Stream Report for Monday July 23, 2007
Stream Report for Monday July 23, 2007 at 9:00 am MDT
Limited angling opportunities for Gila trout began July 1, 2007, in select streams in southwestern New Mexico that have been closed to fishing since 1966. Everyone who fishes for Gila Trout must have a Gila Trout Permit along with a valid New Mexico fishing license. Permits are free and will be available June 1 on the "Buy licenses online" feature of the Department website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.
The Rio Costilla in the Valle Vidal opened Sunday July 1st. The Rio Costilla is currently flowing high with releases out of Costilla Reservoir at 89 cfs. The reports I've had earlier in the month were very good before the releases went up. Fishing did get a little tougher with the higher flows. The Costilla fishes best between 30 to 60 cfs. Flies like royal wulffs, stimulators, madam x's, dennis hoppers, and yellow sallies were some of the favorites. It's one of the few places to reliably catch a Rio Grande cutthroat trout. High floating dry flies are usually the best producers. Shuree Ponds are also fishing very good and is one place for a chance at hooking a rainbow over 20 inches.
San Juan River 787 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The San Juan is quite clear and fishing is still very good. Wade fishing has been awesome 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, winged ants, and black or olive bunny leeches. Be forewarned, mosquitoes are out in force so bring your repellent!
Rio Grande 593 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande spiked last night and is very murky. It may take awhile to clear as runoff from the summer rains are a constant source of silt. Fishing for smallmouth bass has been fair. Some of the bigger eddies 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.
Pecos River 77 cfs below Terrero; Good
The Pecos is fishing very well. Mornings have been the best over the last few days as the afternoon rains have been muddying up the river. It seems as our monsooon season is here so plan on daily afternoon rains in the mountains for the next month or so. Dry fly dropper rigs are the most productive in the mornings but, dry fly fishing in the afternoons has been awesome if the river doesn't blow out. Flies for the Pecos include stone fly nymphs, stimulators, HDA favorites, tungsten rubber leg copper johns, bivisibles, red quills, elk hair caddis, spent partridge caddis, and large adams. The river adjacent to Monastery Lake and all the way up to and behind the fish hatchery is private. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. The FIRST PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. Dalton is approximately 6 miles upstream of the village of Pecos. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Rio del Pueblo and Rio Santa Barbara are both fishing well. Recent rainstorms may bring river levels up and have murk up the water. The clearest water ids usually found in the mornings. Dry fly dropper rigs work best on the Pueblo and high riding easy to see dry flies are the way to go for the Santa Barbara. The better fishing on the Pueblo tends to be the areas between the campgrounds. Lots of wild browns, stocked rainbows and the occasional cutthroat make this river on of the places you can catch a grand slam. The Santa Barbara also has good numbers of wild browns and lots of stocked rainbows up to the campgrounds. The unfortunate thing is that you have to hike a ways above Santa Barbara campground to find cutthroats.
Cimarron River 28 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are up to 29 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries like Tolby Creek and Clear Creek. The Cimarron has several campgrounds that make it a busy place especially on the weekends. Try some of the other area waters as they may be less crowded, like the Red River over Bobcat Pass around the village of Red River. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, light cahills, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, HDA favorites, and scuds now that the release out of the dam have come up.
Jemez Mountain Streams 34 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The Jemez streams are fishing well especially on dry flies in the evenings. The headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla are at their summertime low and quite clear. The lower stretches of most streams are heating up and fishing has slowed some. Hatches of small yellow and medium sized brown mayflies, little yellow sallies and a small black bodied caddis have been bring most fish to the surface. We are into our monsoon season so plan on it raining somewhere up in the Jemez every afternoon for the next month. Forest Road 376 to the upper San Antonio is open. Drive 376 at your own risk. It's usually passable in dry weather in a high clearance vehicle like a two wheel drive pickup, but if it rains, a four wheel drive or alternate access is required. Dry flies over the shallower runs or dead drifting a small nymph on a dropper in the deeper pools will pick up most of the fish. Fly choices are orange and yellow stimulators, pale morning duns, red quills, adams, spent partridge caddis, red legged hoppers, dennis hoppers, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and HDA favorites.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 43 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 380 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 534 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing was fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers but, make sure to check out the flows as releases out of the dam have been fluctuating every couple of days. The Chama below Abiquiu Dam is aslo likey to be fishing slow as long as the releases keep fluctuating wildly. The Chama flowing into El Vado is warm and fishing is slow. The Chama River above Chama has nice water and is fishing well. Afternoon rains can murk this section up so plan accordingly. The nearby Brazos River is also fishing very well. Streamers are the general fly choices below both dams. The flies for the upper Chama and Brazos are elk hair caddis, better foam caddis, bivisbles, adams, and red quills. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu 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 slow. Float tubes or other small watercraft is the best way to fish Stone Lake. Mundo Lake is currently fishing the best of all Jicarilla Nation lakes. Flies for Jicarilla Nation Lakes are hellgramites, woolly buggers, and damsel nymphs. The High Desert Angler is an official Jicarilla Nation fishing permit vendor.
