Seasons Greeting from Fisheads

San Juan River Fishing Report & News

Season’s Greetings, Friends of Fisheads!

The entire crew of Fisheads San Juan River Lodge, and I, want to thank you all for another great year. We want to thank you for fishing and staying with us.  You are what make Fisheads successful. Many of you have become friends and we look forward to seeing you as we begin our Seventh year! Though many of you have met him, Fisheads would like to welcome, Franklin Jones, our new fly shop manager. Franklin hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have completed the purchase of the Quality Waters Inn and added a new house, Rocky’s Place, to our rental inventory.

With the holidays closing in on us, we want to remind you to get your orders in for any gifts (to yourself or to others) you might want to order. Maybe you’re not sure what to get for one of your loved ones? We offer gift certificates, Who wouldn’t want a fishing trip for Christmas!


We carry a wide selection of Orvis rods and reels that are right for any skill level and budget. The guides of Fisheads recommend one of our ten foot fly rods for its great reach, exact mending and unparalleled presentation. The Helios 2 rod is hands down our favorite and available NOW. Make yourOrvis order with us and get free shipping on orders over $50.00. The Fly Shop has added a magnetic fly box with an assortment of San Juan River flies. This is a bargain at $39.99. Fisheads has a lot of great gifts; waders and boots, wading staffs, hats and t-shirts, and if we don’t carry it, we can order it with FREE shipping.

2015 was another excellent year for fishing the San Juan River! Our cold clear waters continue to amaze me with the abundant insect life and large fish populations. We saw all day long hatches of midges for the entire year getting our fish fat for this winter. The water is about as clear as I have ever seen it which offers the occasional glimpse of some of the giant trout that live in these waters. I am talking about fish over fifteen pounds that will occasionally take fish off our hooks!The river is producing lots of giant browns and rainbows. It’s all about the food source. A fish can only grow so large eating small insects but the sky is the limit when they have an endless supply of little fish to eat. I can’t wait to see what we catch this winter and next year.

The months of November through February are some of the best times of the year to fish the river. The crowds of fall are gone, the BWO and midge hatches are on fire and the fishing is excellent. With the average daytime temperatures in the high 40’s or low 50’s you can’t find a better winter fishery in the US. This is why the San Juan River is a year round fly anglers dream.

The monsoon precipitation was a little more active this summer. The lake is in real good shape. With average snowpack, and if all goes well, we should have high water flows this spring.

We know that the rest of the town closes down for the winter, but not Fisheads. The fly shop, lodge and restaurant are open early and close late all year long, Christmas day excluded. Stop by, you won’t be disappointed. The Back Cast Café also has a banquet room for groups and a full catering menu to go with it. We can provide a place for your meeting or party, whether the group is large or small.

We want to thank everyone for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you this winter and next year.  2015 has been a great year, and we are looking forward to see what 2016 will bring.

Happy and safe holidays and a Merry Christmas to all the Fisheads out there from the entire staff here at Fisheads San Juan River Lodge.

Tight lines, Chris Taylor, the head Fishead!

Call Us Today to order anything from www.orvis.com or to purchase a Fisheads Gift Certificate. (505)632-1411

P.S. Looking for a way to drop a hint? Forward this newsletter to your Fishead friends or maybe just your special Santa!

San Juan River NM Water Flow CFS