Jicarilla Fish Weblog

Fishing Report 10-30-07

Fishing on the Jicarilla Lakes has been off and on lately. A few reports have come in, and the general feeling is that fishing is pretty slow. Enbom and Horse were hit or miss last week, and that may still be the case. However, the latest news has been from the miss side of things. Stone continues to offer only enough to drive you mad. This usually means one to three fish a day, but more misses than anything else. Mundo has even slowed down a bit, but catching a limit of trout shouldn’t be a problem. Winter has been slow to come to the Reservation, and the weather has been great for the past couple weeks.
Mundo Lake has finally lost that bet on it consistency that it held virtually all season. The catfish and Bass are still there, but catching them has just been a byproduct of trout fishing lately. The trout are being caught by all of the usual methods, but at a slower rate than usual. Orange powerbait and worms continue to get action and spinners and flies will catch fish too. I talked to a couple of campers who said that there was good surface action in both the mornings and right before sunset. The water clarity is on the greenish side, and there is debris in the water. There may have been a small turnover event, or it may be aquatic plants breaking down.
Enbom has been really spotty with no real indicators to explain why. Some people are catching a busnch in a an hour, and some get flat out skunked in half a day. Black bead head wollybuggers are a good choice, but keep your eyes open for a morning lake midge hatch. A slight breeze could cover the signs of fish taking emergers, so look for the bugs in the water. Powerbait had been working well but who knows now. The water clarity is a little better than Mundo, and the weeds are getting better. Enbom has been pretty empty lately, and is a beautiful place to get away.
Horse has been tough but is still producing the fat fish it is known for. A small boat is highly recommended at Horse right now, to get around the shallow shores and weeds. One angler was using a black bead head wollybugger and caught three fish in as many hours. There are thousands of birds on Horse Lake right now, and since hunting isn’t permitted you may want to bring the binos and a bird book.
Stone Lake is still really tough but carries the allure of big Bows. Spoons have been the most reported lures, but a few fly fishermen have been out there as well. One angler reported catching 2 fish in 4 hours at Stone with a fly rod. He was using a olive bead head wollybugger and an orange egg pattern. One fish was 16” and the other 19 ½” and both of them were nice and chunky. Gorgeous weather is reason enough to be at Stone right now, so enjoy the day and catch a couple of big Rainbows while you’re at it.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Fishing Report 10/23/07

Things have been good on the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. The fish aren’t exactly jumping into boats, but success is well within your reach. Fishing is finally picking up at Stone and the other lakes are still pretty consistent. A few cold nights have left ice on the edges, but there is no real indication of early ice cover. Stone Lake closes up on Nov. 31st, so get up here and try for the big boys.
Mundo Lake is fairly slow compared to usual, but anglers can still get their limit for rainbows in half a day in a half day. Powerbait, worms, and lures have been reported, but flies including wollybuggers and bead heads should work also. Catfish and Bass fishing has been pretty slow. A few of the 15 + inch fish that were stocked 10/11 are also being caught.
Enbom has been fair. Access from the shorelines is good and getting better daily. The Rainbows are averaging between 12-16” and are pretty fat. Powerbait is the norm for bait at Enbom, but wollybuggers, damselfly patterns, and chironomidae larvae are hot fly patterns worth a try at Enbom. Enbom is a good spot for jumping ducks if you want to Cast and Blast.
Horse Lake has been off and on lately. Reports have come in of non stop action, and some of not a bite. Powerbait has been the most consistent bait at Horse Lake. Peach was the most recently reported color and check the photo gallery to see the results (fat fish). There are a lot of bugs in the water and a good morning hatch of lake midges. The red Chironomidae larvae are good choices for both nymph and emerger patterns. As adults the midges have black and grey stripes. Anglers have reported good surface action at times during this hatch but were not targeting risers themselves. A small boat or float tube will vastly improve your success at Horse Lake.
Stone Lake is still tough, but anglers have caught some really nice fish. All the recent reports have been from spin fishermen using lures. Spoons of various colors, and spinners have been reported, but everyone is protecting the exact information which leads me to believe there is something worth while out there. Eudane Vicenti a Dulce local, caught a 22 inch 5lb. Rainbow on Sunday (10/21) from the shore with the ever ambiguous spoon. Secretism breeds suspicion, and curiosity killed the cat, but what about the Fish?

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 10-16-07

Fishing is good on the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Stone is still tough but producing a few fish, and the other lakes are still consistent. The limit for non tribal anglers went up to 20 fish at Enbom Lake on Monday Oct. 15th. We stocked 800 lbs. of Rainbow Trout from Mescalero Tribal Fish Hatchery into Mundo on Thursday Oct. 11th. The stockers are primarily in the 8-12” class, but there are a few bonus fish up to 20”. The water temperatures are in the 50’s and the trout are happy about that.
Mundo Lake is fishing well for Rainbow Trout with all types of Gear. Most of the fish are in the 12-14” range, but 800 lbs. of Rainbow Trout from Mescalero Tribal Fish Hatchery were put in on the 11th and these fish are smaller (10”) on average. Whether throwing a spinning or fly rod, flies/lures or bait, you should do well for trout in Mundo. Reports on Cats and Bass have been slowing down, but I think either can still be caught if targeted.
Enbom Lake has eluded me this week on the fishing report circuit. It was fishing well last week and should have similar conditions right now. The limit went up on Monday (Oct. 15) to 20 fish per day for Non-Tribal anglers. There should be a few of the trophy sized fish still around so make sure your drag is set up accordingly.
Horse Lake is fishing well for Fat Rainbows in the 13-14” range. Rosenburg Tafoya, a Fisheries Technician for the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department, caught four and lost four in two hours on Sunday. He caught three at 13” and one at 14”, and the weights reported have me questioning our scale. Let’s just say that all of the fish were over 3 lbs. No report on gear, but flies lures and bait should turn these uneducated trout.
Stone has been fairly slow, but a few fish are hitting here and there. Most of the pressure has been from spin casters with spoons and spinners and it seems like 4-5 hits per half day is the norm right now. A local angler Brad Muniz, caught two in two hours yesterday (Oct. 15th) with a yellow daredevil with red diamonds, and a fluorescent z- ray with tiger stripes. Have a great week fishing, and if you don’t catch just remember that the Rockies are in the World Series.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 10-10-07

