Stream Report for Tuesday May 29, 2007

Stream Report for Tuesday May 29, 2007 at 10:00 am MDT

San Juan River 1390 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is holding at 1390 cfs since Wednesday the 23rd. The water is quite clear and fishing is good. Now is the time to fish the Juan, especially if you like a little more water than the usual summer flow of 500. The published release schedule calls for the releases to be down to 500 by this date and the Bureau of Rec may start to lower the flows any day now. Boat and wade fishing has been good with the better spots being the upper flats toward the cable, baetis bend and below Simon Canyon. Flies for the San Juan include red disco midges, red desert storms, chocolate johnny flash, chocolate RS2's, UV flash midge emergers, and black or olive bunny leeches.

Rio Grande 958 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is murky but fishable. Fishing for smallmouth bass has been fair. Some of the bigger eddies that aren't blown out around Pilar do hold smallies. Fish for them on sinking or better yet sink tip lines with crayfish patterns. There is cooler water and better trout fishing in the gorge. Other flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio but, the reports from Cochiti Lake have been fair.

Pecos River 392 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing high. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. No word of them coming off yet however. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 45 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 5 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, HDA favorites, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 102 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The Guadalupe and Rio de Las Vacas are still a little high and off color but, stoneflies should be coming off any day now. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla. Forest Road 376 to the upper San Antonio will open June 1st. There have been a few stoneflies spotted on the lower San Antonio. 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 867 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor and 1400 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is probably done until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado. The Chama below Abiquiu Dam is aslo likey going to be mostly unfishable for most of the summer. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff. Look for a small stonefly hatch here in a week or two. Streamers are the general fly choices below both dams. The areas below Abiquiu Dam and above El Vado Lake are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation is currently fishing fair. Bank fishing has slowed some and float tubes or other small watercraft is the best way to fish Stone Lake. Flies for Stone Lake are hellgramites, woolly buggers, and damsel nymphs. Places like these are somewhere you can fish while everything else is in runoff. The High Desert Angler is an official Jicarilla Nation fishing permit vendor.

McAllister Lake was heavily stocked again a couple of weeks ago. I haven't had many reports from MacAllister, and the few have been fair at best. Please use caution on any lake as the spring winds can make float tubing difficult or dangerous. Woolly Buggers, leeches, midges, and aquatic snails, and damsel flies have been the best producers. Better reports for lake fishing have come from Hopewell and Eagle Nest.

Santa Fe River 7 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on May 18th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 1090 cfs at Magote; Slow to Fair
The Conejos River is in runoff and this weekend's high temps have increased the melt. The only thing fishable may be the river below Platoro Resevoir The flows there are currenly 92 cfs. It's a little high for this stretch of meadow water but still about the only thing going. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year.

Arkansas River; Slow
The Arkansas River has come up with the melting snowpack and releases out of Twin Lakes as well. The river above Lake Creek to Hayden Meadows is now experiencing a lot of high water. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 2210 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 937 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Poor
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is Williams Creek below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.

Stream Report for Sunday May 27, 2007

Stream Report for Sunday May 27, 2007 at 11:00 am MDT

Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation is currently fishing fair. Bank fishing has slowed some and float tubes or other small watercraft is the best way to fish Stone Lake. Flies for Stone Lake are egg sucking leeches, woolly buggers, damsel nymphs, and egg patterns. Places like these are somewhere you can fish while everything else is in runoff. The High Desert Angler is an official Jicarilla Nation fishing permit vendor.

San Juan River 1390 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is quite clear for the releases having gone up to 5000 cfs a few weeks ago. Wading is still a little tough in the main channels but boat fishing is good. Usually high water does push more fish into the flats and beaver ponds on the south side of the river and the river's edge. Flies for the San Juan include chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, red or orange San Juan worms, chocolate johnny flash, chocolate RS2's, UV flash midge emergers, and black or olive bunny leeches.

Rio Grande 1040 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows have come back up with the warmer weather over last week. This could mean the end of fishing the Rio Grande until spring runoff is over, usually in late June or early July. Fishing for smallmouth bass has been fair. Some of the bigger eddies that aren't blown out around Pilar do hold smallies. Fish for them on sinking or better yet sink tip lines with crayfish patterns. Other flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio but, the reports from Cochiti Lake have been fair.

