kill with high water temps and Ph levels. Stone Lake has been lonely as is usual this time of year, but one report indicated that the fishing is still very slow. The Navajo River has been good lately, but the rains have muddied things up and fishing has slowed down.

            Mundo Lake is the best lake this week for anglers looking for Trout or Bass. Trout fishing has been very off and on at Mundo but our fisheries technician Rosenberg Tafoya reported that Saturday was one of the best days for large trout at Mundo in recent history. He estimated that at least 20 fish over 16 inches were caught on Saturday alone. The most notable of these was a Rainbow that measured 23 inches and was caught by Timothy Tafoya of Dulce on Powerbait. Subsequently, Sunday was considered fair for trout and Monday was very slow. The action has been split between bait and flies with one report of anglers having success with parachute Adams dry flies. The bait menu includes powerbait, worms, and grasshoppers and the standard assortment of damsels, woolly buggers, beadheads and streamers are working on the fly side. Largemouth Bass have been biting well on a wide variety of grubs and lures and top water action has been reported. For fly anglers, a streamer in bright (bluegillish) colors will double your odds with Bass and trout. Bluegill are fishing very well with beadheads (size 16-20) and worms, and especially with the combination of the two. Catfishing has fallen off big time this week. There was substantial pressure over the weekend but the reports indicated low success across the board.

            Enbom Lake is experiencing a Summer Fish Kill episode that was brought on by high water temps (mid 70’s) and high Ph levels. So far, the kill has been fairly minimal (approx 200 fish) but we are continuing to monitor this event. Catch and Release fishing is highly discouraged at Enbom right now due to the high water temps and low recovery rate of released fish. Anglers who are retaining fish are still having success at Enbom but the action is considered fair to slow. Powerbait, worms, and flies will all do the trick out there.  

            Stone Lake is very slow according to the one report we have this week. July is not usually a good month at Stone. We received one report and it was 2 hours of nothing. Don’t write Stone off completely, but I wouldn’t recommend spending too much time out there. Stop by, give it a try, and who knows maybe you will catch the 30 inch behemoth that we all know is out there. There was a good hatch of salamander tad poles this year and a salamander fly or plastic lure may be the ticket (3-4inches).

            The Navajo River was fishing well with flies and bait before the monsoons arrived and muddied up the water. I suspect the trend will continue when things clear up. Grasshoppers are everywhere out there, and a hopper dropper rig is a good option for fly fishermen. Bait anglers can find what they need on the banks and should have success in the deeper holes. This is a good time to be on the river and escape the midday heat with a dip in one of our newly renovated pools.

            I apologize to those of you that follow this report on a weekly basis and have been wondering where the reports have been. I have been away getting married and spending some time in the sun on the beautiful island of Kauai. I thought about publishing a fishing report from there but I couldn’t do it to you. However, I am back and ready to go, so grab a rod and meet me at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 7/6/2010

            I hope that this report finds everyone well after the long holiday weekend. I also hope that everyone had a chance to fish in between barbeques and fireworks. The fishing on the Jicarilla Lakes has been good, although trout fishing at Mundo has slowed and Stone Lake is still very slow. The best reports this week came from Enbom Lake. Catch rates were reported at or better than 5 fish per hour from a couple of different anglers. Bass and Bluegill are extremely active at Mundo, but the trout fishing and Catfishing has slowed down. Everything is set to go on Saturday July 10^th for the 3^rd annual 3 species pony express fishing derby. This is a great event which is held at Mundo Lake from 7am-4:30 pm. We have prizes for 1^st through 3^rd place for each of the 3 species as well as a grand prize for the heaviest combined creel of the day. In the kid’s division there will be prizes for 1^st through 3^rd place for the heaviest combined creels. We will have our usual one day raffle for hunting and fishing permits and be prepared ($) for the possibility of a very special once in a lifetime type of hunt that may be raffled as well.  For more details on prices and rules please visit the “Whats New” section of the www.jicarillahunt.com website.          

