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San Juan River (Navajo Dam) Fishing Report

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

The Quality Waters: four miles below Navajo Dam hold more big rainbows per mile than almost anywhere in America.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
851 cfs
Air / High
79 / 82 F
Wind
WSW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09355500, 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.

San Juan River (Navajo Dam) rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 851 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind WSW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 82. 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 SAN JUAN RIVER NEAR ARCHULETA, NM.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09355500.

732818904851 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp79 F
High / Low82 / 57 F
WindWSW 8-14 mph
Pressure1009.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:44 / 19:34
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 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, 82/57 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 San Juan River (Navajo Dam): 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 San Juan River (Navajo Dam) 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).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 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 San Juan River (Navajo Dam) 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 82 F, wind to 11 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 80 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

Quality Waters: artificial flies and lures with barbless single hooks, catch-and-release in the upper section. New Mexico license required: check current NMDGF rules.

Access

Navajo Lake State Park access points along the Quality Waters below the dam; public parking and paths throughout.

About this water

A cold tailwater below Navajo Dam in San Juan County, New Mexico: the Quality Waters run four miles below the dam.

Fishing San Juan River (Navajo Dam): the full guide

A desert tailwater

The San Juan River leaves Navajo Dam in northwestern New Mexico and runs through high desert as one of the most famous trout fisheries in the world. The first four miles: the Quality Waters: hold thousands of rainbow and brown trout per mile, grown fat on midges and annelids in cold, stable releases. It fishes 365 days a year, and its reputation draws anglers from every state and a fair number of countries.

Small flies, big fish

The San Juan is a technical midge fishery: size 22-26 midge larvae and pupae, small annelids and the occasional baetis, fished on 5X to 7X in water clear enough to count fish. The Texas Hole, Kiddie Pool and Braids are the famous water, and the fish see everything. Success comes from drift quality and depth control, not fly selection: an inch of difference matters here more than pattern.

Beyond the Quality Waters

Below the special-regulation reach the river continues to fish well with fewer anglers, holding browns and rainbows in more varied water. Winter is a legitimate season: releases keep the water in the 40s year-round, midges hatch through the cold, and the crowds thin. Summer brings monsoon storms that can color the lower river while the upper stays clear.

Navajo Dam logistics

Access is straightforward: state park and public access points serve the Quality Waters with parking, paths and a wade-friendly river. Fly shops, guides and lodging cluster at Navajo Dam village. Releases from the dam vary and change wading conditions: check current flows, typically running a few hundred to over a thousand cfs, before planning where to fish.

Common questions

Why are the fish so numerous?

Stable cold releases plus enormous midge and annelid production support thousands of trout per mile in the upper river.

How small are the flies?

Size 22-26 is standard, on 6X or 7X. The fish are selective and the water is clear: presentation matters more than pattern.

Can I fish it in winter?

Yes, and many prefer it: releases keep temperatures stable, midges hatch year-round and the crowds thin considerably.

Is fishing good at San Juan River (Navajo Dam) 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

Navajo Lake3 miVallecito Reservoir40 miHeron Lake54 miAbiquiu Lake79 miSan Miguel River87 miRio Grande94 mi
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