Pecos River 397 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing high. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 51 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 5 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 137 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Good
Most of the Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The increase in flows is from the last of the snowpack melting in the extensive Rio de Las Vacas watershed and the precipitation we seem to keep getting on a regular basis. The Guadalupe and Rio de Las Vacas are still a little high and off color but, stoneflies should be coming off any day now. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla. There have been a few stoneflies spotted on the San Antonio. 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 867 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor and 1400 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is probably done until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff. Releases out of Abiquiu Dam went up also and fishing is going to be done here until flows come back down which usully won't happen till fall. Streamers are the general fly choices for below both dams. The areas below Abiquiu Dam and above El Vado Lake are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

McAllister Lake is reportedly fishing fair and was heavily stocked again. Please use caution on any lake as the spring winds can make float tubing difficult or dangerous. Woolly Buggers, leeches, midges, and aquatic snails, and damsel flies should be the best producers.

Santa Fe River 16 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on May 18th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 724 cfs at Magote; Slow to Fair
The Conejos River had also been fishing well most of April but, warmer temps has started spring runoff here. The releases out of Platoro Resevoir down recently reportedly to do some repairs on some of the diversions and are expected to be back up mid-week. The road above Elk Creek Campground is open all the way to the Pinnacles. The Conejos below Platoro and some of the tributaries and beaver ponds may still be fishable. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year.

Arkansas River; Slow
The Arkansas River has come up with the melting snowpack and releases out of Twin Lakes as well. The river above Lake Creek to Hayden Meadows is now experiencing a bit of high water but reportedly fishable. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 1570 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 996 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Poor
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is Williams Creek below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.

Stream Report for Wednesday May 23, 2007

Stream Report for Wednesday May 23, 2007 at 11:00 am MDT

All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year began April 1, 2007. We are an official New Mexico hunting and fishing license vendor and have the new licenses available for sale now.

Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation is currently fishing fair. Bank fishing has slowed some and float tubes or other small watercraft is the best way to fish Stone Lake. Flies for Stone Lake are egg sucking leeches, woolly buggers, damsel nymphs, and egg patterns. Places like these are somewhere you can fish while everything else is in runoff. Remember to get your new New Mexico fishing license or Jicarilla Nation permit as both seasons started April 1st. The High Desert Angler is an official New Mexico license vendor and we also sell Jicarilla Nation fishing permits.

San Juan River 1840 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is quite clear for the releases having gone up to 5000 cfs a few weeks ago. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, this release rate will remain at 5,000 cfs through Wednesday, May 16th. Then on Thursday, May 17th, the release will begin to be gradually decreased until it reaches 500 cfs by May 24th. Wading is still a little in the main channels but boat fishing is good. Usually high water does push more fish into the flats and beaver ponds on the south side of the river and the river's edge which won't require dangerous wading. Flies for the San Juan include chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, red or orange San Juan worms, chocolate johnny flash, chocolate RS2's, UV flash midge emergers, and black or olive bunny leeches.

Rio Grande 1190 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows have come back up with the warmer weather over last week. This could mean the end of fishing the Rio Grande until spring runoff is over, usually in late June or early July. Fishing for smallmouth bass has been fair. Some of the bigger eddies that aren't blown out around Pilar do hold smallies. Fish for them on sinking or better yet sink tip lines with crayfish patterns. Other flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio but, the reports from Cochiti Lake have been fair.

Pecos River 454 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing a lot higher with the warmer weather we have had. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. The Pecos and it's tributaries were stocked a week ago. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 68 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 7 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 195 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
Most of the Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The increase in flows is from the last of the snowpack melting in the extensive Rio de Las Vacas watershed and the precipitation we seem to keep getting on a regular basis. The Guadalupe and Rio de Las Vacas are still a little high and off color but, stoneflies should be coming off any day now. The Jemez Mountain streams were stocked last week. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla. There have been a few stoneflies spotted on the San Antonio. 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 1130 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor and 1390 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is probably done until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff. Releases out of Abiquiu Dam went up also and fishing is going to be done here until flows come back down which usully won't happen till fall. Streamers are the general fly choices for below both dams. The areas below Abiquiu Dam and above El Vado Lake are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. The density of fish is very low there and is not stocked. Please report anyone over harvesting here to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

McAllister Lake is reportedly fishing fair and was heavily stocked again. Please use caution on any lake as the spring winds can make float tubing difficult or dangerous. Woolly Buggers, leeches, midges, and aquatic snails, and damsel flies should be the best producers.

