Jicarilla Fishing Blog

Update

Folks,

It sure doesn’t feel like December outside, which is not good news for the drought. It has been unseasonably warm. Fishing has been pretty consistent especially for anglers fishing deeper as the fish settle in for the cold months. No reports have been submitted this week. If you have tried calling the office to get an update and noticed the line not working properly, we are still here but were having some technical issues with our voicemail system. These issues have been fixed.

There has been some shelf ice in the mornings but the lakes have been clear of this by mid-morning and it easily punched through to launch a boat. It may cause some issues for early morning shore anglers.

-The Fish Crew

Holidays

Folks,

I have not received any fishing reports from last week. It has been cooler which is good, but I’m already sick of this time change. It’s dark when I drive to work, and dark when I drive home. There could be a few more weeks of open water if the current weather pattern holds but I’m expecting thin shelf ice around the edges of the lake in the mornings.

Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday the JGFD Office will be closed from 12:00 noon on November 24^th and will reopen at 8:00am on Monday November 29^th. If we don't see you before then have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

-The Fish Crew

Veterans Day

Folks,

Just a reminder the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department will be closed November 11th and 12th in observation of Veterans Day.

Celebrate and honor our veterans this weekend!

November 8th 2021

Folks,

One fishing report came in and it indicated excellent fishing at Mundo Lake. Fish between 12 and 22 inches (two fish over twenty is excellent in any reasonable book). The angler reported streamer, dragon fly nymphs, and snail patterns producing. Get while the getting is good, because despite the weather today winter has to be right around the corner.

Bigger is Better

After some much needed rain from the Bomb Cyclone earlier this week sunny skies have returned to the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Fishing should remain active for a few more weeks if the weather holds and anglers have been trickling in in search of their trout fix. Reports have not been trickling in. One theme I’m becoming aware of is anglers catching small fish on small flies, and big fish on big flies. If I were going fishing, I would consider this theme especially in the fall. Our trout are not under fed and when food is in excess sometimes a reflex or aggression take is your only hope. Aggression takes are much easier to get with a larger streamer than with a small nymph, this theme succinctly summarizes why spinner and rapala anglers out fish fly guys, its easy to get mad and lash out at something in your way, but not easy to lash out at something you never see. Just food for thought as it were.

October 18th 2021

Folks,

Fall has arrived in full her glory, with snow on a lot of the high peaks around the area and below freezing temperatures at night. Water surface temperatures have ranged between 48-53 degrees making fishing pretty hot. No reports have been submitted but talking to some folks around town it appears fishing has been stellar. Fish between 10-19" being regularlly caught on flies and lures. The water bobber and wooly bugger trick was getting plenty of action today at Embom.

Two fish tags have been turned in for prizes thus far. Still many tags in both Embom and Mundo waiting to be collected!

Good luck fishing,

Day Permits

Just a reminder: Day permits are valid from midnight to midnight of the day selected. They are not valid 24 hours from purchase, only the 24 hours that comprise the day listed on the permit. If you purchase a permit for the 30th at noon on the 30th it is valid for 11 hours and 59 minutes. This is industry standard across all permitted fishing I'm aware of.

Hope this clears up some confusion I have been hearing.

Non-Tribal Member Season Open

Folks,

2021 Fishing Guests- as the Jicarilla Apache Nation continues to address the many challenges associated with the pandemic, we intend to move forward with an Abbreviated 2021-2022 fishing season. We will constantly monitor the latest public health information and safety protocols, and will do so throughout the season. The Jicarilla Apache Nation mandates masks in public places, social distancing, and strongly recommends visitors receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to arriving. We respectfully request that our guests simply stay home if you don’t feel well. It will take all of us to make this fishing season healthy and successful. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and understanding.

As of today September 20th, 2021 NTM Fishing is open. Due to the pandemic there have been some changes to the normal season and permitting process, all of those changes can be found in the 2021-2022 Non-Tribal Member Proclamation that is posted to the website. Please review the Proclamation before fishing.

At this time permits are only available in our Dulce Office during normal business hours!

As a welcome back we tagged some trout in Embom and Mundo. To collect a prize bring the tag to the Game & Fish Office during normal business hours. Tags are located on the back of the trout near the dorsal fin, tags are orange in color. Grab the tag as close to the fish as possible and pull hard to remove. If you are a catch and release kind of angler just remove the tag and return the fish.

-The Fish Crew

Update 07 March 2021

Attention Non-Tribal Member Anglers:

The Jicarilla Game & Fish Department is tentatively planning to open Non-Tribal Fishing at our world-famous lakes starting in the Fall of 2021.

We understand what fishing at our lakes means to you, and hope you know that your contribution to recreational fisheries and fish conservation is significant and means a lot to us. Please look forward to updates as they become available on the fishing blog.

We are slowly re-integrating into the office and field season is right around the corner. Please contact The Fish Crew at jicarillafishqs@gmail.com or via phone at the office (575)-759-3255.

Please stay safe and we hope to see you soon,

~The Fish Crew

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Fish Folks!!!

Just a reminder the Nation remains closed to non-tribal fishing and recreational activities at this time. As stated in the original memos and announcements this closure will remain in effect at least until the end of the permit season, at that time the situation will be reevaluated.

We miss our anglers as much as you miss the fishing, I promise.

Please stay safe and look after eachother. Let's continue to hope we can put this behind us as quickly as possible and return to our fishing.