            Mundo Lake is set for another interesting derby on Saturday. The Bass are very active and I expect competition for this species to have an interesting outcome. The trout fishing has slowed down, but they are there, and I am sure someone will dial them in on Saturday. The Catfishing has been slow, but there have been some big fish reported lately and a heavy catfish creel was the game changer last year. I was at Mundo Lake briefly this morning and talked with a young angler that was doing well for Bass with his fly rod and a top water popper. The best reports were from anglers using bead heads including prince nymphs, brown woolly buggers, and powerbait in orange, yellow, and red. Small lures like castmasters and daredevils are getting a fair bite, and they are also working for trolling.

            Enbom Lake is currently the hot spot for trout on the Jicarilla fishing lakes. Several anglers reported outstanding catch rates for chubby trout that average 8-12 inches. The best action is with flies near the surface which has a lot to do with the weeds getting very thick out there. After a few days of work we have the weed harvester running and operations will begin at Enbom ASAP. If you are out there while the machine is running look for clear undisturbed water. Harvesting at Enbom Lake typically only takes a couple of days, so the lake should be in great shape for the weekend. Powerbait was in the report but avoid fishing it on the bottom in really weedy areas. The fish have been surface oriented lately so dry fly fishermen should definitely give it a shot with attractor patterns, parachute adams’, or even adult damsel patterns (blue).

            Stone Lake remains very slow this week. We had another good report of an angler using a wide variety of patterns for 5 hours with only a slight bump. The water is clear and the weeds are not that bad yet, but the fish are not biting. I did observe a couple of fish cruising slowly along the shore this morning. They did not appear to be feeding but I wish I had a rod to cast at them anyway. If the wind is down and the lake is glassy I would suggest using the higher banks to sight fish or even locate breaks in the weed beds. I often have the best luck right next to the weed beds in the summer months. Damsels, damsels, damnsels!!!

            The Navajo River is low and clear and is probably in the best shape of the season so far. Good reports are trickling in from anglers using worms and mention of large browns has been whispered again this week. I have sent a few fly fishermen into the river lately but have not heard anything from them. That usually makes me think that something good is going on and with super active hoppers I would suggest a hopper dropper method or buggers and streamers. There is approximately 12 miles of fishable water in the Navajo River and now is the time to try it.

            There was another mentionable catch this week which was taken on the willow creek canal otherwise known as the san juan-chama azotea tunnel diversion. This is a seasonal fishery that flows into Heron Lake and is open for fishing to Tribal members and their guests/clients only . There are big fish in the creek and on Sunday (7/4)  Larson Panzy, a tribal member and Game and Fish employee, caught a 22 inch rainbow on a pistol pete. The fish was fat and sassy and gave Larson one hell of a fight. Guided day trips can be arranged by contacting Kevin at the Game and Fish office (575)759-3255. We hope to see everyone at Mundo Lake on Saturday for another great event!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist          

Fishing Report 6/29/2010

            Fishing has been good at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Summer is in full swing and the warm water species are very active. We have the first positive report from Stone Lake in weeks, and it and several other fish reported were over 20 inches. The aquatic weeds are showing up and causing issues but we hope to get the weed machine in action by week’s end. Afternoon thunderstorms have been threatening the beginning of monsoon season but so far we have only seen a few drops here and there. The 3^rd annual Pony Express 3 species fishing derby is set for Saturday July 10 at Mundo Lake. Please view details of this event on the website www.jicarillahunt.com in the “what’s new” section. This is a great event with good prizes and hearty competition. As usual, there will be a one day onsite raffle for hunting and fishing permits as well as fabulous prizes. 100% of the proceeds from this event will go towards the 2010 Pony Express Race held on Friday July 16^th 2010. There is a lot happening around here right now and the holiday weekend is sure to be a good time.

