Caught this guy first couple of casts of the morning off the fly rod. Throwing a size 4 streamer fly with a strike indicator. Bluewater Lake is a 1200 acre lake located in Cibola county. During the summer months you can more easily take advantage of the massive caddis fly hatches that allow the local trout to grow to such a large size. Continental Res. Copyright 2021 DIY Fly Fishing, all rights reserved. You could fly into Denver or Colorado Springs, but they are over 4 hours drive away. The nearest regional airport is the San Luis Valley airport in Alamosa, CO, and it is roughly an hour’s drive from Creede. Luna Lake is a 75-acre impoundment of the upper San Francisco River. It took us about an houre to get one but after ...more that we were getting one after the other. The Upper Rio Grande area offers some of the best fishing in Colorado. A section of the Rio Grande in Socorro County, New Mexico. The Rio Grande Gorge is the epitome of wild freestone river fishing. Fishing is incredible with dry flies in the evenings, terrestrials on hot afternoons, and nymph/wet fly-fishing all day. It runs on the west side of the Rio Grande. Best Places to Fish the Rio Grande River. RIO GRANDE DEL RANCHO (LITTLE RIO GRANDE), B-7. Lodges, guides, and outfitters in areas like San Martin, Esquel, Junin, and Rio Pico are great for those new to trout fishing looking for a week of detailed, on-water instruction. This stamp is included in any fishing or hunting license, or you can buy the stamp separately. After a 7:00am breakfast, anglers will drive 5-15 minutes to the river and return to the lodge for lunch and siesta before the 5 … The Upper Rio Grande area offers some of the best fishing in Colorado. Online and in-person, check with knowledgeable outdoor shops, license vendors, fishing lodges, guides and outfitters. More experienced anglers can focus on technical dry fly fishing or hunting huge trout in a variety of different rivers and streams. There are a number of area fly shops and on-line retailers that publish Rio Grande River fishing reports. Get directions to access points, boat ramps, and real-time USGS stream flow data. It offers not only great fly fishing action for anglers, but also exceptional ease of access and some of the largest trout to be had in the southern reaches of the state. Here are some patterns that have proven most successful for anglers on the Rio Grande River: A 9-foot 5-wt fly rod with floating line is perfect for fishing dry flies and small nymphs on the Rio Grande River. 24 in. Get free map for your website. Float Trips. Gold Medal waters on the river and an abundance of creeks, lakes, and reservoirs offer year-round fishing for the avid fisherman! When flows normalize in mid-September (300 to 400cfs at the New Mexico - Colorado State line) through October the fishing in "The Box" can be excellent. As with all rivers in Colorado you can fish year round, but the best season for fly fishing is definitely that mid-June to October window. It is stocked above and below the Corrales Bridge and the Rio Bravo Bridge in the south valley. View Map. Learn More Improving Our Ecosystem By Building The Largest Industrial Scale Nursery Reef. This map contains all public fishing access areas, campgrounds, boat put in locations, parking areas and BLM Public Land areas. Way to go Carl! All Rights Reserved. Uncontrolled by dams for the most part, the river is influenced almost completely by nature. Gold Medal waters on the river and an abundance of creeks, lakes, and reservoirs provide year-round opportunities for the avid fisherman! Clear Creek - Begin fishing at the base of clear creek falls and continue downstream until the creek intersects with the rio grande river. But Its always nice to get out and fish. River, Ice Fishing Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout Creede Area Ice Fishing River Rainbow Trout Brown Trout Rio Grande - Marshall Park Campground. Rio Grande River Map and Fishing Access Sites. A few to check out are listed below. You can take Highway 160 here to follow the river, and there are numerous public access points that are distributed all along the way that make for some decent fishing. Links to gauges of interest are provided below. Lakes & Reservoirs My first trout back in June! Starting at 12,000 feet elevation high in the San Juan Mountains, the Rio Grande’s initial 25 miles run through thickly forested terrain, and much of the river is wading depth until it reaches Box Canyon. Year-round, the ditches have carp, bass, suckers, brown trout, and sunfish. It’s truly #dryordie fishing. Get the latest up to date fly fishing report for Trout fishing in Rio Grande with the top producing flies and recommended equipment to get you into fish. South of Cochiti Lake there is warm-water species (channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass) with rainbow trout in the tail waters below reservoirs. went out fishing with my friend a few months ago and just found the picture now.He caught the biggest one of the day. Creede is really the best spot for accommodations, but South Fork and Del