New Mexico Freestone

Pecos River Fishing Report, Flows and Hatches

A high-elevation freestone in the Sangre de Cristo mountains near Pecos, with strong stonefly and mayfly populations and a long May-to-October season. Golden stones peak in midsummer, with caddis and Blue-Winged Olives from spring through fall.

Freestone

New Mexico

7,500 ft

Gauge 08378500

Right now

Live conditions

Flow
Temporarily unavailable
Air
Temporarily unavailable
Sky / wind
Temporarily unavailable
Live conditions

The hatch chart

Pecos River hatch chart

The emergences that come off the Pecos by month, straight from the Rivus hatch model.

HatchJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Salmonfly
Stonefly, #4-8
Midge
Midge, #18-22
Caddisfly
Caddis, #14-16
Pale Morning Dun
Mayfly, #16-18
Red Quill
Mayfly, #12-14
Golden Stonefly
Stonefly, #8-10
Little Yellow Sally
Stonefly, #14-16
Grasshopper / Terrestrial
Hopper, #8-12
Trico
Mayfly, #20-22
PeakActiveOff

How it fishes

A New Mexico freestone

A freestone river runs free off snowmelt and rain, so it swings hard with the seasons. It blows out and browns up in spring runoff, then drops and warms into summer. The hatches track the water temperature more than the calendar, so you time your trip to the flow and the thermometer.

Flow and gauge

Reading the flows

The Pecos is metered at USGS gauge 08378500. Watch the trend as much as the number: a river that is dropping and clearing fishes very differently from one that is coming up.

Access and regulations

Before you fish

Access and the right to fish are the angler’s responsibility, every time. Public access, private water, and seasonal closures vary along the river, so confirm where you can legally stand and wade before you go. We do not point you to a specific spot.

Read the current rules, license requirements, and any special-regulation water before you go. Regulations change season to season, so check them fresh.

Your river is fishing right now.

Go see what's working.

Live conditions, real hatch reads, and a hand when you're stuck. Free to start, no card required.

Your river is fishing right now.

Go see what's working.

Live conditions, real hatch reads, and a hand when you're stuck. Free to start, no card required.

Your river is fishing right now.

Go see what's working.

Live conditions, real hatch reads, and a hand when you're stuck. Free to start, no card required.

Flow and water temperature from USGS, weather from NWS and NOAA, refreshed hourly. Real-time USGS readings are provisional and subject to revision. The hatch chart and river read are Rivus model output.