            Mundo Lake is the big producer this week. There has been good to excellent action for Bluegill and Bass. The bluegill are biting best on flies, and various small (size12-20) beadheads are working the best. Bass are biting grubs, spinnerbaits, salamander and frog plastics, and have even been observed going top water. Catfish are biting and some very nice fish have been caught. The rumor is that a 28 inch cat and a 32 inch cat were both caught over the weekend. Catfish are hitting worms, liver, and a variety of commercial stink bait products. With the weeds getting tall, I recommend fishing top down with a bobber to avoid tangles. Trout are biting at Mundo, but the fishing should be considered fair to slow for trout right now. A lot of the bigger fish have been taken deep, but that is also where the weeds are the worst. Trout reports include powerbait, worms, small spoons, spinners, and various flies. The best trout fishing has been very early morning and just before and after dark.

            Enbom Lake has been hit or miss, with times of excellent fishing and times of very slow fishing. The Rainbows have been quite active lately and you can see them jumping completely out of the water chasing adult damselflies throughout the day. On average, the best action has been in the mornings and evenings. The water temps are getting up there (high 60’s) so if you are practicing catch and release please land and release the fish as soon as possible, and avoid placing them in weedy areas if you can. Enbom Lake is the first stop for the weed harvester and we will hopefully be at it by Thursday (7/1) afternoon. Flies, lures, and bait are all getting some action out there. Float tubes and boats will help you avoid the weeds, but they are getting pretty thick. I haven’t had any reports, but I suspect that dry fly fishing with damsels or hoppers will work.

            Stone Lake has had its first confirmed catch reported in weeks. This big Bow was caught by Shane Bradley a Jicarilla Game and Fish Officer. Shane was using a spoon and casting from the shore at Manghani Point on the east side of the lake. His Rainbow measured 23 inches and had the typical Stone Lake body type, which is only the ideal in the world of trout. In other words, it was FAT! That was the one and only report this week and I didn’t even hear about any other anglers that were observed out on the water.  

            The Navajo River is producing good fish and excitement. Jamil Montoya a Dulce local and tribal member caught a 21 inch male Brown Trout with worms on the lower end of the newly enhanced one mile section of river. This beauty weighed in at 4 lbs. Jamil’s mom Ann also had a fight when she hooked and eventually landed a 32 inch carp in the same pool. The river is low, fairly clear, and certainly worth a trip if river fishing is your preference. The Navajo River is prone to turbidity so check the weather and avoid fishing after a good rain.

            July is packed with action at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. We hope that all of you can join us for a great fishing derby at Mundo Lake on Saturday July 10^th.  Also, if you are in the neighborhood tomorrow (6/30) stop by Mundo Lake from 5-8pm and join us for a community fish fry. This event will focus on catching, cleaning, and eating Bass, Bluegill, and Channel Catfish. There will be demonstrations, information sharing, and of course plenty of fish to eat so stop by and see us. Have a great Holiday Weekend.

Kevin Terry, Fisheries Biologist   

Fishing Report 6/22/10

            The Jicarilla Fishing Lakes have been producing great fish in good numbers this week. The hot spot this week is Mundo Lake, and its diversity is shining through with 4 out of the 5 species showing up in good numbers and sizes. We are still waiting for the giant Bass report but the action on 10-14 inch fish has been tremendous. Trout fishing has hit the summer groove with the best results in the early mornings and late evenings. Stone Lake is still extremely slow, despite the abundant insect life that is beyond amazing right now. Enbom has been good to excellent and I saw at least 3 hookups in the 20 minutes I spent there this morning. The Navajo River has cleared up and the grasshoppers are really getting going. Dulce Lake has not been reported but I suspect that it is good to excellent for catfish.

            Mundo Lake has been great for Rainbows, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Channel Catfish. The Green algae bloom has subsided at Mundo and fall out is underway. The water will still take a week or so to clear up. Trout have been hitting better in the early morning and late evenings. The best reports are from anglers using flies including wooly buggers, damselflies, renegades, various beadheads, and the ever popular hybrid the pistol pete. Powerbait and worms were also reported and fishing from the top down with a bobber will reduce weed issues. The Largemouth Bass are slamming grubs and spinnerbaits fished near shore and success has been excellent for fish between 10 and 14 inches. One of our summer employees, Trent Muniz, caught 20 of these fish in only 2 hours yesterday (6/21).  The Bluegill are very aggressive right now due to spawning behavior and insatiable appetites. Just about any fly size 12 or smaller will catch one after another with beadhead nymphs getting the best action. These fish are overpopulated in Mundo Lake and they taste great so take a few home for tasty bite sized filets. Channel Catfish have become a target species lately since the long days and warm nights are here at last. Anastacio Valdez a local tribal member caught the big fish over the weekend which was 25 inches and just shy of 8 lbs. He caught this behemoth on a worm under a night bobber near the spillway.

            Enbom Lake is also best early in the morning and late into the evening. The average Rainbow in Enbom Lake is 8 inches but many anglers are catching a mixed bag of fish up to and over 18 inches. Flies reign again this week and the best reports are woolly buggers and leech patterns in dark colors. I spoke to one angler who had success with a Parachute Adams dry fly which does a good job to imitate the callibaetis mayflies. Enbom Lake is getting fairly weedy and fishing on the bottom is not recommended right now. This lake will be the first stop for the aquatic weed harvester and we hope to begin operations late next week. Bring your float tube and cool off at Enbom this weekend.

            Stone Lake is getting over a slight green algae bloom and has had very little pressure. I did get the chance to speak with a qualified Stone Lake Vet this morning who has been fishing this great lake for nearly 50 years. He and his nephew spent 2 days on the water without a single bump which is disconcerting considering the significant time this gentleman has had to perfect his Stone Lake strategy. While we were talking I began to notice huge tadpoles with heads like silver dollars and tails at least 3 inches long. All told, I observed more than 20 of these giant tadpoles as they foraged around the bottom. I believe that they are tiger salamander larvae but the investigation is underway and I will try to capture and photograph some specimens. Yes, they do look like trout food.

            The Navajo River is clear to 1-2 feet but still has a muddy hue. The grasshoppers are becoming very active and a hopper dropper strategy is worth a shot. I sent the summer guys there this afternoon for a little fishing in the newly enhanced 1 mile section, and they had success. They were both fishing beadhead buggers in dark colors and had several good bites until Trent landed one fat 15 inch Rainbow on a brown bugger.

            Now is a great time to enjoy the fisheries resources of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Bring a friend, family, or come by yourself and enjoy some great fishing and beautiful summer weather.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist, Jicarilla Game and Fish Department  

Fishing Report 6/15/10

            Summer is here a week early at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Both Mundo Lake and Stone Lake have an algae bloom, and the aquatic plants are beginning to show up. Overall, the fishing has been fair to good at the lakes but we did not hear any news from Stone Lake or Dulce Lake. The wooly bugger is back in the loop, and it has been the ticket at Mundo Lake recently. Enbom is producing fish on bait as well as flies and to a lesser extent lures. The Navajo River is clearing up from last week but it still has a slight muddy tinge. This is not uncommon on the Navajo River as it rarely gets very clear. The surrounding rivers are in the midst of the salmonfly stonefly hatch, and they may be happening here as well. Dulce Lake is stocked with Channel Catfish and a few experimental trout. There haven’t been any reports from Stone Lake.

