Cold clear San Juan River winding through New Mexico canyon country

New Mexico

San Juan River & Upper Rio Grande

Overview

About This Destination

New Mexico's San Juan River is one of the nation's most productive tailwaters — cold, clear, and loaded with enormous rainbow and brown trout that feed year-round on a staggering abundance of midges and annelids. The "Quality Waters" section below Navajo Dam holds fish density that rivals any river in the world. Pair it with the wild scenery of high-desert mesa country and the warm hospitality of the Four Corners region, and you have a destination unlike any other.

High-desert canyon country, juniper and pinyon woodland, red sandstone cliffs, and the cold, emerald flow of the San Juan carving through arid New Mexico.

What to Expect

  • Some of the highest trout density of any river in North America
  • Year-round fishing in a mild high-desert climate
  • Exceptional midge and annelid hatches demanding tiny fly finesse
  • Average trout size among the largest in the lower 48
  • Rich Navajo Nation cultural heritage surrounding the fishery

Destination Details

Target Species
  • Rainbow Trout
  • Brown Trout
Season
Year-round (winter months offer exceptional dry fly fishing with small midges)
Skill Level
Intermediate
Travel Notes
Fly into Albuquerque Sunport (ABQ) or Durango La Plata (DRO) in Colorado. The San Juan is approximately 3.5 hours from Albuquerque. Farmington, NM is the nearest city, with lodging on the river at Navajo Dam.
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