Jicarilla Fishing Blog

January 6th 2022

Folks,

We have had unseasonably warm weather today and are projected currently to continue with well above freezing day time temperatures throughout the weekend. Due to the fragile state of the newly developed ice sheets and extremely muddy road conditions I would ask that you postpone any planned fishing until the ice sheet can be re-evaluated Monday by the Fish Crew. We will update the blog with the new ice conditions on Monday.

This winter just can't get its mind made up!

January 3rd 2022

We are getting close after this last cold weather blast. J-8 is packed snow driving conditions, and lake access roads have 0-14” of snow with some larger drifts. 4X4 Required for direct lake access, please drive with great care. USE EXTREME CAUTION, participating in fishing activities is at your own risk.

Mundo Lake: 5” of ice 30 yards out from boat ramp. Open water now closed, but high variability in the ice sheet where recently frozen. 0-12” of snow on ice sheet.

Embom Lake: 5.5” of ice 30 yards out from dam. 0-12” of snow on ice sheet.

Stone Lake: 5” of ice 30 yards out from east boat ramp. 0-6” of snow on ice sheet.

-Fish Crew

Holiday Season

Merry Christmas Week Fish Fans,

Just a quick update as the Fish Crew was pretty good this year, and those pounds don’t pack themselves onto our waist lines.

Fishing Derby: Three tagged fish were turned in for prizes during the open water season. We still have many prizes left to give out, and if memory serves me correctly that leaves close to thirty tagged fish swimming around. If you catch a tagged fish, please pull the tag and turn it into Game & Fish. Accommodations can be made for out of towners, but no tag = no prize so don’t lose the tag. Good Luck.

Ice Update:

Mundo: 0.5” of ice still has open water. Very unstable ice sheet. Not going to be in shape to fish anytime soon if current weather pattern continues.

Embom: 5” of ice unstable ice sheet. Getting close, but very weather dependent at this time.

Stone: 4” of ice, getting close, but highly weather dependent especially if wind continues to shift ice sheet.

Our voicemail at the office has been repaired you can also contact the fish crew through the website contact us or by emailing jicarillafishqs@gmail.com.

The Fish Crew Wishes You All A Happy Holiday Season!

Off Season or In-between Season

Folks,

It is starting to get wintery out, better late than never. I would imagine open water season is over, and hard water season isn’t quite ready. Normally we have fish-able ice around Christmas, but this year has been so abnormal it will be a real struggle to give you a date somewhere in the future to plan an ice fishing trip. I’ll keep you all updated as ice reports are taken. There is another winter storm supposedly coming through this week, I’ve got my fingers crossed!

Embom has a full ice sheet less than 1” thick

Mundo is approximately 50% covered less than 1” thick

Stone is approximately 70% covered less than 1” thick

NO ICE IS SAFE ICE! Ice fishing season is not here yet.

Just to keep you aware of office business: Due to the holidays the Game & Fish Office will be closed the following days in observance of the holidays:

December 23^rd from 12 noon-5pm

December 24^th 8am-5pm (all day)

December 30^th from 12 noon-5pm

December 31^st 8am-5pm (all day)

Happy Holidays!

-The Fish Crew

Update

Folks,

It sure doesn’t feel like December outside, which is not good news for the drought. It has been unseasonably warm. Fishing has been pretty consistent especially for anglers fishing deeper as the fish settle in for the cold months. No reports have been submitted this week. If you have tried calling the office to get an update and noticed the line not working properly, we are still here but were having some technical issues with our voicemail system. These issues have been fixed.

There has been some shelf ice in the mornings but the lakes have been clear of this by mid-morning and it easily punched through to launch a boat. It may cause some issues for early morning shore anglers.

-The Fish Crew

Update

Folks,

-The Fish Crew

Holidays

Folks,

I have not received any fishing reports from last week. It has been cooler which is good, but I’m already sick of this time change. It’s dark when I drive to work, and dark when I drive home. There could be a few more weeks of open water if the current weather pattern holds but I’m expecting thin shelf ice around the edges of the lake in the mornings.

Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday the JGFD Office will be closed from 12:00 noon on November 24^th and will reopen at 8:00am on Monday November 29^th. If we don't see you before then have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

-The Fish Crew

Veterans Day

Folks,

Just a reminder the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department will be closed November 11th and 12th in observation of Veterans Day.

Celebrate and honor our veterans this weekend!

November 8th 2021

Folks,

One fishing report came in and it indicated excellent fishing at Mundo Lake. Fish between 12 and 22 inches (two fish over twenty is excellent in any reasonable book). The angler reported streamer, dragon fly nymphs, and snail patterns producing. Get while the getting is good, because despite the weather today winter has to be right around the corner.

Bigger is Better

After some much needed rain from the Bomb Cyclone earlier this week sunny skies have returned to the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Fishing should remain active for a few more weeks if the weather holds and anglers have been trickling in in search of their trout fix. Reports have not been trickling in. One theme I’m becoming aware of is anglers catching small fish on small flies, and big fish on big flies. If I were going fishing, I would consider this theme especially in the fall. Our trout are not under fed and when food is in excess sometimes a reflex or aggression take is your only hope. Aggression takes are much easier to get with a larger streamer than with a small nymph, this theme succinctly summarizes why spinner and rapala anglers out fish fly guys, its easy to get mad and lash out at something in your way, but not easy to lash out at something you never see. Just food for thought as it were.