Jicarilla Fish Weblog

Fishing Report 10-28-09

The Jicarilla Fishing Lakes have had low pressure over the past week. Enbom Lake is on fire, especially with lures and flies, and it is the one lake where angler pressure has been up. Stone Lake is still tricky due to floating debris and periods when the fishing shuts down, and several folks struck out over the weekend. Mundo Lake on the other hand has been empty lately and I did not receive a single report. The weather has been hinting at change and this morning found us with 3 inches of fresh snow. The storm is supposed to drop another inch or two before clearing up for what looks like a nice weekend.
Stone Lake is considered fair right now for Rainbows and Browns that average very near 20”. This past weekend was really slow, and several folks were skunked with flies and lures. Stone Lake is still considered fair however do to water conditions and the fact that this is prime time for the big fish historically. This fall has been especially inconsistent at Stone and I have talked to more than one angler who slammed them one day and couldn’t find a fish the next. If you are looking for a good shot at a real trophy, then Stone Lake is worth a trip.
Enbom Lake is the place to go if you get frustrated at Stone or if you are looking to fill up the freezer for the winter. Conditions are prime, and the weeds are a non-issue right now. Catch rates have been phenomenal with up to 10 fish per hour. Panther martins and olive woolly buggers are knocking them dead and I’m sure there are a bunch of other flies and lures that will work just as well. Catching your 20 fish limit (Enbom only) is a very good possibility. Bait anglers are also catching fish on various colors of powerbait, but catch rates are slower than flies and lures. All of the fish in Enbom are Rainbow Trout and they have a cookie cutter average at 13-14” with a few larger fish mixed in. I had the chance to survey the stomach contents of several Enbom fish last week and all of them were packed with damsel fly larvae.
Mundo Lake has been a ghost town for the past few weeks. I have not received a single report nor heard any gossip which is pretty unusual. If you are fishing Mundo for trout I would try the same stuff that is working in Enbom. The docks will be pulled out of Mundo soon, so this weekend is probably your last chance to use them. Have a good week and a Happy Halloween.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 10-20-09

The Jicarilla Fishing Lakes are in good shape and fishing well for trout. The water temps are hovering around 50°F and visibility is excellent at all 3 fishing Lakes. Enbom Lake is fishing extremely well for Rainbows in the 13-14” range with a few larger fish here and there. The Limit for trout at Enbom Lake went up to 20 fish per day and 40 in possession on Oct. 15th, 2009. Stone Lake is considered fair to good and has been producing primarily Rainbow Trout in the 16-24” range. Mundo Lake is fishing fair to good for Rainbows and Catfish and slow for Bass. There has been some talk around town of an early winter but I hope that we still have a month plus of open water.
Enbom Lake is clear, cool, and very productive for Rainbows that average 13-14”. There are some of the larger fish around though, with a chance of Rainbows up to and over 20”. The Best reports are from fly anglers with good action on black and olive woolly Buggers and beadhead nymphs including pheasant tails, prince nymphs, and hares ear nymphs. Bait anglers are also doing very well with powerbait of various colors. As previously mentioned, the limit at Enbom went up to 20 fish per day with 40 fish in possession. The limit increase is intended to help us clean out the lake as much as possible before the ice season hits. Enbom Lake has a 90% chance of complete winterkill and the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department is determined to minimize the waste of fish. This is the time when catch and release anglers can take home fish for friends and family who cannot understand why we put them back. You may even see me out there with a stringer for my trout loving Aunt.
Stone Lake is still tricky, but there have been some good reports. The best report was from the 16th and it suggests that the fish are off and on throughout the day. The reason I say this is because the angler hooked four fish in one hour and then the bite was off. The 3 Rainbows landed in this hour were 5lbs., 4lbs., and 1.5lbs and they were all stuffed with feed. The best reports for flies are from Buggers but some nymph patterns are working also. There has been a decent mayfly (callibaetis) hatch lately, and fish have been observed rising in the SW and NW bays. However, catching fish on the dry fly is very difficult in Stone Lake. Large lures and spoons (up to 1oz.) are also getting decent action. The best reports are daredevils and castmasters. There is a good amount of floating debris in Stone Right now and there have been several angler complaints. These debris mats make it especially difficult to troll the lake, and they cause problems for folks casting and fly fishing as well. This is typical for this time of year and a sign that our weed problems are almost over. The recent stormy windy weather should help to expedite the natural fallout and drift off of this material.
Mundo has been fishing fair to good for Rainbow Trout, with an average size of 12”. Bait fishing has been good with powerbait and worms. Woolly Buggers and beadheads are working for flies. The Bass fishing has all but turned off and pressure is very low. The Channel Catfish are hitting the usual liver and stinkbaits, but there hasn’t been any real stand out reports to share. All in all, pressure is down at Mundo Lake.
As some of you web users have noticed, I have been out of town for a few weeks. I apologize for the lack of reports and will be trying to catch up in the next week or so. If you have any question or comments please call or email. Good luck and tight lines.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist