Weekly Fishing Report May 11, 2026
Planning a Trip to the San Juan?
Our lodge offers guided fishing and comfy rooms right on the river.
Fishing Overview
- Flows: 563cfs
- Water Temps: 40s (℉)
- Clarity: Turbid
- Nymphing: Great
- Dry Fly: Good (Lower River)
- Streamer: Good
- Weather: Lows in the 40s, highs in 70s. Sunny w/ PM winds.
- Lower River Guide Trips: Ask your guide. Shallow gravel galore.
Summary: Varying flows will keep us on our toes! Turbid water means fish are less skittish and eager to eat. Dry fly fishing is picking up on the Lower River.
The fishing remains excellent across all sections of the river. THE BIG THING IN PLAY this week is flow changes: The Bureau of Reclamation has been bumping flows up and down a bit as needed to meet water requirements at Shiprock. The San Juan supplements other rivers so when they flow lower, we go higher. When they go higher, we flow lower. The fish are still eating well during these changes, but the key to catching them is checking the flows daily for changes and getting experimental. The fish may move with the flow changes, both in terms of location in the river and the depth of the water column. Don't be afraid to "hunt" for them and try fishing your rig at different depths. Changes in flow tend to stir more things into the water, so we've been fishing worms, eggs, and leech patterns with success.
How Each Section is Fishing
The Quality Waters
Overview: The "QW" is doing great. Nymphing always works well, but we're starting to see some dry fly action come into play in the afternoons. Streamer fishing has also been good. Worm imitations, egg patterns, bright-colored larva, bunny leeches, and flies with some flash have all been productive. Small dry flies have been key. See the tips below for more info.
Tips/Technique: For nymphing, fish fluorocarbon tippet at the end of your monofilament leader, with 4X to the first fly and 5X to the dropper. Baetis have been active, especially on cloudy afternoons, so look for fish eating gray, olive, and brown mayfly nymphs in riffles, tailouts, and faster water. If fish are feeding on top, try a parachute Adams or comparadun in about a size 22, preferably with darker wings. When fishing dries, switch back to monofilament tippet because fluorocarbon sinks. For streamers, get them down near the bottom and fish 1X fluorocarbon.
The Lower River
Overview: The bumps in flow have enabled us to fish this section and it's doing fairly well on dry flies. Lots of feisty browns and solitude. Since this section is on private land with irrigation draws, we tend fish it when flows are 500cfs or more.
Tips/Technique: The bugs on the lower river are larger than the ones in Quality Waters and the fish are bit more boat shy. Think larger dry flies (12 - 18) and longer casts. Both mayflies and Caddis are coming into play.
The Village
Overview: Fishing here has been consistent with many trout eager to eat larger Baetis nymphs throughout the day.
Tips/Technique: A leech or a worm on top with a size 18 - 20 Baetis as the dropper fly has been doing well. Pheasant Tails and Prince Nymphs also have also been productive droppers.
Current Fly Recommendations
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 | 8, 14 |
| Lynch's Double Dot Egg | Orange Blood Dot | 18 |
| Rojo Midge | Gray, Olive, Brown | 20 to 22 |
| Midge Larvae | Gray, Red, Olive, Brown | 18 to 24 |
| Foam Wing RS2 | Brown, Black, Gray | 18 to 24 |
| 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.