MacAllister Lake has had a fish kill. Unfortunately only the trout were affected and the mirror carp remain.. Currently there are no plans to restock the lake.
In Southern Colorado:
The Conejos River 254 cfs at Magote; Good
The Conejos River is coming down daily and it appears we are finally done with runoff. The river immediately below Platoro Resevoir is currently flowing a little high with releases at 138 cfs. PMD's and green drakes have been bringing some good fish up to the surface. Dry fly dropper rigs and nymphing the edges with big stone fly nymphs or green drake nymphs has also been very productive. 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; Good
The flows on Arkansas River are down as well. The river above Lake Creek to Hayden Meadows is clear and the fish are feeding. The Ark below Lake Creek coming out of Twin Lakes Resevoir has come down with the releases out of Twin Lakes. Often water is released out of Twin Lakes or Clear Creek Reservoirs for the rafters and kayakers, so the better fishing when this occurs is upstream towards Leadville. However, the releases have come down and there is good fishing all the way to Howardsville. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring just over the border.
Rio Grande 268 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Good
The upper Rio Grande has come down as the releases out of Rio Grande or Continental Reservoirs have come down as well. In spite of the good snows in the area, the water levels in the lakes are down and we probably won't see any more high water coming from the reservoirs. There have been some hatching stoneflies, but the hatch is not as good with the high water lasting into July. PMD's, caddis, and green drakes are all flying now. The water is clear and wading is a little easier.
The San Juan River 205 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Good
The east and west forks of the San Juan and Piedra rivers are clear and fishing very well. There has been afternoon rains over most of southern Colorado. Mornings may offer the best fishing and clear water before the rains hit. Other fishable water in this area is the Williams Creek below the dam. This area provides some awesome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.
Animas River 944 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas River near Durango is in still high and is better left to the rafters and kayakers. The Delores River below McPhee Reservoir is flowing at 77 cfs. This is near an optimum flow for the Delores. The only traffic on this river is from guides who operate out of Telluride and Durango, and there is lots of room. If you are in the area and can't fish the Animas, consider the Delores.
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.
Limited angling opportunities for Gila trout began July 1, 2007, in select streams in southwestern New Mexico that have been closed to fishing since 1966. Everyone who fishes for Gila Trout must have a Gila Trout Permit along with a valid New Mexico fishing license. Permits are free and will be available June 1 on the "Buy licenses online" feature of the Department website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.
The Rio Costilla in the Valle Vidal opened Sunday July 1st. The Rio Costilla is currently flowing high with releases out of Costilla Reservoir at 89 cfs. The reports I've had earlier in the month were very good before the releases went up. Fishing did get a little tougher with the higher flows. The Costilla fishes best between 30 to 60 cfs. Flies like royal wulffs, stimulators, madam x's, dennis hoppers, and yellow sallies were some of the favorites. It's one of the few places to reliably catch a Rio Grande cutthroat trout. High floating dry flies are usually the best producers. Shuree Ponds are also fishing very good and is one place for a chance at hooking a rainbow over 20 inches.
San Juan River 787 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The San Juan is quite clear and fishing is still very good. Wade fishing has been awesome 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, winged ants, and black or olive bunny leeches. Be forewarned, mosquitoes are out in force so bring your repellent!
Rio Grande 593 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Fair for trout, Fair for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande spiked last night and is very murky. It may take awhile to clear as runoff from the summer rains are a constant source of silt. Fishing for smallmouth bass has been fair. Some of the bigger eddies 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.
Pecos River 77 cfs below Terrero; Good
The Pecos is fishing very well. Mornings have been the best over the last few days as the afternoon rains have been muddying up the river. It seems as our monsooon season is here so plan on daily afternoon rains in the mountains for the next month or so. Dry fly dropper rigs are the most productive in the mornings but, dry fly fishing in the afternoons has been awesome if the river doesn't blow out. Flies for the Pecos include stone fly nymphs, stimulators, HDA favorites, tungsten rubber leg copper johns, bivisibles, red quills, elk hair caddis, spent partridge caddis, and large adams. The river adjacent to Monastery Lake and all the way up to and behind the fish hatchery is private. Please respect all of the landowners along the Pecos and stay out of all posted private waters. The FIRST PUBLIC access is Dalton Day Use. Dalton is approximately 6 miles upstream of the village of Pecos. Please report anyone over harvesting fish or poaching to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.
Rio del Pueblo and Rio Santa Barbara are both fishing well. Recent rainstorms may bring river levels up and have murk up the water. The clearest water ids usually found in the mornings. Dry fly dropper rigs work best on the Pueblo and high riding easy to see dry flies are the way to go for the Santa Barbara. The better fishing on the Pueblo tends to be the areas between the campgrounds. Lots of wild browns, stocked rainbows and the occasional cutthroat make this river on of the places you can catch a grand slam. The Santa Barbara also has good numbers of wild browns and lots of stocked rainbows up to the campgrounds. The unfortunate thing is that you have to hike a ways above Santa Barbara campground to find cutthroats.
