Stream Report for Friday June 8, 2007
Stream Report for Friday June 8, 2007 at 10:00 am MDT
San Juan River 1400 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan has been holding at 1400 cfs since Wednesday May 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 887 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 good.
Pecos River 320 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The Pecos River is flowing high. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over in a week or two. The end of runoff usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Some stoneflies have made their first appearance just above the village of Pecos. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. The Pecos was recently stocked. 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 31 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 2 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. 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 40 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The stonefly hatch is well up into the Guadalupe and Rio de Las Vacas above Porter's Landing. The headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla are at their summertime low and quite clear. Forest Road 376 to the upper San Antonio is open. Dry fly dropper rigs over the shallower runs or dead drifting big nymphs in the deeper pools will pick up most of the fish. Fly choices are orange and yellow stimulators, sofa pillows, Clark' salmonfly, foam stone, pale morning duns, red quills, adams, pink cahills, copper higgins, pheasant tails, Theo's biot stonefly nymph, and HDA favorites.
The Chama River 405 cfs below the town of Tierra Amarilla; Slow: 445 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 498 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is a little tough right now until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado and stay there for a while. The Chama below Abiquiu Dam is aslo likey going to be mostly unfishable for most of the summer. The flows on the Chama River flowing into El Vado lake are tapering off indicating we are near the end of runoff. Look for a small stonefly hatch here in any day now. The nearby Brazos River is still high with snowmelt. 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 14 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. There are plans to shut the outflow out of the resevoirs soon. 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 706 cfs at Magote; Slow
The Conejos River is in runoff. The river below Platoro Resevoir is currently flowing a little high with releases at 108 cfs but, it is quite fishable. Stoneflies should be coming off on the Conejos in a couple of weeks. 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. 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 2360 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 mid June.
The San Juan River 1090 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 the 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.
San Juan River 1400 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The San Juan has been holding at 1400 cfs since Wednesday May 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 887 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 good.
Pecos River 320 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The Pecos River is flowing high. Fishing will be tough until runoff is over in a week or two. The end of runoff usually means the start of the giant stonefly hatch. Some stoneflies have made their first appearance just above the village of Pecos. Nymphing will be the most productive during high water. Big stone fly nymphs, prince nymphs, and copper johns were working for several anglers. The Pecos was recently stocked. 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 31 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 2 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries with biggest being Clear Creek at the eastern end of the State Park. 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 40 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The Jemez streams are clearing and done with runoff. The stonefly hatch is well up into the Guadalupe and Rio de Las Vacas above Porter's Landing. The headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla are at their summertime low and quite clear. Forest Road 376 to the upper San Antonio is open. Dry fly dropper rigs over the shallower runs or dead drifting big nymphs in the deeper pools will pick up most of the fish. Fly choices are orange and yellow stimulators, sofa pillows, Clark' salmonfly, foam stone, pale morning duns, red quills, adams, pink cahills, copper higgins, pheasant tails, Theo's biot stonefly nymph, and HDA favorites.
The Chama River 405 cfs below the town of Tierra Amarilla; Slow: 445 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 498 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is a little tough right now until the flows come back down below 400 cfs below El Vado and stay there for a while. The Chama below Abiquiu Dam is aslo likey going to be mostly unfishable for most of the summer. The flows on the Chama River flowing into El Vado lake are tapering off indicating we are near the end of runoff. Look for a small stonefly hatch here in any day now. The nearby Brazos River is still high with snowmelt. 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 14 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. There are plans to shut the outflow out of the resevoirs soon. 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 706 cfs at Magote; Slow
The Conejos River is in runoff. The river below Platoro Resevoir is currently flowing a little high with releases at 108 cfs but, it is quite fishable. Stoneflies should be coming off on the Conejos in a couple of weeks. 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. 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 2360 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 mid June.
The San Juan River 1090 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 the 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.
posted by High Desert Angler at Friday, June 08, 2007
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