Fly Fishing Report for Saturday May 24, 2008
It's spring time in New Mexico and water and fishing condtitions are changing daily! Please CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.
San Juan River 3090 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The Bureau of Rec. has announced a revised release schedule for Navajo Dam. For the details and dates of the releases, please see our Announcements Page. The release today is up to 3000 cfs from 2000 earlier this week. The river was up for several weeks at 4000 cfs so it shouldn't take long for the water to settle and flush any debris out. The water is still a little murky but clearing with visibility of about 3 feet. I've had some very good reports over the past week. The best reports are still coming from the upper flats, cable hole, and lower flats. Midge nymphing has been the most productive. Size 24 red midge larvae and size 24 pheasant tails, size 20 black and red midge larvae, chamois leeches, and chocolate foam wing emergers have been the better producers. The mosquitoes are out more and more every day, especailly at Texas hole so don't forget the bug repellent!
Rio Grande 2850 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 3690 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is very murky and will likely remain so until late June or July. Most of the tributaries have also started to come up dramatically in the past weeks. Even though the water is quite murky, you can pick up fish on the edges dry fly dropper style with caddis nymphs. Trout move into the shallows to feed when they can no longer see in deeper water and heavy currents. Smallmouth inhabit the eddies and can be picked up on crayfish patterns or woolly buggers on a sinking tip or sinking line. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water more thoroughly. There is no rafting and kayaking and clearer water above John Dunn Bridge and further upstream into the gorge. Flies for the Rio are black or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, caddis nymphs, and pheasant tails. For pike, show them big rabbit strip flies, large streamers or diving flies in dark colors.
Pecos River 392 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The river above the village of Pecos has started to rise over the past week. Fishing is better mid-day during the downward trend in flows, but slows down by 3pm when the colder melt water hits the river. It's the wading thats almost impossible. While the flows are high, look for big rock outcroppings and shelves which slow the current. Fish move into these places during heavy current. They will eat your flies, so long as they are pasted tight to the bottom. The best producers have been a stonefly nymph with a trailing pheasant tail or black midge with lots of weight. The Pecos and most of it's tributaries were heavily stocked this past week and may offer an alternative to the Pecos if it gets to high to fish. Egg patterns, and red and chartreuse copper johns generally work on the stockers. 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.
Cimarron River 10 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are 10 cfs today. There is more water at the eastern end of the park below Clear Creek, but the river does get murkier. The least murky water is just below Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are golden stonefly nymphs, black midge larvae, hares ear nymphs, Barr's emergers, and gray and olive scuds.
Jemez Mountain Streams 173 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Very Good
Runoff on the Jemez streams is virtually over, but the Guadalupe and Rio de las Vacas are still high. The upper reaches of the East Fork, Cebolla, or the San Antonio above La Cueva are fishing very well. Dry fly fishing with size 12-14 yellow stimulators, red quills, and small parachute adams has been excellent mid-day. There have been reports of sporadic stonefly hatches on the Guadalupe. Forest Road 376 is open from Highway 126 to the Gilman Tunnels. Upper 376 to the San Antonio Hot Springs is scheduled to open on June 1st.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1990 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 1740 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1270 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers, however the current flows make the river impossible to wade and the water is very murky. Fish the edges and obvious eddies. The Chama River above the village of Chama is in full runoff and is very high and quite cold. The tailwater sections usually fish best at about 150 cfs. The nearby Brazos is also in runoff. 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.
