Stream Report for Friday March 30, 2007
Stream Report for Friday March 30, 2007
Santa Cruz Lake and Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation open Sunday April 1st. Remember to get your new New Mexico fishing license or Jicarilla Nation permit as both seasons starts April 1st. The High Desert Angler is an official New Mexico license vendor and we also sell Jicarilla Nation fishing permits.
Charette Lakes, Clayton Lake, Maxwell Lakes, and McAllister Lake all opened on Thursday March 1st. The best reports have been from Charette Lakes. The main concern on any of these lakes should be the spring winds. Please use extreme caution if you go out on a boat. Fishing will probably be on the slow side. Woolly Buggers, leeches, midges, and aquatic snails should be the best producers.
San Juan River 709 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The San Juan was finally starting to clear up before the flows went up a week ago Thursday. The best fishing was upstream of Texas Hole to the cable, although there are some fish holding around the instream structure Game and Fish have placed below Simon Canyon. The warmer weather has been drawing a lot of people out and the upper river has been crowded. Expect more fish to be holding in the deeper runs. Baetis hatches are starting up again, but big midge hatches are still bringing most fish to the surface. Flies for the San Juan are Johnny flash in chocolate and grey, zebra midges, red or orange San Juan worms, chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, black beauties, uv flash midge emergers, and black midges.
Rio Grande 1460 cfs at Pilar; slow for pike, poor for troutThe Rio Grande is now muddied up and high. Conditions are expected to worsen as it warms up and the lower elevation snows melt. Consider fishing on one of the always un-named tributaries of the Rio. Flies for the Rio Grande are black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and midges. People were catching pike on the Rio on big rabbit strip flies and deceivers, but trout fishing should remain poor.
Pecos River 120 cfs below Terrero; Fair
The Pecos River is showing more signs of runoff. Mornings have been the best time and nymphing is the most productive. Also consider Holy Ghost Creek or Mora Creek or whatever other tributary that's fishable. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. At Villanueva state park, brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper johns, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Villanueva was last stocked on March 7th, probably for the last time of the season. Give the silty substrate of the lower Pecos, Villanueva is probably not the place to go. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to state park officials or better yet, to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Jemez Mountain Streams 234 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Slow
Most of the Jemez streams are in some stage of runoff. An afternoon runoff pattern is apparent on most of the Jemez streams so fish mornings on the East Fork or the San Antonio for the clearest water. The good news is the Jemez peaked a couple of nights ago and seems to be on it's way down. Dry fly dropper rigs over the shallower runs or dead drifting big nymphs in the deeper pools will pick up a few fish.
The Chama River 108 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow and 75 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair
The fishing is now rated as slow below El Vado as the releases out of the dam are quite murky and low. The Chama running into El Vado is the highest water in the state. Big nymphs like double hackle peacocks and had favorites and streamers like woolly buggers, zoo cougars, and autumn splendors work best. The flows below Abiquiu are a little low for optimum fishing but quite clear. Fishing had picked up since the releases out of the dam went up over a week ago but are now back to a trickle at 84 cfs. Streamers, pheasant tails, and midges are the fly choices for Abiquiu. The area below Abiquiu Dam is a Special Trout Water with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low here and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Albuquerque area Rio Grande riverside drains are reportedly fishing fair.
All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year begins April 1, 2007. New licenses are now available for sale.
Water and fishing condtitions are changing daily! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.
Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!
Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.
For the latest in stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.
Santa Cruz Lake and Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation open Sunday April 1st. Remember to get your new New Mexico fishing license or Jicarilla Nation permit as both seasons starts April 1st. The High Desert Angler is an official New Mexico license vendor and we also sell Jicarilla Nation fishing permits.
Charette Lakes, Clayton Lake, Maxwell Lakes, and McAllister Lake all opened on Thursday March 1st. The best reports have been from Charette Lakes. The main concern on any of these lakes should be the spring winds. Please use extreme caution if you go out on a boat. Fishing will probably be on the slow side. Woolly Buggers, leeches, midges, and aquatic snails should be the best producers.
San Juan River 709 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The San Juan was finally starting to clear up before the flows went up a week ago Thursday. The best fishing was upstream of Texas Hole to the cable, although there are some fish holding around the instream structure Game and Fish have placed below Simon Canyon. The warmer weather has been drawing a lot of people out and the upper river has been crowded. Expect more fish to be holding in the deeper runs. Baetis hatches are starting up again, but big midge hatches are still bringing most fish to the surface. Flies for the San Juan are Johnny flash in chocolate and grey, zebra midges, red or orange San Juan worms, chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, black beauties, uv flash midge emergers, and black midges.
Rio Grande 1460 cfs at Pilar; slow for pike, poor for troutThe Rio Grande is now muddied up and high. Conditions are expected to worsen as it warms up and the lower elevation snows melt. Consider fishing on one of the always un-named tributaries of the Rio. Flies for the Rio Grande are black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and midges. People were catching pike on the Rio on big rabbit strip flies and deceivers, but trout fishing should remain poor.
Pecos River 120 cfs below Terrero; Fair
The Pecos River is showing more signs of runoff. Mornings have been the best time and nymphing is the most productive. Also consider Holy Ghost Creek or Mora Creek or whatever other tributary that's fishable. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. At Villanueva state park, brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper johns, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Villanueva was last stocked on March 7th, probably for the last time of the season. Give the silty substrate of the lower Pecos, Villanueva is probably not the place to go. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to state park officials or better yet, to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Jemez Mountain Streams 234 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Slow
Most of the Jemez streams are in some stage of runoff. An afternoon runoff pattern is apparent on most of the Jemez streams so fish mornings on the East Fork or the San Antonio for the clearest water. The good news is the Jemez peaked a couple of nights ago and seems to be on it's way down. Dry fly dropper rigs over the shallower runs or dead drifting big nymphs in the deeper pools will pick up a few fish.
The Chama River 108 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow and 75 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Fair
The fishing is now rated as slow below El Vado as the releases out of the dam are quite murky and low. The Chama running into El Vado is the highest water in the state. Big nymphs like double hackle peacocks and had favorites and streamers like woolly buggers, zoo cougars, and autumn splendors work best. The flows below Abiquiu are a little low for optimum fishing but quite clear. Fishing had picked up since the releases out of the dam went up over a week ago but are now back to a trickle at 84 cfs. Streamers, pheasant tails, and midges are the fly choices for Abiquiu. The area below Abiquiu Dam is a Special Trout Water with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low here and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Albuquerque area Rio Grande riverside drains are reportedly fishing fair.
All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year begins April 1, 2007. New licenses are now available for sale.
Water and fishing condtitions are changing daily! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.
Please see our announcements page for more news and upcoming events!
Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 888-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.
For the latest in stream flows, see our links page and click on New Mexico Stream Flows.
posted by High Desert Angler at Thursday, March 29, 2007
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