Santa Fe River 16 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on May 18th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 867 cfs at Magote; Slow to Fair
The Conejos River had also been fishing well most of April but, warmer temps has started spring runoff here. The releases out of Platoro Resevoir down recently reportedly to do some repairs on some of the diversions and are expected to be back up mid-week. The road above Elk Creek Campground is open all the way to the Pinnacles. The Conejos below Platoro and some of the tributaries and beaver ponds may still be fishable. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year.

Arkansas River; Slow
The Arkansas River has come up with the melting snowpack and releases out of Twin Lakes as well. The river above Lake Creek to Hayden Meadows is now experiencing a bit of high water but reportedly fishable. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 2620 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 1360 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Poor
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is Williams Creek below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.

Stream Report for Monday May 21, 2007

Stream Report for Monday May 21, 2007 at 3:00 pm MDT

All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year began April 1, 2007. We are an official New Mexico hunting and fishing license vendor and have the new licenses available for sale now.

Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation is currently fishing fair. Bank fishing has slowed some and float tubes or other small watercraft is the best way to fish Stone Lake. Flies for Stone Lake are egg sucking leeches, woolly buggers, damsel nymphs, and egg patterns. Places like these are somewhere you can fish while everything else is in runoff. Remember to get your new New Mexico fishing license or Jicarilla Nation permit as both seasons started April 1st. The High Desert Angler is an official New Mexico license vendor and we also sell Jicarilla Nation fishing permits.

San Juan River 3000 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is quite clear for the releases having gone up to 5000 cfs a few weeks ago. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, this release rate will remain at 5,000 cfs through Wednesday, May 16th. Then on Thursday, May 17th, the release will begin to be gradually decreased until it reaches 500 cfs on May 23rd. Wading is definitely tough in the main channels but boat fishing is good. Usually high water does push more fish into the flats and beaver ponds on the south side of the river which won't require dangerous wading. Flies for the San Juan include chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, red or orange San Juan worms, and black or olive bunny leeches.

Rio Grande 1170 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows have come back up with the warmer weather over last week. This could mean the end of fishing the Rio Grande until spring runoff is over, usually in late June or early July. There are still reports of caddis throughout the lower box up past John Dunn Bridge. Flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio.

Pecos River 469 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing a lot higher with the warmer weather we have had. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. The Pecos and it's tributaries were stocked a week ago. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 68 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 7 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 330 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
Most of the Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The increase in flows is from the last of the snowpack melting in the extensive Rio de Las Vacas watershed and the precipitation we seem to keep getting on a regular basis. The main stem Jemez, Guadalupe, and Rio de Las Vacas are still high and off color. The Jemez Mountain streams were stocked last week. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla. There have been a few stoneflies sotted on the Sana Antonio. 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 1120 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor and 1430 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is probably done until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff. Releases out of Abiquiu Dam went up also and fishing is going to be tough here until flows come back down. Streamers are the general fly choices for below both dams. The areas below Abiquiu Dam and above El Vado Lake are Special Trout Waters 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.

McAllister Lake is reportedly fishing fair and was heavily stocked again. Please use caution on any lake as the spring winds can make float tubing difficult or dangerous. Woolly Buggers, leeches, midges, and aquatic snails, and damsel flies should be the best producers.

Santa Fe River 16 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on May 18th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 923 cfs at Magote; Slow to Fair
The Conejos River had also been fishing well most of April but, warmer temps has started spring runoff here. The releases out of Platoro Resevoir down recently reportedly to do some repairs on some of the diversions and are expected to be back up mid-week. The road above Elk Creek Campground is open all the way to the Pinnacles. The Conejos below Platoro and some of the tributaries and beaver ponds may still be fishable. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year.