The Jicarilla Fishing Lakes have been fishing well over the past week. Cool nights and short days have helped to get the water temperature back down to trout happy conditions. All of the lakes are now in the 50’s and should stay there until November. The water clarity is also getting better, as the weed fallout is almost done and the suspended debris is settling. Waterfowl season opens on October 13th, and there are a lot of birds out there.
Mundo Lake has been fishing well with almost all types of gear. Powerbait and worms continue to hold up the bait side of things. One angler tried flies and lures and had success with both, but felt that lures were doing better. He was using bead nymphs behind a bubble, and red daredevils, rainbow castmasters, and standard spinners. Out of 20 fish, 16” was the biggest and a few others were 13-14”. Bass fishing has been steadily slowing down, but a few fish are hitting on the deep slow jigs.
Enbom is fishing well and the fish are larger on average than at Mundo. Several reports have indicated that the average size is 14-17” and that the fish are generally fatter than at Mundo. Powerbait has been mentioned by a number of anglers lately. Rainbow color and Green seem to be preferred. Also bead head Prince nymphs and spinners are working. The limit goes up to 20 on the 15th, so plan a trip to Enbom.
Horse Lake has been on and off, with moments of glory in between. There have been reports of a few bites in a couple of hours, to 20 fish an hour. All of the fish reported so far are in the 14”-17” range. Castmasters, spinners, powerbait, and nymphs including bead head wollybuggers, and egg sucking leaches have been reported. The water is very clear and one angler reported the temp at 53°.
Stone Lake is beginning to pick up but is still tough. 1 fish per hour seems to be on the better side of average right now. Some anglers are getting skunked while others are catching fish, and the difference does not seem to be in gear. Castmasters have been the lure of choice, and anglers fishing flies are using bead heads and wollybuggers. One angler reported a 24” hog but the evidence was returned to the lake for your angling pleasure. Stay safe and have fun out there.
Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 10/2/07

The time is right for fishing on the Jicarilla Lakes. The water temps are just right for active trout in the high 50’s and low 60’s across the board. The air temperatures have been very comfortable as well, and the leaves are just beginning to change. Our waterfowl season begins on Oct. 13th and it is time to start thinking about a little cast and blast action on Horse, Enbom, and Stone Lakes. You can get information for waterfowl hunting from the www.jicarillahunt.com website.
Mundo Lake is as consistent as ever for Rainbow Trout. The average size is 10-13” and they are biting on powerbait, worms, and flies including wollybuggers and beadhead nymphs. The Largemouth have slowed down considerably and seem to have moved into slightly deeper water. Consider throwing large flashy lures and flies in deep water with a slow retrieve if you want a shot at the Bass. The catfish are still hitting pretty well, but need more time to get to your stinky spot. As always with Cats patience will prevail.
Enbom is a great spot in the Fall and has been producing good action for chunky Rainbows averaging 13”s. There have been good caddis and mayfly hatches but the rise has been unpredictable. If you haven’t been here, Enbom is perfect for a float tube or small cataraft. Boats can launch, but the Lake is completely manageable from a tube or raft. This Lake is almost a guarantee for winterkill, so there should be absolutely no guilt associated with taking a couple of fat trout home for dinner. In fact, the limit goes up to 20 trout on October 15th so come and get some for the freezer. There are still some of the big boys out there so tubers should be ready for a ride. Powerballs 2 feet from the bottom were also reported for good action as were pheasant tail bead heads and olive wollybuggers.
Stone Lake has been pretty slow with low pressure, but a few anglers have had success. One report was from two anglers who fished 6 hours and turned 6 fish. They only got two to the boat, but both fish were reported fat and healthy. One was 16” and the other was 20” 5lbs. which is big enough to get me thinking about skipping work. The water does have some suspended debris from the weeds breaking up, but this shouldn’t deter you or the fish that have been waiting months for comfortable water temperatures.
Horse Lake is another one that is perfect for float tubes and catarafts. There really isn’t a good boat ramp, but I often launch a twelve foot john boat right by the old aeration shack with no problems. We have had a couple reports and heard a little whispering about Horse lately. If you believe the gossip, which as a fisherman I do, the fish are in the 13-16” size range and have the nice football shape well known to Horse lake veterans. This makes Horse an obvious choice for Sundays this time of year. Peace and Quiet abound at Horse but in my opinion there should be more splashing, so get out and make it happen.

Kevin Terry- Fisheries Biologist