            Mundo Lake is in the summer groove with warm temps, a green algae bloom, and increasing activity in the 3 warm water species. Trout fishing has been slow to fair with bait and fair to good with flies. The best reports for trout are from anglers using wooly buggers in brown and black or similar colored pistol petes. Lures are picking up a few trout, as well as Bass near shore. The average Rainbow is 10-12 inches but fish over 15 are still showing up regularly. The Bluegill fishing has been excellent with small flies. They have been hitting beadheads and wooly buggers and the catch rates have been quite high. There have been a few guys chasing Bass with spinner baits and plastics and the action has been good for fish between 10 and 14 inches. There have not been any giants reported yet, but that should change any day when the big ones get aggressive while guarding their nests. If you enjoy fishing for either Largemouth Bass or Bluegill please help us out by keeping small 8-12 inch bass and any size bluegill. These fish are getting overpopulated and growth rates have slowed down substantially. Fortunately both species are great to eat! Catfishing should be good, but the only reports this week are from incidental catches.

            Enbom has slowed down a little and the fishing is considered fair to good right now. Catch rates have varied over the week, but there have been times of excellent action. Enbom Lake fishes better in the mornings and evenings this time of year. The average Rainbow is 8-10 inches and bigger fish are mixed in. The best bait report is from anglers using worms fished up off of the bottom. The best overall reports are from anglers using flies and lures from a boat or float tube. Most of these folks are fishing a slow troll and covering water including the north half of the lake that is hard to access from the shore. The fish have been more active and surface oriented in the early mornings and just before dark. That is the best chance for dry fly fishing with chironomidae midges and callibaetis spinners. Grasshoppers are out and about and might be worth fishing near shore in a breeze.

            Stone Lake currently has a green algae bloom that started late last week. This bloom will be more concentrated in some areas, so move around if the algae seems particularly thick. We didn’t receive any reports this week. Insect activity continues to flourish and the damsels are everywhere. We set an overnight gill net last week and only caught 2 of the spring stockers. Both of these fish were very fat and had completely packed stomachs made up of 90% damselflies. Both fish were also over 9 inches which means that they have grown 3 inches in 6-8 weeks.

            Dulce Lake is ready for action. Approximately 4,000 10 inch Channel Catfish were stocked over a month ago now. They should be on the bite and fishing is open 24 hours a day. We have not received any reports so far. The campground at Dulce is open but use extreme caution when driving into it. The road has been neglected for 10 years and the ruts are quite deep. 2wd vehicles with little or no clearance are strongly discouraged and even 4wd trucks should use caution. It will be sometime before we can get our bulldozer out there to fix it.

            The Navajo River is low and close to as clear as it gets. Fishing worms or a san juan worm fly pattern is a good idea. Also, keep your eyes open for any hatching stoneflys. There is approximately 12 miles of fishable water on the Navajo river.

            This week marks the beginning of business for the student run PASS Boat and Tackle shop at Mundo Lake. This is the second year for this group of students and they are open for business beginning Wednesday June 16, 2010. The hours of operation will be 11am -8pm Wednesday through Sunday and they are located at the spillway at Mundo Lake. They have small jon boats with trolling motors for rent, as well as tackle, snacks, and refreshments. For details please view the “whats new” section of our website www.jicarillahunt.com. Have a great week and catch the big one.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 6-9-10

            The Jicarilla Fishing Lakes have been HOT! That goes for the recent daytime temps as well as for the fishing action at both Enbom and Mundo Lakes. The trend is set to continue fishing wise but the weather man is predicting slight reductions in daytime temps, with projected averages in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s for the next week. Both Enbom Lake and Mundo Lake continue to produce good catch rates for mixed sizes of Rainbow Trout. Mundo Lake is beginning to show its diversity and anglers have been catching 4 out of the five species on a regular basis. There is currently a slight green algae bloom that has been taking off at Mundo over the past couple of days. Stone Lake continues to punish those few anglers who know, as I do, that there are huge monsters lurking in the depths gorging themselves on a full menu of aquatic invertebrates. The Navajo River is muddy due to a spike in discharge after unseasonable heat over the weekend.

