Jicarilla Fish Weblog

Fishing Report 2-26-08

The days are getting longer and warmer but the ice is holding strong on the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Mundo Lake is still fishing good through approximately 16” of ice and 5” of compacted snow. The best action reported is on yellow or white perch jigs with or without bait tips. The areas around the spillway and along the east side of the lake have received the most pressure, but one angler reported a limit in one hour near the big snag in the southeast corner. The Rainbows are averaging 11-13” with the occasional 15-16” fish mixed in. Several anglers have also been targeting catfish which has been productive using tainted liver or stink baits. The Mundo Lake regulars like corn, salmon eggs and powerbait are also working, but seem to be less efficient than the jigs. The roads are frozen and snow packed in the mornings and slushy by mid afternoon. They will be muddy soon so use caution with vehicles that are vulnerable to slick roads. The warm weather has probably spurred excitement for open water, but the thick ice indicates a late ice out this year. However, depending on the type and timing of runoff that can all change in a heartbeat. The warm weather makes for great ice fishing (t-shirts) so the reptiles among you may want to give ice fishing a shot after all.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 2-19-2008


The Ice is still solid on the Jicarilla Fishing lakes despite slushy conditions on the top 5-6”s. The ice is solid for 14-16” below this slushy layer which tends to freeze and thaw daily. The fishing at Mundo lake has been good for Rainbows in the 10-14” range. Baits that have been reported include worms, salmon eggs, corn, and powerbait. The reports suggest that catching your limit of trout should be accomplished in three hours or less. Several anglers claim that they have been releasing smaller fish due to their confidence in catching more fish, and that they are simply catching fish too quickly. As you are probably thinking, that is a dangerous thing for any biologist to report, but it is simply what I have been told. Also, the action seems to be better jigging a little with any of the baits mentioned above. The roads in and around Mundo have now been plowed and access to the spillway is snow packed. The pullout on the East side of the lake is also clear as is the access road on the southeast corner where 4wd is recommended due to a steep climb out. MUD SEASON is just around the corner so watch out at Mundo if your car has trouble in the mud. One hot day may be all it takes to make things sloppy out there. Please feel free to report any fishing info to me or ask any questions via e-mail at terrykev@gmail.com.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 2/12/08

The fishing has been good despite limited access at Mundo Lake. A number of anglers have claimed their limits of Rainbows in just a few hours. Corn and Salmon eggs continue to be the popular baits, but green powerbait and power worms have been reported as well. Perch jigs in white and chartreuse have also been reported this week. A few fish in the 13-14” range are popping up amongst the more common 10-11” fish. The road to the spillway remains unplowed and the roads crew cannot give us a date for removal so walking in from the pullout up top or the spillway access route is your best bet. The ice is a solid 12-13” below 5-6” of crusty slushy snow.
We want to extend a thank you to all the folks that visited the booth at Bob Gerding’s Outdoor Show this last weekend. Welcome to those of you viewing the website for the first time this week. We also want to THANK everyone who participated in the raffle and helped raise $1,000 for trophy trout stocking this spring. Stay tuned to the local forecast as we may get hit by another storm on Thursday. Good Luck out there fisherfolks.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 2/5/08

The Jicarilla Reservation was pounded by the latest storm (2/3/08) leaving the roads in really bad shape and halting the fishing pressure completely. At this time the road into Mundo Lake is covered in 20+ inches of snow and there is no indication of when it will open up again. Please call Kevin at (505) 759-3255 before traveling to Mundo Lake for updates on Road conditions. The Jicarilla Game and Fish department will have a booth at Bob Gerding’s Outdoor Adventures show this weekend (2/8-2/10) in the Manuel Lujan building at the State Fair grounds. Come by to view some great Fishing and Hunting photos or to participate in a raffle for hunting and fishing Permits. Be careful out there, and stop by the show and say Hi.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist