End of March Fishing Report
San Juan River Fishing Report & News
Chris Taylor, Fisheads of the San Juan’s Tip of the Week
The river is running at 272cfs. The water is turbid from all the rainwater that entered the lake last fall and normal winter lake turnover. Fishing has been good! Fish worm imitations and egg patterns. Bright colored larvae should also work well. I would expect the water to remain turbid until later in the spring. The off-color water makes it easier to fool fish as they can’t see as well. Many of the river’s largest fish are caught during the winter and spring when the water isn’t as clear and the pressure from anglers is much less. The Southwest has been experiencing a very mild winter this year and fishing has been great!
Water Flow Data
5-Day Outlook as of 3/30/26
The weather this week is rain to partly cloudy. It is going to be in the 60’s this week. Back to normal spring conditions. The cloudy days will produce some big hatches. Don’t be afraid to throw some realistic insect imitations, the fish will be looking for them. It is cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoon so wear layers you can take off. This weather is producing some great blue winged olive hatches in the afternoons. I have seen some great midge hatches lately with a few fish finding clusters of them on top. Streamer fishing has been good in the quality waters.
Techniques & Tips as of 3/30/26
Fish fluorocarbon tippets at the end of your mono-filament leader when nymph fishing. 4X to the first fly and 5X to the dropper. This will produce more strikes as the fish can’t see the fluorocarbon. Fish an attractor fly like a bunny leach or an egg pattern to a colored larvae or a fly with flash on it. We are finding lots of baetis, especially on cloudy afternoons. Baetis live in fast water so look for them in the riffles at the top of holes and at the bottom of holes in the tail out. Fish are eating gray, olive and brown mayfly nymphs in these places, it just depends on the day so have them all. You may have the chance to see fish on top during this time. A parachute Adams or comparadun should do the job. The may flies are blue-gray and are about size 22. Use dark colored wings as the fish are turning away from white wings. If you can’t see this try a marker fly about 12 inches above the baetis. You should fish mono-filament tippets when fishing on the surface as fluorocarbon sinks. Change back to midges when the fish stop eating your may flies. Try some bunny leaches if all else fails. Dead drift them like the rest of your nymphs. Fish are eating them for moss! They will shake the drifting moss to get the bugs out. All this goes out the door when fishing streamers. Get them on the bottom and fish 1X fluorocarbon.
Chris Taylor, Fisheads of the San Juan’s Recommended Fly Patterns
“Must-have” fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:
| Name: | Colors: | Size(s): |
|---|---|---|
| Vernille San Juan Worm | Brown, Black, Natura | 8, 14 |
| Lynch’s Double Dot Egg | Orange Blood Dot | 18 |
| Griffith’s Gnat | Black, Olive | 18 |
| Rojo Midge | Gray, Olive, Brown, | 20 to 22 |
| Midge Larvae | Gray, Red, Olive, Br | 18 to 24 |
| Foam Wing RS2 | Brown, Black, Gray, | 18 to 24 |
| Rosenbauer Parachute Beetle | Black | 10 to 24 |
| Cartoon Hopper | Gray, Olive, Brown flash! | 4 to 8 |
| Bunny Leaches | Black, Olive, Gray, Natural, White | 6 and 8 |
| Ants | Black | 12 to 16 |