Jicarilla Nation Lakes Fair to Good Fishing has slowed at Stone Lake. The false spawning behavior is gone and most of the fish have left the shallows. Most anglers have reported slow fishing and the wind has definitely been a limiting factor. The best fly fishing has been in the early mornings during the midge hatch and before the wind kicks up. Midges and midge emergers in red and gray in a size 12 and calibaetis nymphs seem to pick up most of the fish. A couple of our customers were out this weekend. They reported that the fish were holding deep between 12 and 20 feet. They found lots of midges and a good mid-day calibaetis hatch near the dam. Stone Lake does have special regulations, but most people are keeping the bigger fish that they catch. Enbom and Mundo were both stocked with larger fish on Tuesday May 13th. Get in on the action when it does happen because I suspect that those fish will end up on a stringer as well! Mundo has bass and catfish as well as trout and can prevent a bust if the other lakes are tough. Enbom has had some pressure. A float tube is absolutely invaluable there. Get out to the Jicarilla lakes this spring; fishing is going to be awesome!
In Southern Colorado:
Conejos River 408 cfs below Platoro Reservoir, 1200 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
"May 19, 2008 Well we had a little epic before it got hot this last couple of days but this morning the Conejos is cookin'! Expect the flows to head towards 2000 cfs soon. With the warm week ahead expect big water for a while. We had some guys up below the dam yesterday till late in the big water and I will be curious if those fish are stacked up on the edges or are uncatchable at this level. Today we are headed up to catch the Splake and Cutts at La Jara Reservoir with the fish finder. Flows on the La Jara are already headed towards fishable so expect a report on that stream soon. Also expect the Los Pinos to drop and clear early. The snowpack has plummeted the last 3 months from about 190 to 115 % so I dont think we will have the extended runoff thru June which puts the big stonefly hatch bag on the table. Two months ago I was cancelling fly orders for the big hatch today looks like we will need them. For those planning expect the flows on the La Jara to get good early, maybe a week or so for the La Jara and by early June on the Los Pinos. The Conejos will fish well early up high but the lower river may be big until the 10th or 15th of June. The high country streams late June. We normally see a nice stonefly hatch on the Los Pinos and the Stones on the Conejos normally are out on the banks starting June 14th". Jon Harp, of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report. Keep looking at the releases out of Platoro Reservoir. If they drop below 200 cfs, the meadows below the dam will fish better.
Rio Grande 698 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge near Creede; Slow to Fair
The upper Rio Grande had been fishing fair lately. Releases have been ramping up out of Rio Grande Reservoir then flattened out at 1100 cfs. Today the release has been reduced and is currently at 698 cfs. There is decent water and the fish are feeding. Big stonefly nymphs and pheasant tails and midges seem to be picking up the most fish. There is lots of water below Wagon Wheel Gap making the river floatable past South Fork.
Arkansas River 1620 cfs at Salida: Fair
Flows throughout the upper Arkansas River basin are down today, the result of cooler weather, but the release out of Twin Lakes went up yesterday morning. With similar weather in the forecast for the next week, expect the river and tributaries to stabilize and probably recede, restoring some clarity and creating some edgewater fishing opportunities. With the high flows, what caddis activity remains may be mostly inaccessible to the fish. Nymphing the deeper holding water and slow runs is probably the best option now. A big stone followed by a large (10-12) copper john is a good combo. Dredge the deeper holding water and seam lines - places that don't change too much with the addition of more water. Get your nymph to the bottom - if it isn't on the fish's nose, he won't take it
Animas River 2640 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas River near Durango has doubled in flow over the past week and is very high and roiling. The river is stirred up, the water is cold, and the kayak hatch is underway. The Delores below McPhee is also way up and currently flowing at a whopping 1800 cfs! The upper forks of the Delores are in runoff, with the most fishable section just below Rico. Closer to Pagosa Springs, the Piedra and San Juan have aslo risen dramatically since late last week. Williams Creek below the dam may be the only fishable water in the area. Spring fishing may be tough here as it seems as runoff has already started and is expected to last well into June.