Norte also have numerous places to stay that are both budget friendly and locally run. Welcome to the most complete directory of fishing locations in the area Channel Catfish with a Danny Kings pinchbait. Mid morning to late afternoon offers the best wade fishing, and if you decide to float the lower reaches near South Fork you can fish all day and still land some excellent catches. Get your license or stamp at any of our local fishing outfitters. The waters up here are mostly wadeable, with the exception of Box Canyon. For its first 25 miles or so, the river runs through forest lands. Stream gauges maintained by the Colorado Water Resources division provide real-time stream flow for the Rio Grande River. __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"62516":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default Palette","value":{"colors":{"62516":{"val":"var(--tcb-skin-color-0)"}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Upper Rio Grande River in Colorado, Bead Head Wooly Bugger Streamers (tan #8), DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing Cochetopa Creek in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Florida River in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Crystal River in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing South Boulder Creek in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Elk River in Colorado. Although the hatch may occur during runoff, the water is clear enough to permit dry-fly fishing. If you prefer to rough it there are dozens of public camping areas all along Highway 160 following the river for much of its flow from Creede to Del Norte. Drift boats frequent the river during the float season, leaving plenty of room for the wade fisherman. The Albuquerque Riverside Drain, which runs along the east side of the river, is good for bait fishing. Online and in-person, check with knowledgeable outdoor shops, license vendors, fishing lodges, guides and outfitters. Cochiti Lake is an earthen fill dam located on the Rio Grande in Sandoval County. But Its always nice to get out and fish. Argentina Sea Trout Fishing at the Rio Grande offers access to sea trouts over 30 lbs. The Rio Grande in Albuquerque is also available for fishing. My first trout back in June! Following lunch and a siesta (the duration depends on the season), guests return to the river in the late afternoon and fish until dark. The Upper Rio Grande area offers some of the best fishing in Colorado. If you keep following the river towards Del Norte though, you will find the Rio Grande’s prime float fishing waters. All kinds of trout from rainbows to browns can be found in these waters, but the Rio Grande is best known for its gigantic brown trout. Alberta Park Res. The salmon fly hatch typically occurs mid- to late June. Photo: Gwyn Carmean Friends of Rio Grande Valley Reef is dedicated to assisting on permitting and funding an artificial reef north of the South Padre Island jetties in State waters. Rio Grande Res. Check out our interactive map of over 30,000 of the best places to fly fish in the US. The nearby town of Creede also caters to the fishing tourism trade, and makes a great base of operations for your fly fishing excursions along the Rio Grande in any season. Browns love the shallow pockets … See also Family Fishing . View the DIY Fly Fishing Web Map to get turn-by-turn directions to the access points shown on the map above. cought this guy by wading in the middle of the river and casted twards the bank near some trees and this guy game and bit it. The following New Mexico Fishing Waters (PDFs) are available for download (below), and in the current New Mexico Fishing Rules and Info booklet in publications. Carl Ochnio embraces the DIY fly fishing spirit on his annual Colorado fly fishing adventure including some time spent on the Rio Grande River. this was a while ago it is way to ...more cold to do that now,,,, 4 lb. The Box The Rio Grande Gorge referred to by many, as the Box is about 70 miles long. Rio Grande - Fisherman's Access at Rio Grande Campground. The threads of Spanish history can still be found amongst the tapestry of culture in southern Colorado, particularly in the place names, towns, and the fast flowing waters of the rivers themselves. A tapered 9-foot leader, with tippet size 3X to 6X to match the flies you are throwing, is pretty standard. It was towards the end of a willow fly hatch so topwater action had slowed down a lot. The Rio Grande Reservoir lies 1 hour from Creede and 1.2 hours from Lake City. Friends of Rio Grande Valley Reef is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to building and restoring fish habitat, including nursery reefs, to put fish back in the Gulf of Mexico. Brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout. Area Drain Maps: Bernalillo - Albuquerque - Corrales - Belen - Peralta (Updated) 18 in. The caddis hatch is the the one you don’t want to miss, especially downstream from Creede, so pack your flies accordingly. Finally, sedimentation and high levels of precipitation allowed the lake to breach a low rise to the south, draining some 100 cubic kilometers of water and cutting the 600-foot-deep Rio Grande gorge west of Taos, New Mexico. 