Cimarron River 28 cfs at Cimarron; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are up to 29 cfs. The remaining water comes from a few small tributaries like Tolby Creek and Clear Creek. The Cimarron has several campgrounds that make it a busy place especially on the weekends. Try some of the other area waters as they may be less crowded, like the Red River over Bobcat Pass around the village of Red River. Flies for the Cimarron are yellow stimulators, light cahills, parachute adams, tungsten copper johns, copper higgins, pheasant tails, HDA favorites, and scuds now that the release out of the dam have come up.
Jemez Mountain Streams 34 cfs on main stem Jemez above Jemez Pueblo; Good
The Jemez streams are fishing well especially on dry flies in the evenings. The headwater streams like the East Fork, San Antonio and the Cebolla are at their summertime low and quite clear. The lower stretches of most streams are heating up and fishing has slowed some. Hatches of small yellow and medium sized brown mayflies, little yellow sallies and a small black bodied caddis have been bring most fish to the surface. We are into our monsoon season so plan on it raining somewhere up in the Jemez every afternoon for the next month. Forest Road 376 to the upper San Antonio is open. Drive 376 at your own risk. It's usually passable in dry weather in a high clearance vehicle like a two wheel drive pickup, but if it rains, a four wheel drive or alternate access is required. Dry flies over the shallower runs or dead drifting a small nymph on a dropper in the deeper pools will pick up most of the fish. Fly choices are orange and yellow stimulators, pale morning duns, red quills, adams, spent partridge caddis, red legged hoppers, dennis hoppers, copper higgins, pheasant tails, and HDA favorites.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Good: 43 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Fair: 380 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 534 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing was fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers but, make sure to check out the flows as releases out of the dam have been fluctuating every couple of days. The Chama below Abiquiu Dam is aslo likey to be fishing slow as long as the releases keep fluctuating wildly. The Chama flowing into El Vado is warm and fishing is slow. The Chama River above Chama has nice water and is fishing well. Afternoon rains can murk this section up so plan accordingly. The nearby Brazos River is also fishing very well. Streamers are the general fly choices below both dams. The flies for the upper Chama and Brazos are elk hair caddis, better foam caddis, bivisbles, adams, and red quills. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu 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 slow. Float tubes or other small watercraft is the best way to fish Stone Lake. Mundo Lake is currently fishing the best of all Jicarilla Nation lakes. Flies for Jicarilla Nation Lakes are hellgramites, woolly buggers, and damsel nymphs. The High Desert Angler is an official Jicarilla Nation fishing permit vendor.
MacAllister Lake has had a fish kill. Unfortunately only the trout were affected and the mirror carp remain.. Currently there are no plans to restock the lake.
In Southern Colorado:
The Conejos River 254 cfs at Magote; Good
The Conejos River is coming down daily and it appears we are finally done with runoff. The river immediately below Platoro Resevoir is currently flowing a little high with releases at 138 cfs. PMD's and green drakes have been bringing some good fish up to the surface. Dry fly dropper rigs and nymphing the edges with big stone fly nymphs or green drake nymphs has also been very productive. 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; Good
The flows on Arkansas River are down as well. The river above Lake Creek to Hayden Meadows is clear and the fish are feeding. The Ark below Lake Creek coming out of Twin Lakes Resevoir has come down with the releases out of Twin Lakes. Often water is released out of Twin Lakes or Clear Creek Reservoirs for the rafters and kayakers, so the better fishing when this occurs is upstream towards Leadville. However, the releases have come down and there is good fishing all the way to Howardsville. The Ark is about four hours from Santa Fe and another river worth exploring just over the border.
Rio Grande 268 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Good
The upper Rio Grande has come down as the releases out of Rio Grande or Continental Reservoirs have come down as well. In spite of the good snows in the area, the water levels in the lakes are down and we probably won't see any more high water coming from the reservoirs. There have been some hatching stoneflies, but the hatch is not as good with the high water lasting into July. PMD's, caddis, and green drakes are all flying now. The water is clear and wading is a little easier.
The San Juan River 205 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Good
The east and west forks of the San Juan and Piedra rivers are clear and fishing very well. There has been afternoon rains over most of southern Colorado. Mornings may offer the best fishing and clear water before the rains hit. Other fishable water in this area is the Williams Creek below the dam. This area provides some awesome summer fishing within a few hours drive of Santa Fe.
Animas River 944 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas River near Durango is in still high and is better left to the rafters and kayakers. The Delores River below McPhee Reservoir is flowing at 77 cfs. This is near an optimum flow for the Delores. The only traffic on this river is from guides who operate out of Telluride and Durango, and there is lots of room. If you are in the area and can't fish the Animas, consider the Delores.
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 Monday, July 23, 2007
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