Planning a Trip to the San Juan?
Our lodge offers guided fishing and comfy rooms right on the river.
Quick Fishing Overview
- Flows: ~800 cfs
- Water Temp: 40s (℉)
- Clarity: 5ft visibility
- Nymphing: Great
- Dry Fly: Decent
- Streamer: Decent
- Weather: Sunny. AM: 50s/60s. PM: 80s/90s w/ gusts.
- Lower River Guide Trips: Yes, just talk to the front desk!
Summary: Things are pretty stead state right now. Both the water clarity and the flows are the same as last week with all river sections fishing well. Fish patterns like leeches and worms in addition to the usual midges and mayflies.
The Bureau of Reclamation is releasing water from what we call the "four by," which is causing the water to be off-color. Neither the fish nor we mind it though, since they keep eating away and the off-color water keeps them from noticing your leader as easily. With flows at nice 800cfs, the trout are continuing to eat larger flies. See below for full details.
Flows and Weather
Detailed Report by River Section
The Quality Waters
Overview: Nymph rigs continue to catch the most fish on this section. The fish have been eating a mix of larger flies like bunny leeches and San Juan Worms, but the water is clear enough that they also still key in on the tinier bugs. Thread midges, Big Macs, and RS2s have been working well (see fly recs at the bottom of the page). Dry fly fishing has been decent, but it’s not quite at its summer peak. Our monsoon season should help kick off the ant fall, and hoppers should come up in July and August. Streamer fishing is fair. Keep them close to the bottom and use long, slow strips.
Tips/Technique: You can fish 4x if you use a leech or San Juan Worm on top. If you choose to fish two small flies, go with 5x for both. We always use fluorocarbon tippet when fishing subsurface. If fishing a nymph rig, err on the side of placing more weight above your fly rather than less. 800 cfs is a higher flow for the San Juan, and you want to ensure your flies get down to the fish.
The Lower River
Overview: The lower river is by far the clearest section and is fishing well. The dry-fly fishing continues to pick up here, with a few guides scooping up solid trout on hoppers. Nymph rigs are also working well on midge, mayfly, and caddis imitations in the 18–22 range. Streamer fishing is decent here as well.
Tips/Technique: 4x tippet is still fine here. Even though the water is clear, the fish aren't nearly as pressured as in the famed Quality Waters. Fish monofilament for dry flies and fluorocarbon for nymph rigs. 1x has been our choice for streamers.
The Village
Overview: Fishing here has been consistent. We’re seeing PMDs and caddis on top of the normal midge activity. The water isn’t quite as clear as the lower river, but it’s a bit better than the quality waters, so we’re still having most of our success on nymph rigs. Prince Nymphs, RS2s, midge larvae, and San Juan Worms are all working decently.
Tips/Technique: You can still fish 4x in this section since the fish are less pressured. They're not nearly as leader-shy.
Current Fly Recs
You can purchase flies and licenses at our fly shop. Many are hand-tied by our guides themselves.
Sub-Surface Flies
| Name | Colors | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Vernille San Juan Worm | Brown, Black, Natural | 10 to 14 |
| Midge Larvae | Red | 16 to 20 |
| Rojo Midge | Gray, Olive, Brown | 20 to 22 |
| Mono Midge | Black, Olive, Brown | 20 to 22 |
| Foam Wing RS2 | Brown, Black, Gray | 18 to 20 |
| Bunny Leeches | Black, Olive, Gray, Natural, White | 6 and 8 |
Dry Flies
| Name | Colors | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Parachute Adams | Standard | 20 to 22 |
| Comparadun | Standard | 20 to 22 |
| Rosenbauer Parachute Beetle | Black | 10 to 24 |
| Cartoon Hopper | Gray, Olive, Brown Flash! | 4 to 8 |
| Ants | Black | 12 to 16 |
Planning a Trip to the San Juan?
Our lodge offers guided fishing and comfy rooms right on the river.