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 3090 cfs below Navajo Dam; Fair
The Bureau of Rec. has announced a revised release schedule for Navajo Dam. For the details and dates of the releases, please see our Announcements Page. The release today is up to 3000 cfs from 2000 earlier this week. The river was up for several weeks at 4000 cfs so it shouldn't take long for the water to settle and flush any debris out. The water is still a little murky but clearing with visibility of about 3 feet. I've had some very good reports over the past week. The best reports are still coming from the upper flats, cable hole, and lower flats. Midge nymphing has been the most productive. Size 24 red midge larvae and size 24 pheasant tails, size 20 black and red midge larvae, chamois leeches, and chocolate foam wing emergers have been the better producers. The mosquitoes are out more and more every day, especailly at Texas hole so don't forget the bug repellent!
Rio Grande 2850 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 3690 cfs at Pilar; Slow for pike, Slow for trout, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio Grande is very murky and will likely remain so until late June or July. Most of the tributaries have also started to come up dramatically in the past weeks. Even though the water is quite murky, you can pick up fish on the edges dry fly dropper style with caddis nymphs. Trout move into the shallows to feed when they can no longer see in deeper water and heavy currents. Smallmouth inhabit the eddies and can be picked up on crayfish patterns or woolly buggers on a sinking tip or sinking line. Pike hunt by feel and they'll take large streamers that move water regardless of water clarity, just be sure to cover the water more thoroughly. There is no rafting and kayaking and clearer water above John Dunn Bridge and further upstream into the gorge. Flies for the Rio are black or olive woolly buggers, autumn splendors, zoo cougars, conehead madonna’s, caddis nymphs, and pheasant tails. For pike, show them big rabbit strip flies, large streamers or diving flies in dark colors.
Pecos River 392 cfs below Terrero; Slow
The river above the village of Pecos has started to rise over the past week. Fishing is better mid-day during the downward trend in flows, but slows down by 3pm when the colder melt water hits the river. It's the wading thats almost impossible. While the flows are high, look for big rock outcroppings and shelves which slow the current. Fish move into these places during heavy current. They will eat your flies, so long as they are pasted tight to the bottom. The best producers have been a stonefly nymph with a trailing pheasant tail or black midge with lots of weight. The Pecos and most of it's tributaries were heavily stocked this past week and may offer an alternative to the Pecos if it gets to high to fish. Egg patterns, and red and chartreuse copper johns generally work on the stockers. 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.
Cimarron River 10 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Good
The Cimarron River is dam controlled for the most part by Eagle Nest dam. Releases out of the dam are 10 cfs today. There is more water at the eastern end of the park below Clear Creek, but the river does get murkier. The least murky water is just below Tolby Creek. Flies for the Cimarron are golden stonefly nymphs, black midge larvae, hares ear nymphs, Barr's emergers, and gray and olive scuds.
Jemez Mountain Streams 173 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Very Good
Runoff on the Jemez streams is virtually over, but the Guadalupe and Rio de las Vacas are still high. The upper reaches of the East Fork, Cebolla, or the San Antonio above La Cueva are fishing very well. Dry fly fishing with size 12-14 yellow stimulators, red quills, and small parachute adams has been excellent mid-day. There have been reports of sporadic stonefly hatches on the Guadalupe. Forest Road 376 is open from Highway 126 to the Gilman Tunnels. Upper 376 to the San Antonio Hot Springs is scheduled to open on June 1st.
The Chama River above the village of Chama; Poor: 1990 cfs below the town of Tierrra Amarilla; Poor: 1740 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow: and 1270 cfs below Abiquiu Dam; Poor
The fishing is generally fair below El Vado using big nymphs with flash and sparkle or streamers, however the current flows make the river impossible to wade and the water is very murky. Fish the edges and obvious eddies. The Chama River above the village of Chama is in full runoff and is very high and quite cold. The tailwater sections usually fish best at about 150 cfs. The nearby Brazos is also in runoff. 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.