Arkansas River; Slow
The Arkansas River has come up with the melting snowpack and releases out of Twin Lakes as well. The river above Lake Creek to Hayden Meadows is not experiencing high water and is fishable. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 2780 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 1560 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Poor
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is Williams Creek below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.

Stream Report for Sunday May 20, 2007

Stream Report as of 6:00 pm MST on Sunday May 20, 2007

All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year began April 1, 2007. We are an official New Mexico hunting and fishing license vendor and have the new licenses available for sale now.

Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation is currently fishing fair. Bank fishing has slowed some and float tubes or other small watercraft is the best way to fish Stone Lake. Flies for Stone Lake are egg sucking leeches, wooly bugers, damsel nymphs, and egg patterns. Places like these are somewhere you can fish while everything else is in runoff. Remember to get your new New Mexico fishing license or Jicarilla Nation permit as both seasons started April 1st. The High Desert Angler is an official New Mexico license vendor and we also sell Jicarilla Nation fishing permits.

San Juan River 3400 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is quite clear for the releases having gone up to 5000 cfs a few weeks ago. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, this release rate will remain at 5,000 cfs through Wednesday, May 16th. Then on Thursday, May 17th, the release will begin to be gradually decreased until it reaches 500 cfs on May 23rd. Wading is definitely tough in the main channels but boat fishing is good. Usually high water does push more fish into the flats and beaver ponds on the south side of the river which won't require dangerous wading. Flies for the San Juan include chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, red or orange San Juan worms, and black or olive bunny leeches.

Rio Grande 1280 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows have come back up with the warmer weather over last week. This could mean the end of fishing the Rio Grande until spring runoff is over, usually in late June or early July. There are still reports of caddis throughout the lower box up past John Dunn Bridge. Flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio.

Pecos River 454 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing a lot higher with the warmer weather we have had. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. The Pecos and it's tributaries were stocked a week ago. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 72 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 15 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 226 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
Most of the Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The increase in flows is from the last of the snowpack melting in the extensive Rio de Las Vacas watershed and the precipitation we seem to keep getting on a regular basis. The main stem Jemez, Guadalupe, and Rio de Las Vacas are still high and off color. The Jemez Mountain streams were stocked last week. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla. There have been a few stoneflies sotted on the Sana Antonio. 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 1130 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor and 1700 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is probably done until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff. Releases out of Abiquiu Dam went up also and fishing is going to be toiugh here until flows come back down. Streamers are the general fly choices for below both dams. The areas below Abiquiu Dam and above El Vado Lake are Special Trout Waters 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.

McAllister Lake is reportedly fishing fair and was heavily stocked again. Please use caution on any lake as the spring winds can make float tubing difficult or dangerous. Woolly Buggers, leeches, midges, and aquatic snails, and damsel flies should be the best producers.

Santa Fe River 16 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on May 18th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 8810 cfs at Magote; Slow to Fair
The Conejos River had also been fishing well most of April but, warmer temps has started spring runoff here. The releases out of Platoro Resevoir down recently reportedly to do some repairs on some of the diversions and are expected to be back up mid-week. The road above Elk Creek Campground is open all the way to the Pinnacles. The Conejos below Platoro and some of the tributaries and beaver ponds may still be fishable. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year.

Arkansas River; Slow
The Arkansas River has come up with the melting snowpack and releases out of Twin Lakes as well. The river above Lake Creek to Hayden Meadows is not experiencing high water and is fishable. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 2660 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 1870 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Poor
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is Williams Creek below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.

Stream Report for Monday May 7, 2007

Stream Report as of 11:00 am MST on Monday May 7, 2007

All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year began April 1, 2007. We are an official New Mexico hunting and fishing license vendor and have the new licenses available for sale now.

Santa Cruz Lake and Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation opened Sunday April 1st. Reports from Santa Cruz are mixed. The best producers there are pistol petes, brown woolly buggers, and brown marabou jigs. Stone Lake is currently fishing well. Best fishing is in less than 6 feet of water about 50 feet from the banks as the fish move into the shallows and try to spawn. For those without watercraft, this is an ideal time to fish with average 19" rainbows being caught from the bank. Flies for Stone Lake are egg sucking leeches, wooly bugers, damsel nymphs, and egg patterns. Places like these are somewhere you can fish while everything else is in runoff. Remember to get your new New Mexico fishing license or Jicarilla Nation permit as both seasons started April 1st. The High Desert Angler is an official New Mexico license vendor and we also sell Jicarilla Nation fishing permits.