            Mundo Lake is just starting to have a green algae bloom that will persist over the next couple of weeks or so. This bloom should not affect the fishing too much, but it may cause the lure and fly fishing to slow down a little bit. The Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Channel Catfish are all getting very active and some are showing signs of spawning behavior. In fact, on a quick foray this morning to Mundo I came across an angler fly fishing from a float tube who had caught 4 out of the 5 species of fish in the lake in just an hour. The only species missing was a Brown Trout but they are quite rare in Mundo Lake. That’s right, he caught a catfish on a flyrod. Another angler had 3 trout over 15 inches in his creel and was halfway to his limit in just a couple of hours. There has been a substantial callibaetis mayfly hatch at Mundo recently and the trout will rise to these insects in the mornings and evenings. I have not received any direct reports from Bass anglers but trout anglers have seen big Bass near shore and around the docks. Several large catfish have been sighted near shore also, indicating that both species are getting ready to spawn. The best trout reports have been from bait anglers using powerbait and worms and also from anglers using various flies including beadhead nymphs, damselflies, and pistol petes.

            Enbom Lake has been good to excellent for Rainbows averaging 8-10 inches with bigger fish mixed in. The callibaetis hatch is happening at Enbom as is the usual chironomidae midge hatch. Reported baits include powerbait, worms, and salmon eggs. Flies have been the hot ticket lately, and the usual Jicarilla Lake patterns and many others are all finding success. I talked to a guy on Monday who was catching them on a stonefly nymph which doesn’t even exist at Enbom Lake. The water is rusty but visibility is up to 6 feet. The aquatic plants are starting to cause issues for anglers fishing the bottom, so try to keep your bait up a little. Float tubes have been able to access some of the shallow spots on the north half of the lake which holds good numbers of fish.

            Stone Lake is giving us hell, as has been the case this entire season. I have seen a few boats out this past week but have only spoken to one angler. He told me that he has only had a few bites in the past couple of weeks. As for the other anglers we have seen, who knows? Remember that we put in over 100,000 fish in April and given historical growth rates they should be a fat happy 8-12 inches by now.   Where are they? Well, I hope to answer that and more in next week’s report after we try another Gill Net set. The water is in good shape with weeds just beginning to show up along the shorelines. The bugs are hatching in ridiculous numbers and all three of our major invertebrates are well represented. Things are bound to change at Stone Lake, and it might be you who finds the secret.

            The Navajo River is a little high and muddy this week after the extreme heat from Sunday spurred a good North Slope melt off. This should subside and clear up in the next few days.

            Jicarilla Fishing Permits are NOW available ONLINE at www.jicarillahunt.com. You can purchase and print your valid Jicarilla Fishing Permit from the comfort of your home or office. See you on the water.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 6/2/10

            The Memorial Day weekend was great at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. The campgrounds were full but not crowded, and the fishing was excellent at both Enbom Lake and Mundo Lake. I was holding off a little on this report hoping to get a few more email reports from a direct source, but the deadline is fast approaching and the hearsay has been more than adequate this week. The big news is trout fishing, and both Enbom Lake and Mundo Lake have been great for rainbows averaging 8-10 inches with bigger Rainbows over 14 inches mixed in about every 4^th fish or so. Stone Lake is still very slow, but there have been extremely prolific hatches of damselflies, Chironomidae midges, and more recently the callibaetis mayflies. There hasn’t been much talk about Bass or Catfish but I expect that will change soon as the water temps continue to rise and both species start spawning. The surface water temp at all three lakes is approximately 65 degrees.

            Mundo Lake has been good for Rainbow trout with bait, lures, and flies. The most frequently reported bait was yellow powerbait but worms certainly had honorable mention. Small lures including kastmasters and panther martins are also getting good action. Flies of a very wide variety are picking up good numbers of trout and the smaller beadhead nymphs are hooking bluegill frequently also. There hasn’t been any mention of dry fly fishing at Mundo. Pheasant tails, woolly buggers, damselflies, and many others will catch trout. I have seen Bass cruising the shorelines and around the docks and I suspect that reports of big bass will hit my email any day.

