Planning a Trip to the San Juan?
Our lodge offers guided fishing and comfy rooms right on the river.
Quick Fishing Overview
- Flows: 870 cfs
- Water Temp: 40s (℉)
- Clarity: 7ft visibility
- Nymphing: Great
- Dry Fly: Great
- Streamer: Decent
- Weather: Clouds & sun w/ some rain. AM: 50s/60s. PM: 70s.
- Lower River Guide Trips: We're offering them! Just let us know.
Summary: Similar conditions to last week, so we only updated a couple parts of the report for this week. Conditions keep getting better and better. Highs this week are perfectly in the 70s, and we expect the days ahead to have intermittent cloudiness, which
make for some more excellent dry fly conditions. The water visibility is also improving, which means it's easier for the trout to see when there are bugs on the surface and switch to feeding on them. We've seen risers across all three sections of river we fish, but the Quality Waters seem to be the most active. Of course, nymph rigs and morning streamers are working well. The trout just seem to be happily eating away right now.
Flows and Weather
Detailed Report by River Section
The Quality Waters
Overview: Dry fly fishing has been great here. For several days, we've been able to go out, especially in the afternoons, and find rising trout. Size 18 ants and size 20 and 22 Parachute Adams have worked well. Midge clusters and Comparaduns should also work well. We've had luck fishing various streamers in the AM as well. As always, nymph rigs with two midges or a midge and Baetis work well. We've seen a lot of slate-gray-colored midges and gray Baetis in sizes 22 and 24. We've been looking for tailing fish holding in the shallows and fishing just below the surface using pinch-on indicators and extremely small weights.
Tips/Technique: For dry fly fishing, look for rising fish. We've noticed far more risers in the afternoons and early evenings. Presentation has been far more important than matching the hatch. We've seen trout in the same spot take an ant and a Parachute Adams. The key was that they were presented just 3–4 feet upstream from the fish with no drag.
The Lower River
Overview: The lower river has been fishing well. It's not common, but the Quality Waters continue to be the hot spot for dry fly fishing. Normally, this section is king. Nonetheless, there are still some surface feeders willing to eat dries, and the solitude of this section is always a big plus. Nymph rigs have still been great here; just think bigger bugs. A size 18 Pheasant Tail has been a safe bet, along with worm patterns. Streamers have also been good.
Tips/Technique: For streamer fishing on this section, we've been using long, slow-to-medium-speed strips. Be sure to give the streamer several seconds to get to the bottom. For nymphs, starting your depth at 4 feet is a good place to start. Of course, if you get to a place that is much shallower or deeper than that, adjust accordingly.
The Village
Overview: We've been catching some solid-sized brown trout in this section, not just small stockers. We've seen decent dry fly fishing here too, but it has mostly been smaller fish. Try a size 18 Parachute Adams, an ant, or a beetle. For bigger fish on nymph rigs, try worms, bunny leeches, and Woolly Buggers in sizes 14 to 16 with a Zebra Midge or Pheasant Tail in size 16 or 18 as your dropper fly. You'll also catch bigger fish if you can venture farther away from the parking lots, which are where a lot of stockers are placed.
Tips/Technique: We've noticed good-sized browns hanging close to the faster, deeper water, but not directly in it. If you fish a fast-moving run, fish the slower water between the bank and the fast water. That's where you'll find some solid fish. We use 4X fluorocarbon in this section since the fish aren't as spooky as they are in the Quality Waters.
Current Fly Recs
You can purchase flies and licenses at our fly shop. Many are hand-tied by our own guides.
Sub-Surface Flies
| Name | Colors | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Bunny Leeches | Olive, Gray, Natural | 8 and 10 |
| Vernille San Juan Worm | Brown, Red, Burnt Orange, Natural | 10 to 14 |
| Midge Larvae | Red | 16 to 22 |
| Rojo Midge | Gray, Olive, Brown | 20 to 22 |
| Mono Midge | Black, Olive, Slate, Brown | 20 to 22 |
| Zebra Midge | Black, Slate, Brown | 20 to 22 |
| Foam Wing RS2 | Brown, Black, Gray | 18 to 22 |
| Fluff Baetis | Gray, Brown | 20 - 22 |
| Scintilla Midge | Black, Gray | 20 - 22 |
Dry Flies
| Name | Colors | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Parachute Adams | Standard | 18 to 22 |
| Comparadun | Standard | 18 to 22 |
| Ants | Black | 16 to 18 |
| Hoppers | Gray, Tan, Yellow Variations | 16 to 18 |
Planning a Trip to the San Juan?
Our lodge offers guided fishing and comfy rooms right on the river.