Jicarilla Fishing Blog

Fishing Report 1/19/2010

            Things are off to a great start for ice fishing at the Jicarilla Lakes. The weather has been spectacular, with good cold nights and clear sunny days. The perfect scenario for a fair weather ice fisherman like myself. The ice sheets are in good shape with at least 5 inches of solid ice in every location we have sampled. The buzz got around quickly for Dulce Lake which has had the bulk of early season pressure. Enbom Lake which is the other vulnerable (winterkill) lake is also fishing very well, but it is beginning to show signs of possible winterkill conditions. Mundo Lake is fair to good based on a few reports, and so far there hasn’t been any real news from Stone Lake. The 5^th annual ice derby is now only 1 month away.

            Dulce Lake has been fair to good, with a concensus that the afternoons (2-5pm) have been the best times to fish. The action has been split between bait and jigs, but the fish are certainly high in the water column. Stomach samples have shown that these fish are fat for a reason with prey items including dragon fly nymphs, true hellgrammites, and even a few salamanders. I fished Dulce Lake on Saturday with 4 friends and we had mixed results. Two of the guys did well with 4 fish each, but myself and another guy got skunked. The odd man out ended up with one fish which was the biggest of the day at 17 inches and close to 3 lbs. We fished from 9:30am-2pm and there were 23 other anglers on the ice at one point. I did not observe anyone else doing particularly well and spoke to a few folks who had a tough day like me. On the other hand, I spent an hour and a half at Dulce last Thursday (1/13, 3pm-4:30pm) and caught 5 fish. All of the fish that I have seen from Dulce Lake are Rainbows in the 14-17 inch range. It certainly seems like the better bite is high up in the column even just a foot or two below the ice. Jig colors include White, Chartreuse, and Pink. Bait that has worked includes worms, wax worms, meal worms, and corn.

            Enbom Lake is fishing fair to good with mixed reports coming in from just a handful of anglers. The water is beginning to smell a little, which is one of the first signs that the oxygen is being depleted by organic decomposition. The aerators prevailed and broke through the ice again last week, but that area has been staked off in case they freeze up again. I went to Enbom Saturday afternoon with the same group and we did well for Rainbows averaging 12-15 inches. 95% of the action was within 2 feet of the ice on jigs tipped with wax worms and meal worms. We caught a total of 17 fish in 2 hours. On another note, I received a second hand report from an angler who was skunked at Enbom fishing bait.

            Mundo Lake has been hit or miss for Rainbows. Catch rates were reported at one fish per hour according to a good angler report. This report came from a group of three angers using jigs. They caught 14 fish in 5 hours and 13 of them were 11-12 inches with one fish at 16 inches. Fishing pressure at Mundo Lake has been light so far this year. We expect it to receive more attention as Dulce and Enbom slow down.

            Stone Lake is still giving anglers a tough time. So far the pressure has been light but the feedback has been very good. As far as I know, we are still waiting for the year’s first fish at Stone Lake. I think you should be the first person to catch a hog out there. Please give us a call or send an email to report your ice fishing experience. The more information we have, the better we all will do. Good Luck out there and Check out the Pic of a 17 inch Dulce Lake Rainbow below!!

Kevin Terry

Jicarilla Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 1/10/2011

            We have a green light for ice fishing at the Jicarilla Lakes. Ice conditions are stable and satisfactory for ice fishing at all four of the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. A preliminary fishing report suggests that we should kick things off with good fishing. The fishing proclamation (available on the site www.jicarillahunt.com) has the details for the ice fishing regulations but don’t forget that 2 poles are allowed during the ice season which lasts until March 15^th. The hot spot right now has to be Dulce Lake, which fished great in 2 preliminary outings.  All 4 lakes have reached our benchmark of 5 inches of stable ice and things are bound to improve in the predicted cold nights ahead. The last areas of concern are the open aeration holes at Stone Lake and Dulce Lake. We ask that you remain 100 feet away from the open water areas at all times. Also, there are 4 areas on Enbom Lake where the ice has covered the aeration holes with ice and snow. All four holes are concentrated near the boat ramp and they should appear different than the rest of the ice sheet. We are going to be marking off those areas this week, but in the meantime please stay to the south end of the lake. A good landmark is the sign at the top of the hill as you drive into Enbom. Everything to the right of the sign is good to go.

