New Mexico Tailwater
San Juan River Fishing Report, Flows and Hatches
A technical tailwater below Navajo Dam. Year-round midges, selective fish, and dam-controlled flows.
Tailwater
New Mexico
5,660 ft
Gauge 09355500
Right now
Live conditions
Flow
1,020 cfs
Water temp
51°F
Air (Tonight)
62°F
Sky / wind
Scattered showers and thunderstorms then mostly cloudy, wind 5 to 10 mph
Last updated July 14 at 8:15 PM MDT
The hatch chart
San Juan River hatches by month
The emergences that come off the San Juan by month, straight from the Rivus hatch model.
| Hatch | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Midge Midge, #18-28 | ||||||||||||
Small Baetis Mayfly, #22-26 | ||||||||||||
Blue Winged Olive Mayfly, #18-22 | ||||||||||||
Pale Morning Dun Mayfly, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Caddisfly Caddis, #8-14 | ||||||||||||
Pale Evening Dun Mayfly, #14-16 |
How it fishes
A New Mexico tailwater
A tailwater runs out of the bottom of a dam, so the water comes out cold and steady all year. That stable temperature is why the bugs stay small and the hatches run like clockwork, and it is why the fish grow picky and well fed. The flip side is that the dam sets the flow, not the weather, so a release can change the river overnight. You read the gauge, not the sky.
Flow and gauge
Reading the flows
The San Juan is metered at USGS gauge 09355500. Because a dam sets the flow, the number can change overnight with a release, so it is worth a look before you load the truck.
Low
under 300 cfs
Optimal
300 to 500 cfs
High
above 800 cfs
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.
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.