The San
Juan River at Navajo
Dam details
The San Juan is a fantastic tail-water
fishery that flows cold
out from the bottom of Navajo Reservoir. The Juan is the perfect river
for full
and 1/2 day float or wade trips for
all angler abilities. Looking to
learn a few of the San Juan secrets?
Book
an AVA guide to help you decode this
technical fishery that is flat-out
loaded with trout.
The
Juan flows through a true desert canyon with high
sandstone cliffs in bench form, each layer exposing
millions of years of geology. On the river floor,
the river runs slow over shallow riffles and deep
pools, and is surrounded by willows, Broad-leaf
cottonwoods, Russian Olives and Tamarisk. Getting
There
The San Juan is located about an hour
south of
Durango Colorado. The city of Albuquerque,
Farmington and Pagosa Springs are also a short
drive to the river. Albuquerque is about
3 hours, and Farmington is 40 minutes and Pagosa Springs is an hour and
some change.
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 San
Juan reports and fishing news
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San
Juan Quality Waters,
Mid and Lower
River flows,
guide reports
and hatches
9-15-11 |
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Flows
and Fishing Report
for the San Juan
QW
San Juan Quality Waters below Navajo Dam are 600 CFS, a drop from 800. This
is still a great flow for late summer and early fall. It is a good flow
from a wade or float standpoint. Despite marginal hatches, fishing has been
excellent most days.
Guide
Activity
All Guides
Guide
Report
July 5 2011
Guide:
Will, Chris and Tim
Section:
Quality Waters Texas Hole
and mid float
Weather:
Sun | Am temps 79 F PM temps
98 F
Hatches:
Midges, PMDs
Fishing:
Great! Missed a few and got a few.
Guide
Report
Jan 6 2011
Guide:
Will
Section:
Quality Waters Texas Hole
to Pit
Weather:
Sun | Am temps 12 F
PM temps 32 F
Hatches:
Midges midday.
Fishing:
Good nymph fishing with "junk"
patterns. The Fish did not
seem in the
mood
to nose-up on the surface
despite a good number of
midges on the water. The
dry fly fishing was very
good prior to the lake turning
over. We'll see once the
clarity improves.
Guide
Report
June 6 2010
Guide:
Aaron Hyder
Section:
Quality Waters Texas
Hole to Pit
Weather:
Sun
| Am temps 61 F PM
temps 93 F
Hatches:
Midges in the AM and some
BWOs late in the afternoon.
Fishing:
Great day for sure;
roped into a couple
big "Donkeys" in
the morning and
then hooked a few
nice fish on big
dries. Who would
have
thought
dry fly season
was underway? Aaron
did and it paid
off.
Guide
Report
April 12 2010
Guide:
Will
Section:
Quality Waters Texas
Hole to Pit
Weather:
Sun, clouds and wind
| Am temps 42 F PM temps
62
F
Hatches:
Midges in the AM
and some small BWOs
in PM
Fishing:
Good fishing with red
annelids and midges.
Guide
Report
March 12 2010
Guide:
Will
Section:
Quality Waters Texas
Hole to Pit
Weather:
Sun with some clouds
| Am temps 22 F PM
temps 59 F
Hatches:
Midges in the AM and some
small BWOs in PM
Fishing:
Very good with midge pupa
fished deep. Great day on
the water.
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Hatches
Main
winter hatches for the
San Juan: Midges and
some small BWOs.
-
Dec/Jan:
Midges, BWOs, leeches,
eggs, annelids and
worms
-
Feb/March:
Midges, BWOs, leeches
and junk patterns
(worms and eggs)
-
April:
BWOs and midges,
junk patterns when
flows bump
-
May:
BWOs, midges, mosquito's,
eggs, worms, annelids
and streamers
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June:
BWOs, midges, annelids
and caddis
-
July:
BWOs, midges, caddis,
PMDs, annelids, ants
and hoppers
-
August:
BWOs, midges, PMDs,
ants, hoppers and
streamers
-
September:
BWOs, midges, hoppers
and streamers
-
October/November:
BWOs, midges and
streamers
Insects
and food in the system:
Caddis pupa, larva, midges,
mayfly nymphs, snails,
black fly larva, crane
flies, eggs, worms and
fry
Fly
Patterns QW
Midges
Midge
pupa vary greatly on
the Juan. Most are gray,
black and olive. Size range
from large #18 to micro
#32. Adults
are typically black,
or black and gray in a
# 24
to #30.
Various times olive
adult will dominate
in the same
size range. The key
to fishing midges on the
Juan
is being very observant.
That goes for size
and color for both adults
and midge pupa.
Beatis
(BWO) BWOs
are just important
as midges on the
Juan. Brown, tan,
chocolate and gray
wd40s, foam wings,
RS2s and Juju beatis
are common emergers
and nymph patterns.
Typical baetis emergers.
JUNK? When
the water is clear
or stained, various
junk patterns can be
very productive. Eggs
and worms ranging from
natural colors to bright
reds and oranges will
produce. With the water
green to
clear fish bright patterns
above natural patterns.
Larva
and red annelids in
#18 to #24.
Buggers and leeches
will also take fish.
Leeches in white,
gray and black.
Some scuds as well
in #22 gray.
Lower
River
BWOs ranging from #18 to
#22 in brown, chocolate
and gray. Caddis emergers
and pupa in #16. Streamers
in black, brown and olive.
Vary the size of streamers
and experiment your stripping
speed. Eggs
and worms.
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Predictions
and forecast
River
will stabilize over
the next few weeks.
Visibility will remain
in the one to 3 foot
range for awhile. Fishing
should still be good
though...just got to
get out there.
Guided
fly fishing on
the San Juan below
Navajo Dam
The
San Juan River below
Navajo Dam offers both
beginner and expert
fly anglers a chance
at quality trout and
lots of them. The Juan
fishes well year-round.
We
offer float and wade
guide trips on all
sections of the San
Juan below Navajo
Dam. Steady fishing
can be found throughout
the winter, spring,
summer and fall months.
Book a trip today
for this world-famous
fishery.
Trophy
Trout Quality
Waters
The Quality
Water section, located below
Navajo Dam in the Navajo Lake State
Park, is
one of the top
tailwater fisheries here
in the US. In the first few miles the
San Juan is known for big trout and
lots of them. The Juan is home to thousands
of fish per mile.
Packed full of trout; 10, 25 even 40
hookups per angler, per day is possible. Fish
size averages between 12 to 20 inches.
A 16 inch bow seems to be the typical
fish these day.
Lower
River
The
San Juan below the Quality Waters is know
as the Lower River,
and this section flows over numerous riffles,
and is home to a large number of fish.
Brown trout tend to out number the bows
and they can be very aggressive to a dry
or streamer. Fish size ranges between 10
and 15 inches the average seems to be 13
inch browns. But hold on, there are some
monster bows and browns lurking about in
the lower river. When the river is on,
an angler can have a large number of fish
to the fly.
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