            Mundo Lake has 6 ½ to 7 ½ inches of good ice. Access to Mundo is available from the spillway (boat ramp) or from the pullout on the east side of the lake off of J-8. A preliminary report from Mundo suggests that the fishing is fair for Rainbows averaging 12 inches. Green powerbait, corn, green jigs and white jigs have all been reported. Catch rates are pretty low but we have very little information to use.

            Stone Lake has good ice at 6-7 ½ inches. We do not have any reports from Stone yet. The road is bladed to the south side of the lake and to Manghani point. The North side has been plowed but 4wd is recommended. Remember, Stone Lake is artificial flies and lures with barbless hooks.

            Enbom Lake has 6 inches of good ice. Please stay to the southern half of the lake until we can mark off the dangerous areas where aeration is taking place. We do not have any reports but the road is plowed.

            Dulce Lake is the recommended spot this week. Dulce Lake has 7-9 inches of good ice. We don’t expect these fish to make it all winter due to the shallow conditions and decomposing weeds. The Rainbows in Dulce are all 14-15 inches and fat. We recorded one piggy at 2.5 lbs. Jigs have been working very well for these aggressive fish. White, pink, and green were all reported. Access to Dulce Lake is from the dam area where there is a pullout to park in or on the south side of the lake just off of the highway. You can expect to walk a little to get on the ice at Dulce Lake.

            We have scheduled the Ice Derby for Saturday February 19^th, 2011. Mark the date down now and get out here for a little scouting. See you on the ice.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 1/5/2011

            The Jicarilla Lakes have resolved to offer awesome fishing opportunities all year long in 2011. I know you guys will hold them to that promise, as will I. Winter is here in full effect. Last weeks storm left us with 18 inches of light powder and what has proven to be the best ice development of the year. Stone Lake, which was open water just last week now has a good layer of solid clear ice. Mundo Lake also has ice and is thicker than Stone Lake. We will be monitoring both Enbom and Dulce Lakes today after the snow plows get in and clear the way. Despite all of this hopeful news, the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department does not recommend ice fishing for at least another week. The new ice needs time to develop and settle before we can give the green light to fishing access. There will be an update on the website (www.jicarillahunt.com) tomorrow afternoon which will include details from today’s measurements.

            As of Monday (1/3) the ice thickness on the east side of Stone Lake was measured at 3 inches of clear ice. The aeration holes on both sides of the lake are still quite large and extremely dangerous. Do not approach these areas within 100 yards of open water. Ice Fishing at Stone Lake is strongly discouraged this week, but all indications point to positive ice development in the next few days.

            Mundo Lake was measured at 6 inches in one location and 3 inches in another. This discrepancy may be the result of a water layer that has developed between the old thin ice sheet and the new stronger sheet. Do to this variability from one site to another, we do not recommend ice fishing on Mundo Lake this week. We will continue to spread out and measure ice thickness at Mundo today.

            Both Enbom Lake and Dulce Lake have unknown ice conditions as of now. We plan to get on both lakes today and observe the conditions. Both of these lakes have limited numbers of trout that are susceptible to winter kill. We recommend fishing these lakes earlier in the ice season so we will do our best to get you information once these lakes become safe for fishing. I know that many of you have been waiting patiently for ice fishing and now we are very close. As always, ice fishing is a dangerous endeavor and never completely safe. Please use common sense and good judgment. Fish in pairs or groups when possible and make sure to have warm clothes and proper safety equipment on standby.