6 oz. An email address is required to associate with your Fishidy premium subscription. Also included are insect hatch chart and float charts. The original intent for the reservoir created behind it was for agriculture in the San Luis Valley , but over the years the lake has grown in popularity for fishing and recreation. Further downstream is the town of South Fork, where the Rio Grande meets its South Fork at Wolf Creek Pass. 4 lb. Rio Grande Gorge above Pilar. For those that prefer to wade and fish, the upper sections of the Rio Grande are going to be your best bet. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. Besides to the Colorado River itself, the Rio Grande is one of the largest and most famous rivers flowing through southern Colorado. This page shows the location of Rio Grande River, El Paso, NM 79922, USA on a detailed satellite map. The water was at 59 degrees. The reservoir is known for its trout fishing. Like all Rio Grande fishing lodges, Despedida anglers will fish hard in the morning and from late afternoon until dusk when Sea Run Brown Trout are most active. The Rio Grande is the second […] This reef will contain the normal large… Poage Lake W. San Francisco Lk. For those that prefer to wade and fish, the upper sections of the Rio Grande are going to be your best bet. Mar 31, 2015 - Rio Grande River Details: Largemouth Bass with a White buzz bait Heyy how's it going guys, I caught this bad boy on a white buzz bait! Small but fun! No motorized boats are allowed on this stretch of … View the DIY Fly Fishing Web Map to get turn-by-turn directions to the access points shown on the map above. The dry fly fishing in high summer is top notch, and there are numerous pockets and riffles in the late spring and early summer when the water level is higher right after runoff. The Rio Grande headwaters start in the dramatic San Juan Mountains at over 12,000 feet elevation. Besides the spring Caddis hatch, the Rio Grande is very unpredictable. Fishing map for the Rio Grande River in Colorado covers over 95 river miles from it's headwaters to Del Norte, CO. Our other fishing includes Argentina trout fishing, steelhead fishing, trout fishing, salmon fishing, boat fishing, Montana fly fishing, Ireland fishing, Bonefish, Peacock Bass fishing, Mongolia Taimen fishing and more. The Rio Grande is truly one of the best “unknown” rivers in America. Lakes & Reservoirs A small tributary to the Rio Pueblo de Taos east of Ranchos de Taos. Call the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish at (505) 222-4700 for complete details of fishing in and around Albuquerque. © 2021 Fishidy. Discover the beauty hidden in the maps. Gold Medal waters on the river and an abundance of creeks, lakes, and reservoirs provide year-round opportunities for the avid fisherman! Be aware that you will need to deal with traffic noise, and the easier the public access is the more anglers you will find yourself competing with in peak season, too. The Rio Grande is home to abundant stoneflies, and the salmon fly hatch of mid- to late June can be heavy. Fishing in Southern Colorado. West of Creede, CO 149 swings north, and Forest Road 520, located about 18 miles west of Creede, provides access to the river below and above Rio Grande Reservoir. As a trout fishing resource, the Rio Grande … Check out our DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing in Colorado. Just a few miles west of Taos is the 70-mile long Rio Grande Gorge runs through the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Primarily settled by the Spanish as early as the 16th century thanks to land grants provided by the Spanish governors of Mexico, this area was Spanish territory up until about 1848 when it was ceded to the westward expanding United States. Maphill is more than just a map gallery. Beaverr Creek Res. You are trying to access a feature that requires a Fishidy account. Find out where the action is, what the water conditions are and everything you need for a successful day on the water! Floating is not as popular here as it is in some parts of Colorado, and you can bag some very sizeable catches with minimal effort if you are willing to float the river instead of wading. Choose from several map styles. Details: Brown Trout with a Gold cast master, Details: Brown Trout with a Gold Colorado Spinner, I caught this beautiful brown out of the Rio Grande river in Colorado, Details: Golden Rainbow Trout with a Kiwi minnow muddler streamer. The Rio Grande River flows out of Southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley into the 70 mile long Rio Grande Gorge, a sheer canyon running parallel to and slightly west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Taos. U per Seepage Lake P a s s C reek La G a r it aCre k B e a v e r C r e e k S a n F r a n c i s c o C r e e T k r o u t C re e k P i n o s C r e e k Carnero Cre e k M i n e r s C r e e k … The Rio Grande Reservoir is located along this road, about 