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Pecos River Fishing Report

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

New Mexico's canyon classic: brown trout pocket water through red-rock and pine, an hour from Santa Fe and centuries from hurry.

3/5

Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Flow

24 cfs

Air / High

79 / 83 F

Wind

WSW 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 08378500, 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Pecos River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 24 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind WSW around 13 mph, rising pressure near 1007 hPa and a high of 83. Water sits around 54 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

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 85 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 from Pecos River near Pecos.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 08378500.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp79 F

High / Low83 / 62 F

WindWSW 13-16 mph

Pressure1007.1 hPa, rising

Sky / Rain100% cloud, 13%

Sunrise / Sunset06:37 / 19:25

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

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

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 83/62 F, wind 13 mph, rain 13%

Fair or better. A 13 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Pecos River 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

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

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 Pecos River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 84 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 83 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 79 F, wind to 14 mph.

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

New Mexico license. Special-reg stretches: artificials, reduced limits: check NMDGF signage.

Access

NM 63 accesses: Monastery Lake, Dalton, Terrero, Jacks Creek trailheads.

About this water

The upper canyon miles above Pecos village, San Miguel County, NM. Santa Fe's home trout water.

Fishing Pecos River: the full guide

The Pecos canyon

The upper Pecos falls out of the Sangre de Cristos through a canyon of red cliffs and ponderosa: New Mexico's most beloved trout water: browns in the pocket seams, stocked rainbows at the accesses, and wild water climbing toward the wilderness the higher you walk.

Reading the little river

Pocket-water rules apply: high-stick the seams with attractor-dropper rigs, swing soft hackles through the tails, and skip nothing deeper than a boot: Pecos browns hold tight and decide fast. The canyon's stocked stretches (Monastery Lake down) fish social: the wilderness reaches (Jacks Creek trailheads up) fish earned.

Seasons under the Sangres

Spring runoff blows it out briefly (April-May): summer runs the classic monsoon rhythm (fish mornings: cells arrive at two): September-October is the canyon's glory: golden cottonwoods, aggressive browns, empty weekdays. Winter offers midday windows in the low canyon: solitude guaranteed.

Canyon practicalities

NM 63 threads the accesses (Monastery, Dalton, Terrero, the wilderness gates): Game & Fish stocks the marked waters generously: and the special-regulation stretches (check signage) protect the wild core. Santa Fe sits an hour south: the Pecos is its home water and Sunday church.

Common questions

Is the Pecos River good for beginners?

The stocked canyon accesses are New Mexico's best classroom: forgiving rainbows, open pockets. The wild browns upstream grade harder: growth is built in.

When is the best fishing on the Pecos?

September-October: monsoons done, browns aggressive, canyon golden. Summer mornings before the two o'clock storms are the reliable second.

Is fishing good at Pecos River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Cochiti Lake36 mi Abiquiu Lake61 mi Rio Grande63 mi Eagle Nest Lake70 mi Cimarron River75 mi Conchas Lake84 mi

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