            The Jicarilla Game and Fish Department is excited to announce the date of the 5^th annual Jicarilla Ice Derby. For 5 years now we have had a wonderful even and all of you make it happen. The date will be Saturday February 19^th, 2011 and details will follow. We tend to mix it up a little for this event and keep things exciting. Only time will tell which venues will be open for competition but you can bet on Stone Lake and Mundo Lake. Mark it down now so that we can make this year’s event the best yet.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department    

Fishing Report 12-28-2010

            Well, here we are getting ready for New Years and the only option for fishing at the Jicarilla Lakes is Stone Lake which is now 100% open water with access to both boat ramps. This will probably change later this week, as we are expecting very cold temps Thursday (12/30) night and Friday (12/31). The Tribe is off on Thursday afternoon and all day Friday, so I will not be able to update at that time. At this point I would not recommend any long distance travel to Stone Lake just in case it freezes up suddenly. We are in unknown territory right now and I would hate to have anyone come a long way just to turn around. If you do try to fish Stone Lake this week there are some special circumstances that I will outline now to avoid confusion. Technically, we are in Ice fishing Season which runs from December 15^th through March 15^th every year. During Ice Fishing Season, anglers are allowed to use 2 poles at no extra charge. This regulation will apply to fishing the open water this week. We also offer an Ice Fishing Season permit (12/15-3/15) which is $20. Anglers who have this permit may use it at Stone Lake in open water this week. These regulations can also be found in our 2010-11 Non-Tribal Fishing Proclamation.

            As for Enbom Lake and Mundo Lake, the news is still not good. While both lakes do have ice cover, the ice is very thin and NOT SAFE for ice fishing. We have been getting a lot of inquiries concerning our annual Ice Derby and when and if it will happen. We do hope to hold this event, however we need ice to do so. As it stands the event will be held in February with a possible date of Saturday, February 5^th. When the date is set in stone I will be sure to let folks know via the usual channels (ABQ Journal, www.jicarillahunt.com, KZRF 96.1, etc.). It’s pretty hard to hope for cold weather, but that is exactly what we need so bundle up and pray for ice.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 12/20/10

            What a crazy winter! Things are as weird as it gets as I stare out my window into a drizzly evening rainstorm. The rain has been falling off and on since Friday leaving our ice sheets in bad shape. On a more positive note, we now have an almost unheard of opportunity at Stone Lake. We have approximately 65% open water and it is even possible to launch a boat from the south side. This condition is obviously temporary and things could change from one day to the next, but as of now there is open water at Stone Lake. Needless to say, the remaining lakes are not open to ice fishing as they are not safe whatsoever. At this point, it’s looking more like 2011 before we’ll be out there drilling holes in the cold. In the meantime, we can build up some annual fishing leave and spend some time with our families for the holidays. Thanks for fishing with us and have a wonderful holiday season.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 12-14-2010

            The wait continues at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Unseasonable daytime temps have taken back everything the nights are giving us in terms of ice development. Mundo Lake had a large area of open water yesterday afternoon. It appears that the trend will continue, at least through today, according to the 5 day forecast. Today is expected to reach near record highs with temps in the 50’s. Beginnining tomorrow (12/15), we are expecting some weather but on Thursday they are calling for possible rain. Yup, rain in December. This system is predicted to last through the weekend offering us a possible change in conditions for next week’s report. However, I don’t think that we will be on the ice before Christmas. In a more positive note, the ice fishing season permits will be available beginning tomorrow December 15^th.  The ice fishing season runs from December 15^th to March 15^th 2011. This permit is $20 regardless of age, and they are now available on the www.jicarillahunt.com website. To purchase this permit via paypal you will need a credit/debit card and a printer. Select the ice fishing only option from the “type of permit” list. After the payment is processed, a receipt/permit will be emailed to you. Print this form out and carry it with you, along with your state issued drivers license, while you are fishing. With any luck, we should be on the ice to begin the new year.  

