New Mexico

[Pogues2300]

Looking to move to the Los Alamos area and I was wondering if there are some bass fishing options closer than the bigger reservoirs which look about an hour away. Thank you very much in advance for any help. Looking to catch large and smallmouth.

[Dorado]

Cochiti has nice sized largies and smallies. 

 

Abiquiu is a wonderful multi- species reservoir.  Caught my first smallie there. Healthy population of walleyes there too

 

[Pogues2300]

Cool thanks. Life long Minnesota resident so walleye will be nice. Those are both an hour away correct? Fine for the weekend but is that the closest for any bass at all?

[Smalls]

Yeah, both are about an hour from Los Alamos. As far as I know, that’s pretty much all you’ve got near.

 

But I just moved down here late last year, and I’m still having trouble finding spots to fish that aren’t out east. Honestly I’ve spent more time traveling out east to fish than I have fishing anything near ABQ. 

[Pogues2300]

Thanks for the info, maybe we will look for similar weather town more east lol. We aren't moving for about a year so ill keep researching.  

[Smalls]

17 hours ago, Pogues2300 said:

Thanks for the info, maybe we will look for similar weather town more east lol. We aren't moving for about a year so ill keep researching.  

I’m not sure if you’ll find many lakes that have decent sized cities surrounding them. I’ve fished Elephant Butte, Santa Rosa, Brantley and Ute, and the surrounding cities all seem like ghost towns. So depending on where you live, good chance it’ll still be a drive to the lake. 

 

There’s definitely smaller lakes/ponds throughout the state, but they all seem to be stocked with trout/catfish. Trout is king in this state. The looks I get throwing swimbaits is priceless. 

[Pogues2300]

Well its starting to look like ill maybe learn to trout fish for weekdays, which will be part of the adventure of a new state. And an hour or so drive on the weekend isn't bad to get my bass fix in. I really appreciate the info. I've learned many things on here so I figured I better actually join finally. 

[Smalls]

No problem. I’m still kinda learning about the state, myself. Hopefully someone with some more expertise can chime in. 

[Dorado]

I’m from Albuquerque and fly fishing is king where you live. The trout fishing is a blast in all of the Jemez waters.  Fenton Lake has some incredible ice fishing.  Then you have the Chama River north of Abiquiu that has some of the states largest brown trout, aside from the San Juan, near Farmington. Fish the Rio Grande near Taos gorge for nice pike. If you want to make it an adventure, pick up a whipping stick IMO. NM has some memorable fly fishing areas that I’m missing desperately now that I’m a lizard here in Phoenix 

[SWVABass]

Right now anglers on the team trail and some other circuits have been killing it on norther lakes. Santa Rosa, conchas and Ute have all fished well. The butte with the rising water has spread fish thin. April was by far the best month. I helped my boater put a 10.02 in the boat and that was awesome. Since then the fishing has declined. Not sure if we had a major shad die off this winter or not. But it’s a struggle to find a five fish limit. I was third this month on two fish for 3 lbs, first was a limit for 8 with big fish 4.5 lbs. give the butte two years after this high water and it should be lights out.

[Smalls]

@Swbass15 after all that information you gave me (thank you, again) on Butte, I still have yet to catch anything but one tiny white bass. I know there’s some giants in there, but I’m convinced you have to be a wizard or something to find em. 

[Dorado]

1 hour ago, Smalls said:

@Swbass15 after all that information you gave me (thank you, again) on Butte, I still have yet to catch anything but one tiny white bass. I know there’s some giants in there, but I’m convinced you have to be a wizard or something to find em. 

There are some nice walleyes below the Butte dam.  Fish chartreuse grubs tipped with a piece of night crawler   Have an assortment of jig sizes to get close to the bottom. It’s very overlooked 

[SWVABass]

@Smalls the big ones I know of this year were all either prespawn or off a bed. Multiple 8-9’s caught and people were sight fishing them. The whites have been sporadic. But jerk baits have proved well for me with them this year. I haven’t figured out why the bite has been tough, but we’ve been catching whites up shallow out of the salt cedars. Try throwing a paddle tail around there. 

 

For a largemouth look at at the same areas and pitch a senko around wacky or normal just in weighted. It’s a painful process but has been getting me bites. Another bait that’s produced both large and smallmouth t rigged chigger craw. And again throw it at everything they are so spread out due to the high water the pattern is hard to figure.

 

@Dorado I actually smoked a nice eye on a I’ve half shell in May on a drop shot. Totally ticked me off!!! 

[Smalls]

@Swbass15 I’ve pretty much given up on Butte, Rosa, Sumner and Abiquiu are all closer and don’t make me pull my hair out?. But I appreciate the help you’ve given me. Maybe I’ll try again next years spawn

[apenland01]

If you're looking to get out for the afternoon and fish after work, you'll be trout fishing most of the time.  Cochiti is decent for bass fishing, but you'll have to go through Santa Fe to get there and traffic can be a big drag.

 

The best bass fishing is on the East side, as others have mentioned.  That group of Ute, Conchas, Santa Rosa and Fort Sumner will keep you very busy.

 

Fenton lake is a cool little lake for anyone and if you want to take kids fishing, there's a double brood trout pond about 3 miles up the mountain from Fenton that has crazy aggressive trout.  Only kids can fish, I think 12 and under or something like that. 

[Dorado]

If you’re ever in Albuquerque, check out the private ponds at Shady Lakes. I’m visiting my folks there this weekend and will be taking a stab at the 7-8 lbs they have rumored to be there. I learned how to bass fish there in high school. Good memories

[Smalls]

1 hour ago, Dorado said:

If you’re ever in Albuquerque, check out the private ponds at Shady Lakes. I’m visiting my folks there this weekend and will be taking a stab at the 7-8 lbs they have rumored to be there. I learned how to bass fish there in high school. Good memories

Get there at the beginning of the season so you can fish before the Lilly pads take over, and the fish get pressured like you’ve never seen. 

[Dorado]

On 6/28/2019 at 12:08 AM, Smalls said:

Get there at the beginning of the season so you can fish before the Lilly pads take over, and the fish get pressured like you’ve never seen. 

Landed two this size, this morning. Lost a monster    The Lilly pads are already taking over and I couldn’t believe all of the people 

[Smalls]

On 6/29/2019 at 11:19 AM, Dorado said:

 The Lilly pads are already taking over and I couldn’t believe all of the people 

There’s no real ponds or places to shore fish for bass near Albuquerque, so the place gets hammered. There’s a few giants in there, though. I also don’t think they cull any bass, so I don’t know how much longer those biggins will be around. Either way, it’s a great place to have 

[Dorado]

Just now, Smalls said:

There’s no real ponds or places to shore fish for bass near Albuquerque, so the place gets hammered. There’s a few giants in there, though. I also don’t think they cull any bass, so I don’t know how much longer those biggins will be around. Either way, it’s a great place to have 

Bass and bluegills are still ‘catch and release only’

[Smalls]

2 minutes ago, Dorado said:

Bass and bluegills are still ‘catch and release only’

I knew it was for customers, but I don’t know if they manage the population at all themselves. If they don’t, they should. 

 

They also told  me they were going to control the pads, but I haven’t seen anything done.