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10/26 -- GOOD
Before flows dropped from 650 to 500 CFS Tuesday: "Midging in the morning especially up from Texas Hole has been very good. Try size #22-24 gray, olive, cream, brown, and black midge larvae and pupa in the mornings. There has been a consistent midge hatch from 11:00 till 2:00. Baetis start becoming more active from noon on. Good dry fly action, especially on cloudy days from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoons. Size #20-22 gray, olive, or chocolate baetis emergers and dries in the afternoons will pick up fish. The hatches are better below Texas Hole. Midges will again, become more relevant in late afternoons into the evening." "The BOR will be trying to store as much water as possible but they will not go below the 350 cfs mark as of today’s input. The max they would go down to is 250 cfs but that does not look like it is in the cards for this winter."
10/19 -- GOOD
"Game and Fish stocked over 16,000 fish throughout the quality water of the San Juan. The average size is 10", so there may be a period of anglers catching the smaller fish than the big fish they are accustomed to catching on this world famous fishery. Midging in the morning especially up from Texas Hole has been very good. Try size #22-24 gray, olive, cream, brown, and black midge larvae and pupa in the mornings. There has been a consistent midge hatch from 11:00 till 2:00. Baetis start becoming more active from noon on. Good dry fly action, especially on cloudy days from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoons."
10/12 -- GOOD
10/7 (before flows dropped from 760 to 650 on 10/9) : "The San Juan has fished particularly well over the past few days. The fish have been feeding in riffles turning on baetis. The chocolate and grey foam back emergers behind an olive big mac has been the rig of choice on the upper quality waters. On the lower chernobyl ants and rubber leg pheasant tails have been both fishing well!"
9/28 -- GOOD
"The san juan river has been fishing well in the braids with some bigger fish sitting up in the water column. They will eat woolly buggers. Other great producing flies are blue juju bee midges and the black beauty! Keep your split shot light, a #4 will generally do the trick!!" "there seems to be quite a bit of moss and didymo out there right now, so check and clean your flies, often. The fish are about as fat and healthy right now, as I have ever seen them, and they're out there in good numbers. The cottonwoods are just beginning to take on some fall color and the weather is really hard to beat."
9/21 -- EXCELLENT
9/16: "Excellent fishing on the San Juan at the moment with the river running at 1000cfs. and clear. There is good dry fly, nymphing and streamer fishing."
9/14 -- GOOD
"The water is clear, although there is some moss in the drift. Check you rig and clean the junk off of your flies. Small stuff seems to be the ticket right now."
9/7 -- VERY GOOD
"my advice, dear friends, is to get out there and enjoy it while it lasts--maybe another week, maybe two, maybe longer. Big fish on big flies, it's an opportunity that doesn't come around that often and like fine wine, must be savored." "Fishing was excellent today with several big fish caught."
8/31 -- GOOD
8/26: "With overcast weather and some occasional rain, we got a great BWO hatch on the San Juan. Consequently we saw a lot of fish feeding on the surface providing great dry fly activity." "Go early and stay late. That pretty sums up my advice for fishing the San Juan right now."
8/24 -- GOOD
"The lower juan was productive fishing deep with heavy rigs. The fish were in the deepest parts of the runs and it was taking quite a bit of weight to get down to them. But it was worth it with some really nice browns eating right off the bottom. Thin mints, rainbow warriors, and tequeelys dead drifted were the hot flies for the day."
8/16 -- GOOD
8/12: "flows have recently increased to around 922 cfs, and after a day or so of turbidity, the water has cleared considerably and sight fishing conditions have returned. Small gray midge patterns and gray foam wings seem to be the most consistent producers, if nymphing is your game and you can still find fish rising to midge adults during the midmorning hatch around 10:30 or 11:00."
8/3 -- VERY GOOD
"The San Juan has been fishing very well this week. We got into some great dry fly fishing using predominantly midge patterns. The better flies were the I can see it Midge and pink post parachute hoppers. For nymphing go with baetis and midges."
7/26 -- GOOD
"The upper areas, old catch and release, cable hole and the upper flats is fishing good to great, sight fishing for some major hogs up in the tops of the runs."
7/20 -- GOOD
"The midges we are seeing are still small, but the good news is that we're seeing more of them and the hatches are lasting longer. I've been noticing a lot of fish are on to the emergers, with dorsal and caudal fins on the surface for hours at a time and there's been good reports on effective fishing."
7/13 -- FAIR
"Wednesday night [last week] we got the rain and on Thursday, the ants were out--not in prolific numbers; as in some years past, but in numbers enough to get the fish to feed pretty recklessly on big ant imitation patterns."
7/6 -- GOOD
"great day fishing the San Juan floating a few miles below the quality waters today. The fishing was consistent throughout the day. The fish were sitting in fast shallow riffles. In the morning nymphing produced strong results."
6/29 -- FAIR
"Look for the first emergences of caddis and PMD's in the lower river. The water is clear so it's time to go back to smaller flies. Also, be willing to go and find the fish rather than stay in your favorite spot.
6/21 -- GOOD
"San Juan fished really well today, starting the day with hoppers and getting plenty of action on green cartoon hoppers, black fat alberts and parachute hoppers in black. At the moment with the slightly higher water, there is not much for light tippets."
6/9 -- GOOD
"As the san juan settles back to its traditional flows the fish are moving back to their traditional lies as the water level recedes. Great BWO and midge activity at the moment."
6/1 -- POOR
"if you're wondering how the fishing has been this past week, I'd describe it as a lot like Chuck Norris--tough and kinda dangerous. With present flows exceeding 5,200 cfs, the best and safest way to fish it is from a boat, and with someone that is very experienced with this water, at the oars. Anything else, you're risking life and limb"
| San Juan River Fly Shops and Guides | Fly Shop | Guide Service | Lodging | |
Abes Motel Fly ShopNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 505-632-2194 |
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Anasazi AnglerHesperus, CO | Phone: 970-385-HOOK |
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Andy Kims| Phone: 505-334-0909 |
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Animas Valley AnglersDurango, CO | Phone: 970-259-0484 |
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Ayalas LodgeNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 866-588-3474 |
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Aztec AnglersNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 877-298-3204 |
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Blue Sky Fly FishingNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 505-634-0582 |
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DuranglersDurango, CO | Phone: 888-347-4346 |
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Fisheads San Juan River Lodge1796 New Mexico 173 Navajo Dam, NM | Phone: 505-634-0463 |
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Heads Up Fly FishingDurango, CO | Phone: 970-946-9313 |
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High Country ChartersPagos Springs, CO | Phone: 970-946-5229 |
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High Desert AnglerSanta Fe, NM | Phone: 505-988-7688 |
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Lone Wolf AnglersVallecito Lake, CO | Phone: 970-884-0414 |
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Rainbow LodgeNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 888-328-1858 |
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Rizutos Fly ShopNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 800-525-1437 |
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San Juan River OutfittersNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 505-486-5347 |
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Sandstone AnglersAztec, NM | Phone: 888-339-9789 |
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Soaring Eagle OutfittersNavajo Dam, NM | Phone: 800-866-2719 |
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Tailwater AnglersAztec, NM | Phone: 505-334-6758 |
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The Caddis CompanyDurango, CO | Phone: 970-382-9978 |
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Troutsource Fly ShopGranite Bay, CA | Phone: 916-797-6138 |
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