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 12/8/10

We are standing idle at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Last week’s cold nights gave us a good start to a stable ice sheet, but very warm sunny weekend weather set us back a week or two. The current ice conditions vary from lake to lake with complete ice in the mornings and a varying amount of open water here and there by late afternoon. I predict that this will continue for another week or two before we get solid fishable conditions. For the time being, the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes are closed to fishing. We will continue to update the website as conditions change.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 12/1/10

            Open water is a thing of the past at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Monday night proved the coup de grace with temps down to -5°F. As it stands the ice is developing well with a good sheet of strong clear ice. However, conditions will not be safe for ice fishing for at least a couple of weeks. The Jicarilla Game and fish Department will begin monitoring conditions next week and the reports will come in as usual on Tuesday or Wednesday. Every year at this time we start to work on planning for the Ice Derby. This year will be the 5^th event and we want to make it better than ever. Please email any ideas you may have to make it the best event yet. In the mean time, get out the auger sharp and sort out the jig collection so we can hit the ground running when the ice sets up. Stay Warm.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 11/24/10

            This week’s report will be brief due to the lack of reports that came in. Winter weather has done its best to keep us away from the lakes in the last of our open water season. I guess we can’t complain too much since this year the fall seemed to go on forever. Recent nighttime lows have pulled Enbom out of contention with a fresh sheet of thin clear ice. Now we wait and see if the new aeration system does its job and keeps those fat little trout alive until spring. Mundo Lake did have a little action and folks did well for nice trout and the year’s first reported Brown Trout. Stone Lake was stocked with one last load of fish for the year as we continue to bump up numbers in hopes of getting on top of the prey abundance issue. Time is running short for open water at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes.

            Mundo Lake was fishing well from the shore with powerbait over the weekened. The average catch was approximately 12-14 inches. We suspect that a portion of those fish were the ones that were recently transplanted from Enbom lake. The year’s first Brown trout (17”) was also reported just a few days after we were surprised to capture them via the electrofishing survey. These fish have been in the lake for over two years and somehow they have stayed off the radar until now. The docks have been removed at Mundo and time is running short.

            Stone Lake is the other option for fishing this week. The wind is doing its job of keeping the ice away, but unfortunately it is also keeping the anglers out too. Historically, this is a good time to catch big fish at Stone Lake so I wish you brave souls the best of luck. For everyone else, have a wonderful Turkey Day!!

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish Department

Fishing Report 11/17/2010

            Open water fishing at the Jicarilla Lakes is approaching its end for 2010. Cold nights are leaving ice around the edges and the water temps are down in the mid 40’s. There have not been very many reports this week and pressure is down. Both Mundo and Enbom are unknowns from the reports standpoint but they are both expected to be fishing well. We are in the middle of our annual fall sampling and I have some interesting reports from Stone. We will be conducting a removal effort at Enbom today via electrofishing and relocating the fish to Mundo Lake. I will have a report on numbers next week.

            Enbom Lake is clear and weed free. After today’s removal effort there will still be plenty of trout in the lake, as electrofishing is far from 100% effective. My suggestion is for flies and lures given that the fish can see farther with less obstructions. The limit remains at 20 fish per day at Enbom.

            Mundo Lake is also an unknown this week. We are removing the docks, but shoreline access is still good. The sonar showed big numbers of fish in the deeper areas of the lake, suggesting that a boat or tube will get you into more fish.

            Stone Lake appears to be fishing better based on 2 reports. The first report is from a local angler who caught one fish trolling lures. This was one of the spring fish estimated at 16 inches. The second report is from yesterday. Rosenberg Tafoya broke off 2 fish in less than an hour in the SW cove near the aerators. Rosie was fishing lures on a slow troll. Also yesterday, we pulled the fall gill nets and had fish from three age classes in them. The spring class was the most abundant in the sample but we did catch 2 holdovers from last year. One of the holdovers was 20 inches and the other was 24 inches and 7.5lbs. Both fish died in the net and their stomach samples revealed two different feeding strategies. The larger fish was full of salamanders and fat head minnows. The smaller fish had mostly damsel flies and snails as well as a couple of fat head minnows in its stomach. In the past few years the second half of November has been hot at Stone. I don’t expect it to compare to last year, but it may be worth a trip. I will include a picture of the big girl from yesterday to help with your decision. Good luck and have a great week.

Kevin Terry

Fisheries Biologist

Jicarilla Apache Game and Fish