San Juan River 5090 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is now murky with the releases having gone up to 5000 cfs late last week. Wading will definitely be tough in the main channels. Usually high water does push more fish into the flats and beaver ponds on the south side of the river which won't require dangerous wading. Flies for the San Juan include chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, red or orange San Juan worms, and black or olive bunny leeches.

The Bureau of Reclamation has published the release schedule for Navajo Dam. In anticipation of a potential early spring runoff, the peak release will occur earlier than in previous years. The Bureau of Reclamation began ramping up the releases on Monday, April 30, 2007. The releases will be increased gradually over four days until the maximum release rate of 5,000 cfs is reached on Thursday, May 3rd. This release rate will remain at 5,000 cfs through Wednesday, May 16th. Then on Thursday, May 17th, the release will begin to be gradually decreased until it reaches 500 cfs on May 23rd.

Rio Grande 1130 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows have come back up with the warmer weather over last week. This could mean the end of fishing the Rio Grande until spring runoff is over, usually in late June or early July. There are still reports of caddis throughout the lower box up past John Dunn Bridge. Flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio.

Pecos River 308 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing a lot higher with the warmer weather we had over the past week. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. The Pecos and Mora Creek were stocked a couple of weeks ago. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 65 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 10 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 252 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
Most of the Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The increase in flows is from the last of the snowpack melting in the extensive Rio de Las Vacas watershed and the precipitation we got tis past weekend. The main stem Jemez, Guadalupe, and Rio de Las Vacas are still high and off color. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork and the Cebolla. 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 1140 cfs below El Vado Dam; Poor and 1220 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is probably done until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff with flows pushing 1200 cfs. Releases out of Abiquiu Dam went up also and fishing is going to be toiugh here until flows come back down. Streamers are the general fly choices for below both dams. The areas below Abiquiu Dam and above El Vado Lake are Special Trout Waters 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.

Charette Lakes, Clayton Lake, Maxwell Lakes, and McAllister Lake all opened on Thursday March 1st. MacAllister Lake was heavily stocked again recently but I still haven't had any reports from there. 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, and damsel flies should be the best producers.

Santa Fe River 9.7 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on April 17th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 544 cfs at Magote; Slow
The Conejos River had also been fishing well lately but, warmer temps has started spring runoff here and the release out of Platoro Resevoir went up as well. The road above Elk Creek Campground is open all the way to the Pinnacles and some of the tributaries and beaver ponds may still be fishable. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year. Flies for the Conejos are krystal woolly buggers, olive bunny leeches, and big stonefly nymphs, and red or orange San Juan worms.

Arkansas River; Fair
The Arkansas River has come up with a little melting snowpack and releases out of Twin Lakes as well. There are reports of caddis coming off around Salida. The river around Salida to Buena Vista was also experiencing awsome blue winged olive hatches. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 967 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 918 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Slow
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is the Williams Fork below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.

Stream Report for Friday May 4, 2007

Stream Report as of 11:00 am MST on Friday May 4, 2007

All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year began April 1, 2007. We are an official New Mexico hunting and fishing license vendor and have the new licenses available for sale now.

Santa Cruz Lake and Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation opened Sunday April 1st. Reports from Santa Cruz are mixed. The best producers there are pistol petes, brown woolly buggers, and brown marabou jigs. Stone Lake is currently fishing well. Best fishing is in less than 6 feet of water about 50 feet from the banks as the fish move into the shallows and try to spawn. For those without watercraft, this is an ideal time to fish with average 19" rainbows being caught from the bank. Flies for Stone Lake are egg sucking leeches, wooly bugers, damsel nymphs, and egg patterns. 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.

San Juan River 5070 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is now quite murky with the releases going up by 1000 cfs daily until it reaches 5000 cfs on Friday evening. Wading will definitely be tough in the main channels. Usually high water does push more fish into the flats and beaver ponds on the south side of the river which won't require dangerous wading. Flies for the San Juan include chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, red or orange San Juan worms, and black or olive bunny leeches.