Jicarilla Nation Lakes Fair to Good Fishing has slowed at Stone Lake. The false spawning behavior is gone and most of the fish have left the shallows. Most anglers have reported slow fishing and the wind has definitely been a limiting factor. The best fly fishing has been in the early mornings during the midge hatch and before the wind kicks up. Midges and midge emergers in red and gray in a size 12 and calibaetis nymphs seem to pick up most of the fish. A couple of our customers were out this weekend. They reported that the fish were holding deep between 12 and 20 feet. They found lots of midges and a good mid-day calibaetis hatch near the dam. Stone Lake does have special regulations, but most people are keeping the bigger fish that they catch. Enbom and Mundo were both stocked with larger fish on Tuesday May 13th. Get in on the action when it does happen because I suspect that those fish will end up on a stringer as well! Mundo has bass and catfish as well as trout and can prevent a bust if the other lakes are tough. Enbom has had some pressure. A float tube is absolutely invaluable there. Get out to the Jicarilla lakes this spring; fishing is going to be awesome!
In Southern Colorado:
Conejos River 408 cfs below Platoro Reservoir, 1200 cfs at Mogote; Slow to Fair
"May 19, 2008 Well we had a little epic before it got hot this last couple of days but this morning the Conejos is cookin'! Expect the flows to head towards 2000 cfs soon. With the warm week ahead expect big water for a while. We had some guys up below the dam yesterday till late in the big water and I will be curious if those fish are stacked up on the edges or are uncatchable at this level. Today we are headed up to catch the Splake and Cutts at La Jara Reservoir with the fish finder. Flows on the La Jara are already headed towards fishable so expect a report on that stream soon. Also expect the Los Pinos to drop and clear early. The snowpack has plummeted the last 3 months from about 190 to 115 % so I dont think we will have the extended runoff thru June which puts the big stonefly hatch bag on the table. Two months ago I was cancelling fly orders for the big hatch today looks like we will need them. For those planning expect the flows on the La Jara to get good early, maybe a week or so for the La Jara and by early June on the Los Pinos. The Conejos will fish well early up high but the lower river may be big until the 10th or 15th of June. The high country streams late June. We normally see a nice stonefly hatch on the Los Pinos and the Stones on the Conejos normally are out on the banks starting June 14th". Jon Harp, of Conejos River Anglers provided the preceeding report. Keep looking at the releases out of Platoro Reservoir. If they drop below 200 cfs, the meadows below the dam will fish better.
Rio Grande 698 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge near Creede; Slow to Fair
The upper Rio Grande had been fishing fair lately. Releases have been ramping up out of Rio Grande Reservoir then flattened out at 1100 cfs. Today the release has been reduced and is currently at 698 cfs. There is decent water and the fish are feeding. Big stonefly nymphs and pheasant tails and midges seem to be picking up the most fish. There is lots of water below Wagon Wheel Gap making the river floatable past South Fork.
Arkansas River 1620 cfs at Salida: Fair
Flows throughout the upper Arkansas River basin are down today, the result of cooler weather, but the release out of Twin Lakes went up yesterday morning. With similar weather in the forecast for the next week, expect the river and tributaries to stabilize and probably recede, restoring some clarity and creating some edgewater fishing opportunities. With the high flows, what caddis activity remains may be mostly inaccessible to the fish. Nymphing the deeper holding water and slow runs is probably the best option now. A big stone followed by a large (10-12) copper john is a good combo. Dredge the deeper holding water and seam lines - places that don't change too much with the addition of more water. Get your nymph to the bottom - if it isn't on the fish's nose, he won't take it
Animas River 2640 cfs at Durango; Poor
The Animas River near Durango has doubled in flow over the past week and is very high and roiling. The river is stirred up, the water is cold, and the kayak hatch is underway. The Delores below McPhee is also way up and currently flowing at a whopping 1800 cfs! The upper forks of the Delores are in runoff, with the most fishable section just below Rico. Closer to Pagosa Springs, the Piedra and San Juan have aslo risen dramatically since late last week. Williams Creek below the dam may be the only fishable water in the area. Spring fishing may be tough here as it seems as runoff has already started and is expected to last well into June.
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 Saturday, May 24, 2008
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