Share your catch

Navajo Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The two-state canyon behind the San Juan: houseboat water of pike, smallmouth and kokanee stretching from New Mexico into Colorado.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
81 / 83 F
Wind
WSW 8 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Navajo Lake offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings cloud cover, wind WSW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 83. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchGood

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Similar at 86 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low83 / 58 F
WindWSW 8-13 mph
Pressure1009.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain92% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:44 / 19:34
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 83/58 F, wind 8 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 8 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Navajo Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Navajo Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Navajo Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 83 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 83 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

New Mexico requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

NM or CO license by zone: no reciprocity: carry both to roam. Pike: unlimited NM side: check both states.

Access

Pine River marina/SP (NM), Sims Mesa (NM), Arboles/Navajo SP (CO) ramps.

About this water

15,600 acres spanning NM-CO on the San Juan, San Juan County NM / Archuleta County CO.

Fishing Navajo Lake: the full guide

Above the famous tailwater

Everyone fishes below Navajo Dam: the quality water's rainbows get the fame: while the 15,000-acre reservoir above runs its own show: flooded canyon arms spanning the NM-CO line, northern pike in the coves, smallmouth on every rockslide, kokanee clouds mid-lake, and crappie in the drowned timber. The San Juan's other fishery deserves the detour.

Pike and bronze in the arms

Spring floods the shallow canyon arms (Sambrito, La Jara, the Piedra) with pike: spoons and swimbaits at ice-out, fish past 15 pounds annually. Smallmouth colonize the entire rock shoreline: Neds and topwater from break to break all summer: the reservoir's most democratic bite. Largemouth hold the few brushy flats: a bonus, not a target.

Kokanee mid-lake

The kokanee fleet trolls dodgers-and-corn at 30-60 ft through summer (the dam basin and mid-lake channel), and October's spawn run stains the inlets red: snagging season by New Mexico rule. Browns and stocked rainbows patrol the cold margins: the two-story label fits the canyon's depth legitimately.

Two states, one canyon

The line crosses mid-lake: New Mexico license below, Colorado above (no reciprocity: carry both if you roam: rangers check). Marinas and ramps serve each side (Navajo Lake SP twice-named: NM's Pine site, CO's Arboles). Houseboat culture rules summer: anglers own dawn: and the wind funnels the canyons on schedule: mornings, always mornings.

Common questions

Do I need two licenses on Navajo Lake?

To fish both states' water, yes: the line has no reciprocity. Most anglers pick a side per trip: the NM arms hold the pike, the CO end the quiet.

What is the best bite on Navajo Lake?

Spring pike in the flooded arms and summer smallmouth on infinite rock: kokanee troll the middle for the fleet. The famous rainbows live below the dam: different trip, same drive.

Is fishing good at Navajo Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

San Juan River (Navajo Dam)3 miVallecito Reservoir40 miHeron Lake51 miAbiquiu Lake76 miSan Miguel River89 miRio Grande92 mi
Share your catch