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Rio Grande Fishing Report

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

The Taos gorge: the Rio Grande runs big browns and northern pike through 800-foot basalt walls.

3/5

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

Flow

144 cfs

Air / High

81 / 83 F

Wind

SSW 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 08279500, 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.

Rio Grande rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 144 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSW around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1006 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 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 from Rio Grande at Embudo.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 08279500.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F

High / Low83 / 55 F

WindSSW 7-11 mph

Pressure1006.3 hPa, rising

Sky / Rain100% cloud, 11%

Sunrise / Sunset06:36 / 19:26

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, 83/55 F, wind 15 mph, rain 11%

Fair or better. A 15 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Rio Grande: 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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande 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 83 F, wind to 16 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 16 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 75 F, wind to 12 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 regulations apply on some gorge reaches; pike harvest is encouraged: check current NMDGF rules.

Access

Wild Rivers Recreation Area near Questa (Big Arsenic, La Junta) and Taos Junction; steep hike-in trails.

About this water

The Rio Grande through the Taos gorge in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, Taos County, New Mexico.

Fishing Rio Grande: the full guide

A river in a chasm

The Rio Grande cuts an 800-foot gorge through the basalt of northern New Mexico near Taos, protected as a Wild and Scenic River and part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Brown trout dominate, with rainbows and, unusually, northern pike that have established in the river. The setting is severe and spectacular: black rock, sage rim and a river far below.

Browns in the gorge

The fishing is a hike-in proposition: trails drop steeply into the gorge at the Taos Junction, Big Arsenic and La Junta access points, and the reward is wild brown trout in pocket water and pools with almost no other anglers. Streamers, big attractor dries and nymphs all produce. Winter and early spring are the classic seasons, before runoff and heat.

Pike and the season

Northern pike hold the slower pools and are an oddity in a western trout river: New Mexico encourages harvest. Runoff blows the river out in late spring, and summer heat pushes trout fishing to the margins. October through April is the productive window, with the gorge sheltered enough to fish on cold days.

Taos County logistics

Access is via the Wild Rivers Recreation Area north of Questa and the Taos Junction area, with steep trails and primitive camping on the rim and at river level. Carry water: the hike out is genuine work at altitude. Taos provides shops and guides, and the Red River joins the gorge with its own fishery.

Common questions

How hard is the access?

Steep hike-in trails drop 800 feet into the gorge: the fishing is excellent and the walk out is real work.

When is the season?

October through April: runoff blows out the spring and summer heat pushes trout to the margins.

Pike in the Rio Grande?

Yes: established in the slower pools, an oddity in a western trout river. Harvest is encouraged.

Is fishing good at Rio Grande 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

Eagle Nest Lake26 mi Cimarron River38 mi Abiquiu Lake43 mi Heron Lake55 mi Pecos River63 mi Cochiti Lake68 mi

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