Planning a Trip to the San Juan?
Our lodge offers guided fishing and comfy rooms right on the river.
Quick Fishing Overview
- Flows: 1,000 cfs
- Water Temp: 40s (℉)
- Clarity: 5ft visibility
- Nymphing: Great
- Dry Fly: Decent
- Streamer: Decent
- Weather: Sunny. AM: 60s. PM: 90s w/ 20mph gusts.
- Lower River Guide Trips: Yes, just talk to the front desk!
Summary: The water is clearing at a faster pace. Leech and worm immitations trailed by a flash midge or brighter colored larva pattern still seem to be what's working best. Dry fly fishing is also picking up. We're seeing some mini ant falls after rain storms.
We're hoping for the big ant fall sometime this month, if not in early August. For those that don't know about our ant fall, it's a period of about 24 to 48 hours after the first huge rainstorm of the summer where honeypot ants mate and fall on the water. During the period the trout eat dry flies all day without much caution. For those who happen to catch it, it's a nonstop blast!
Flows and Weather
Detailed Report by River Section
The Quality Waters
Overview: Thing are getting "buggier" as the water clears. We're fishing lots more tiny midges and mayflies subsurface, but that bug action also means dry fly fishing. We're seeing afternoon BWO hatches coming off nicely on cloudy days. The summer is advanced enough that hoppers, beetles, and ants are also fishing well. With so much bug action, streams will fish so/so until fall hits. Our monsoon season is here and we're hoping for the big ant fall event.
Tips/Technique: Did you know that when we fish leeches, we’re often not imitating leeches? Midge pupae and larvae cling to moss. The trout know this and chew at passing bits of moss to extract the midges from them. This is why a natural-colored or olive leech is always a safe bet on our river: there are always some bug-filled morsels of moss floating downstream.
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 OK to use here even if the water is clearer. The fish aren't nearly as pressured in this section as in the famed Quality Waters, where 5x and 6x are the norm. 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.