Rio Epic Fishing Reports, River News & Flow Information



Fishing and guide reports for the San Juan Quality Waters, Rio Grande, Dolores, Pine, Animas and other streams of Southwest Colorado. Snowpack, snow science and USGS stream flows. We try to update when we can, but we are on the water way more than on the computer!



Rio Grande - News and Reports



Rio Grande - Headwaters to South Fork



The Rio is currently very low flowing from 30 Mile Reservoir. Most of the river iced and snowed over from the headwaters to below Del Norte.

Hatch Watch: BWOs in April and early May. Salmon flies and Caddis mid June. Other stones and Golden Stones mixed in mid June to late June. Drakes late June and early July. PMDs late June through early July. Tricos mid July through early August. Hoppers all summer!

We'll be looking for the ice to break and fishing flows to return in mid April.



San Juan NM - News and Reports



San Juan (New Mexico) - Quality Waters | Mid River | Lower



The San Juan located below Navajo Dam is currently low flowing 350 CFS from the lake. Flows are clear-ish with solid spring fishing. Midges are giving way to nice afternoon BWO hatches. Junk patterns like eggs and leeches are getting play plus annelids and small worms. Streamers are also working well. At times and in certain places some sweet dry fly fishing.

We'll be looking to see flow increases in the spring.

FLOW NEWS - BUREAU OF RECLAMATION NAVAJO RESERVOIR RELEASES
Via Email - BUREAU OF RECLAMATION NAVAJO DAM RELEASES
March 16th, 2022
In response to increasing flows in the critical habitat reach, the Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled a decrease in the release from Navajo Dam from 400 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 350 cfs for Thursday, March 17th, at 4:00 AM.

The San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program recommends a target base flow of between 500 cfs and 1,000 cfs through the critical habitat area. The target base flow is calculated as the weekly average of gaged flows throughout the critical habitat area from Farmington to Lake Powell. This scheduled release change is subject to changes in river flows and weather conditions.



Pine River - News And Reports



Pine River - Above and Below Vallecito



Upper Pine: The Pine above Vallecito is currently low and currently iced and snowed over in most spots. The canyon holds snow for a long time and late spring will offer the first fishing of the year.

Lower Pine (Below Vallecito): Is extremely low with flows around 4-6 CFS. Fingers crossed we see an increase in flows soon. It has been a long winter of low flows for the trout. Flows should bump late in March or early April.



Animas River - News and Reports



Animas River - Durango



Animas River, flowing near Durango has flow winter flows but fishing has been pretty steady. More info soon!



Dolores River - News and Reports



Dolores River - Above and below McPhee



Upper Dolores: The Dolores is currently low and pretty much iced and snowed over in most spots.

Lower Dolores (Below McPhee): Is extremely low this winter. An absurd 4-6 CFS! Poor management continues. Fingers crossed we see an increase in flows.

We'll be looking for the ice to break, weather to warm and fishing flows to return sometime in mid to late March.



Mountain Streams - News and Reports



Mountain Streams



Pretty much all mountain streams and creeks are iced and snowed over.

We'll be looking for the ice to break and fishing flows to return in the late spring of 2022.



Southwest Fly Fishing Guide Service



durango | creede | southfork | silverton | navajo dam | pagosa springs | dolores
Rio Epic: 970-259-0484
Colorado guide license #2008 | © Rio Epic 1999 - 2022