            Enbom Lake has been excellent for Rainbow Trout that average 8-12.These fish are mixed in with larger fish up to and over 20 inches. I talked with a young fly fisherman (~8) yesterday who took quite a ride on his float tube before landing a 20 inch Rainbow. The chironomidae midges continue to hatch in good numbers at Enbom and there has been a little dry fly action in the evenings. Bait is fishing well at Enbom and powerbait and worms have been the ticket. Grasshoppers are showing up too, so you might try one behind a bobber in windy afternoons. The most commonly reported flies are black and brown woolly buggers but I expect a chironomidae midge pupae ( nymph) pattern would slay them. I also saw a few damselflies crawling out at Enbom Lake yesterday. Enbom still has a rusty hue, but visibility is good to 5 feet.

            Stone Lake did have some pressure over the weekend but I did not hear a single thing beyond that. Everyone I talked to saw boats and float tubes out there but no one offered a report. I assume the bite is still slow but I really don’t know. I did observe callibaetis mayflies hatching in large numbers yesterday, and I am sure there are fish gorging themselves on the emergers. Try a hare’s ear nymph for this hatch. The time is now for great fishing and camping at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes.

Also, we are very happy to announce that the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department will begin selling fishing permits on the website www.jicarillahunt.com by the week’s end. Now you can purchase and print your Jicarilla Fishing Permit from the comfort of your home. See you soon!!!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 5/26/2010

            Fishing at the Jicarilla Lakes has been good to excellent over the past week. The reports have been coming in and Enbom Lake and Mundo Lake continue to produce large trout in good numbers. I just got back from vacation, so I will be summarizing the report from the fisheries technician Rosenberg Tafoya for those of you who get the report from our website. I also received some good reports via email. The Holiday weekend is fast approaching and camping and fishing at the Jicarilla Lakes is exactly what the doctor ordered.

            Mundo Lake has been Excellent this week. Reported baits include orange, yellow, and rainbow powerbait. Lures reported include dare devils in red and white or silver and red, Kastmasters in rainbow, silver and orange, orange, and red, Panther Martins, and Blue Fox spinners. Flies reported include Hares Ear nymphs, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and Pistol Petes in olive, brown, or black. There were more than 30 fish larger than 14 inches reported caught at Mundo over the last week and at least 2 of those were at or better than 20 inches. It would be fair to say that the numbers actually caught are way higher than that. People are focusing on the large trophy trout out there right now and therefore we haven’t heard much from folks targeting Bass, Bluegill, or Catfish. However, the conditions should be favorable for targeting these fish species as well.

            Enbom Lake has also been excellent this week. The same orange, yellow and rainbow colors of powerbait were reported and very similar lures as well. Most of the fly action was on wooly buggers, but I suspect that beadhead nymphs, renegades, and chironomidae patterns will turn fish also. We did stock Enbom Lake with the same numbers of large fish as Mundo, so anglers can expect to pick up some large fish along with the standard 8-12 inch rainbows.

            Stone Lake has been very slow. The few reports we received suggested multiple hours with very few hits and no fish landed. The water quality is great and the hatch of chironomidae midges is in full effect. The wind has contributed to the low pressure, but mornings and evenings offer a chance to catch the really big one at Stone Lake. Anglers can fish from the shore, float tube, or boat right now.

            The Navajo River continues to offer a chance at big browns. Worms have been the only thing reported and are probably the best choice right now in the off colored water. There are several great new pools in the mile of stream that was rehabilitated last year in an effort to create and enhance habitat used by the Roundtail Chub. The Roundtail Chub is a fish that is native to the Colorado River Drainage and is currently in trouble throughout the majority of its historical range. The Jicarilla Apache Nation is working to protect this species in its waters and therefore these fish need to be released immediately upon capture. The first picture in the Fishing 2009-10 album in the photo gallery is a Roundtail Chub if you have never seen one before. Please help us protect these beautiful fish and let us know when where and how you caught them.

            Have a great Holiday Weekend!!!!!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Dept.