The Bureau of Reclamation has published the release schedule for Navajo Dam. In anticipation of a potential early spring runoff, the peak release will occur earlier than in previous years. The Bureau of Reclamation began ramping up the releases on Monday, April 30, 2007. The releases will be increased gradually over four days until the maximum release rate of 5,000 cfs is reached on Thursday, May 3rd. This release rate will remain at 5,000 cfs through Wednesday, May 16th. Then on Thursday, May 17th, the release will begin to be gradually decreased until it reaches 500 cfs on May 23rd.

Rio Grande 1430 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows have come back up with the warmer weather over last weekend. This could mean the end of fishing the Rio Grande until spring runoff is over usually late June or early July. There are still reports of caddis throughout the lower box uup past John Dunn Bridge. Flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio.

Pecos River 434 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing a lot higher with the warmer weather we had over the past week. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. The Pecos and Mora Creek were stocked late last week. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 80 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 10 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 458 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
Most of the Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The increase in flows is from the last of the snowpack melting in the extensive Rio de Las Vacas watershed and the rain we got overnight. The main stem Jemez, Guadalupe, and Rio de Las Vacas are still high and off color. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork and the Cebolla. 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 772 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow and 560 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The fishing is slow below El Vado as the releases out of the dam are fluctuating almost daily lately. The water is up over 300 cfs from Thursday and is very murky. Big nymphs like double hackle peacocks and had favorites and streamers like woolly buggers, zoo cougars, and autumn splendors work best. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff with flows pushing 1800 cfs. No reports from the Chama below Abiquiui. Release out of the dam went up by 200 cfs on Friday morning which makes fishing rather unpredictable. Streamers are the general 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.

Charette Lakes, Clayton Lake, Maxwell Lakes, and McAllister Lake all opened on Thursday March 1st. MacAllister Lake was heavily stocked recently but I still haven't had any reports from there. 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, and damsel flies should be the best producers.

Santa Fe River 9.7 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on April 17th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 694 cfs at Magote; Slow
The Conejos River had also been fishing well lately but, warmer temps has started spring runoff here and the release out of Platoro Resevoir went up as well. The road above Elk Creek Campground is open all the way to the Pinnacles and some of the tributaries and beaver ponds may still be fishable. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year. Flies for the Conejos are krystal woolly buggers, olive bunny leeches, and big stonefly nymphs, and red or orange San Juan worms.

Arkansas River; Good
There are reports of caddis coming off around Salida. The river around Salida to Buena Vista was also experiencing awsome blue winged olive hatches. The river has come up a little with snows melting off in the higher elevations, but the latest report I had was still favorable. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 1610 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 1450 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Slow
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is the Williams Fork below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.

Stream Report for Wednesday May 2, 2007

Stream Report for Wednesday May 2, 2007

All anglers are reminded that the new fishing license year began April 1, 2007. We are an official New Mexico hunting and fishing license vendor and have the new licenses available for sale now.

Santa Cruz Lake and Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Nation opened Sunday April 1st. Reports from Santa Cruz are mixed. The best producers there are pistol petes, brown woolly buggers, and brown marabou jigs. Stone Lake is currently fishing well. Best fishing is in less than 6 feet of water about 50 feet from the banks as the fish move into the shallows and try to spawn. For those without watercraft, this is an ideal time to fish with average 19" rainbows being caught from the bank. Flies for Stone Lake are egg sucking leeches, wooly bugers, damsel nymphs, and egg patterns. 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.

San Juan River 2390 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan is now quite murky with the releases going up by 1000 cfs daily until it reaches 5000 cfs on Thursday evening. Wading will definitely be tough in the main channels. Usually high water does push more fish into the flats and beaver ponds on the south side of the river which won't require dangerous wading. Flies for the San Juan include chamois leeches, red disco midges, red desert storms, red or orange San Juan worms, and black or olive bunny leeches.