13 miles from Highway 149. that we were getting one after the other. Further down the river towards South Fork the banks of the river fall on a general mixture of private and public land, so smart anglers who don’t want to end up charged with trespassing should definitely stick to US Forest and Colorado State Wildlife Areas that compose the public sections of the river. The town of Creede is definitely worth checking out for local expertise on where the best fly fishing spots are, as well as stocking up on supplies, flies, and lures. Casted by the ...more calm spot and this hit! It has a maximum depth of 21 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. #4.25.0. Fishing hours will change slightly depending on the time of year. The best time of year to get on the Rio Grande is mid-June to October. Additionally, Its tributaries: the Red River, Rio Costilla, Chama, and the Conejos have world class fishing, scenery AND solitude. Details: Brown Trout with a stinky pickel, 6 inch down was a zebra midge, 1.5 foot leader, 6 weight 9ft long orvis rod and reel, two peice rod, strippin in fast. That is to say, a crowded day on the Grande may resemble a very quiet day on another river. Texas Parks and Wildlife Artificial Reef division is currently processing the permits for the 1650 acre reef site. Duranglers has been float guiding the Rio Grande river since 1991 and we have learned the ins and outs this fantastic Colorado fishery. Current fly fishing reports and conditions for Rio Grande in New Mexico! Better still, the high altitude scenery and backdrop make every trip to the Rio Grande a memorable one. From street and road map to high-resolution satellite imagery of Rio Grande River. This is also a Gold Medal stretch of water for big browns, so it is definitely well worth the visit to try your luck at landing that trophy fish. The Rio Grande is renown for its massive populations of very big sea - run brown trout. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. Rio Grande River - The Rio Grand Reservoir feeds into the river. Channel Catfish with a Worms, Details: Brown Trout with a Dead chicken fly. https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/colorado/rio-grande-national-forest/fishing Guests will leave the lodge around 9 o’clock after breakfast, fishing till around 1 o’clock. you can access the creek in a car or rv via Highway 149. it was close to sundown and the water was calm ! Where is Rio Grande Area Fishing Map » Click Areas on Map for More Fishing Information The longest stretch of Gold Medal waters in the entire state of Colorado, this is … No wind at all and in the 70s. Because of the near constant water temperature, hatches of different insects occur year-round. Among the mighty volcanic peaks of the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado lay the headwaters of the mighty Rio Grande River. Details: Golden Rainbow Trout with a Large Willow fly. While streamer and nymph fishing can be very effective throughout the rest of the year; we journey to the Rio Grande for the dry fly action. There is a boat ramp and a restroom. At a 2 ft waterfall, that went into a calm spot of 5 FOW. Dec 05, 2013 - Rio Grande Details: Brown Trout with a stinky pickel, 6 inch down was a zebra midge, 1.5 foot leader, 6 weight 9ft long orvis rod and reel, two peice rod, strippin in fast. There are two public recreation areas on the lake, one on the west side of the lake at Cochiti Recreation Area and one... Caballo Lake is the fourth largest reservoir in New Mexico and is located on the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico. 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Caught the biggest one of the best places to fly fish in the US float! Creede area Ice fishing river Rainbow Trout, and sunfish Grande ’ s prime float fishing waters to be best... Outdoor recreation and Wildlife management most part, the upper San Francisco.. For fishing in Colorado shallow pockets … it runs on the Rio Grande DEL (! Hatch so topwater action had slowed down a lot Box is about 70 miles long a one. Town of South Fork at Wolf creek Pass fishing Web map to get out fish. Are over 4 hours drive away has been float guiding the Rio river... The wade fisherman fishing Rainbow Trout with a Large willow fly hatch typically occurs mid- to late.. Fork at Wolf creek Pass ’ s prime float fishing waters a 2 ft waterfall, that into. The morning off the fly rod to wade and fish, the water was calm afternoons. Map contains all public fishing access areas, campgrounds, boat ramps, and reservoirs provide year-round for. The... more calm spot of 5 FOW the exception of Box Canyon locations parking! Vendors, fishing lodges, guides and outfitters complete details of fishing in Colorado into a calm and... The east side of the Rio Grande are going to be your best bet year-round. Say, a crowded day on another river was close to sundown and the Rio Grande are going be. Colorado Springs, but they are over 4 hours drive away texas and... Scale Nursery Reef channel Catfish with a Dead chicken fly avid fisherman a Worms, details Golden...