The Bureau of Reclamation has published the release schedule for Navajo Dam. In anticipation of a potential early spring runoff, the peak release will occur earlier than in previous years. The current plan calls for Reclamation to begin ramping up the release on Monday, April 30, 2007. The release will be increased gradually over four days until the maximum release rate of 5,000 cfs is reached on Thursday, May 3rd. This release rate will remain at 5,000 cfs through Wednesday, May 16th. Then on Thursday, May 17th, the release will begin to be gradually decreased until it reaches 500 cfs on May 23rd.

Rio Grande 1090 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout
The Rio Grande is murky and the flows have come back up with the warmer weather over last weekend. This could mean the end of fishing the Rio Grande until spring runoff is over usually late June or early July. There are still reports of caddis throughout Pilar and up into the lower box. Flies for the Rio Grande are elk hair caddis, emergent sparkle pupa, submarine softhackle, black, brown or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, double hackle peacocks, poundmeisters, and caddis nymphs. No recent reports of people catching pike on the Rio.

Pecos River 392 cfs below Terrero; Poor
The Pecos River is flowing a lot higher with the warmer weather we had over the past weekend. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over later this month. The good news is that when runoff ends it usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Nymphing will be the most productive. The Pecos and Mora Creek were stocked late last week. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. Brightly colored flies like red, chartreuse, and blue copper higgins, and purple prince nymphs usually work on the stockers. Please report anyone over harvesting fish to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 74 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Flows out of the dam are less than 10 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. The best fishing is now upstream of Clear Creek towards Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, bwo's, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and orange scuds should the release out of the dam come up.

Jemez Mountain Streams 443 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Fair
Most of the Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The increase in flows is from the last of the snowpack melting in the extensive Rio de Las Vacas watershed and the rain we got overnight. The main stem Jemez, Guadalupe, and Rio de Las Vacas are still high and off color. The best reports have been from headwater streams like the East Fork and the Cebolla. 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 276 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow and 301 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Slow
The fishing is slow below El Vado as the releases out of the dam are fluctuating almost daily lately. The water is very murky. Big nymphs like double hackle peacocks and had favorites and streamers like woolly buggers, zoo cougars, and autumn splendors work best. The Chama River flowing into El Vado lake is in runoff with flows pushing 1800 cfs. No reports from the Chama below Abiquiui. Release out of the dam went up by 100 cfs on Wednesday morning which makes fishing rather unpredictable. Streamers are the general 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.

Charette Lakes, Clayton Lake, Maxwell Lakes, and McAllister Lake all opened on Thursday March 1st. MacAllister Lake was heavily stocked recently but I still haven't had any reports from there. 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, and damsel flies should be the best producers.

Santa Fe River 9.7 cfs through Santa Fe; Fair
The Santa Fe River was stocked on April 17th. Game and Fish will stock the Santa Fe River any time there is sufficient water to do so. So, no joke, you can catch fish out of this often dry river, at least for the time being. Any location east of downtown Santa Fe is generally preferred for it's access and ambience. With the talk of the Santa Fe River having a year round flow, it could be a good thing to show the demand for a nearby fishery by actually fishing the Santa Fe River. If any one goes, please e-mail me a report.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 888 cfs at Magote; Slow
The Conejos River had also been fishing well lately but, warmer temps has started spring runoff here as well. The road above Elk Creek Campground is open all the way to the Pinnacles and some of the tributaries and beaver ponds may still be fishable. At a few hours drive from Santa Fe, it's within the same driving distance to the San Juan and should be as great of a summer fishery as it was last year. Flies for the Conejos are krystal woolly buggers, olive bunny leeches, and big stonefly nymphs, and red or orange San Juan worms.

Arkansas River; Good
There are reports of caddis coming off between Salida and Canon City. The river around Salida to Buena Vista was experiencing awsome blue winged olive hatches. The river has come up a little with snows melting off in the higher elevations, but the latest report I had was still favorable. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring, especially if you are one of the many to miss out on the caddis hatch on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande 1840 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Poor
The upper Rio Grande is obviously in runoff. High water will continue for at least a few weeks. Look for hatching stoneflies as the water recedes in early June.

The San Juan River 1670 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Slow
The upper San Juan and Piedra rivers are in runoff as well. The only fishable water in this area is the Williams Fork below the dam. Runoff will last a few weeks to a month here, but should give way to some awsome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.

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.