Clouds of Bugs – Duranglers June Fly Fishing Report
As seriously cliche as it is…it’s still hard to believe that June is here. You know what else is kind of hard to believe: it looks like peak flows on our local waters crept up on us a few days ago and now we are on the downslope of runoff. Now anything can happen, and we could see 90 degrees in the high country; which would cause some biblical flows for a few days, but as of right now it looks like it’s all downhill.
The month of June is one we look forward to all year. Clouds of bugs begin to show up in the form of big stoneflies and caddis. Salmonflies tend to be a bucket list fly fishing experience for many anglers…and now is the time to check it off your list. Keep an eye on the flows and the weather, we could see some magic this month. Make sure you also check out our weekly fishing reports page for updated flows and bug reports.
San Juan Quality Waters – Currently hanging at just under 5000 cfs, the San Juan Quality waters will be our constant producer. Midge hatches in abundance are always happening, and Baetis can usually be a factor in the afternoons. With monsoonal rains coming at the end of the month/beginning of July; you can expect the ant fall to coincide…
Navajo Reservoir – One thing most people don’t consider is that the fabled ant fall of the San Juan River also happens just east on Navajo Reservoir. What does this mean? Well if you have ever wanted catch an insane amount of carp on dry flies…
San Juan River in Colorado – Don’t blink or you will probably miss it…’it’ being the upper San Juan’s float season. Floatable flows rarely last for more than a few days on the San Juan, and fishing is usually on fire. Big bugs, lots of fish, and beautiful country. Give us a call for more info and we can possibly get you on an upper float. Spots are limited so give us a call soon. Also if you are in the Pagosa area, check out the Pagosa Skyrocket…like floatable flows, it may not be around long either.
Animas – Throughout peak flows this past week we saw a small but notable hatch of salmonflies on our local waterway. While not ideal for fishing, salmonflies do speak to the health of a river system. Look for flows to fluctuate with hot weather, but it seems that our peak flows have past. The river should start to clear by the middle of June and caddis will soon be coming off en-masse.
Rio Grande – June is it: the month of the Rio. We are heading over mid June for a full month salmonflies, yellow and brown stones, green drakes, brown drakes, grey drakes, PMDs, and caddis hatches. It’s a dry fly lover’s pardise, and it’s almost here! Flows are high right now, but they will be dropping and our mid month kickoff floats should be kicking off prime time.
Piedra – The Piedra is ripping right now, but flows will come down soon. This is another favorite for those who want to find the big bugs. Look for stones to be popping off right now and in the days to come. The upper forks and Williams Creek will be high, but also make for an early fishing option when everything else is high.
Upper San Juan – We have stated it once or twice before, but the Upper SJ is the sleeper of local float options in June. The main reason is due to how short the float season actually is…which tends to be at most a week. Look for hatches of caddis and stoneflies on this wild and fun water.
Dolores – Back in April, McPhee management bumped up the flows on the lower Dolores for almost 2 months, running as high as 4000 cfs for a few days. Flows started to drop to summer levels a few weeks ago…but with the amount of water we have in the high country, flows have been bumped back up to about 1500 and it may continue to rise. Look for flows to drop to summer levels mid month, and be prepared for great hopper/dropper fishing. The Upper D will be high for the next few weeks, but should be dropping with good hatches of stones, drakes, and caddis abounding.
Pine – The Pine, like all local waters, is currently high. Flows should be dropping around the middle of the month to summer flows in the range of 600-700 cfs. Hatches of Stoneflies, Caddis, and PMDs are not uncommon on the Pine…but a Pat’s and a prince are always a go-to. The Upper Pine will be high and cold in the beginning of June, but will drop throughout the month with good fishing coming in along with good bug hatches.
Creeks and the High Country – Our full on summer creek season is almost here. Flows are currently high but will be coming down with prime time beginning around the last week of the month. If you get out now, it may not be a bad idea to fish a dropper. However, you may want to fish a dry dropper. Make sure you check out our guide to fly fishing the high country when you plan your Durango backcountry excursion.
Local Lakes – Very high altitude backcountry lakes may still be a tough fishing option, with some still covered in ice. All our lower elevation lakes are warming and fishing very well for any species that resides in them. Pike, bass, trout, and carp are all on the feed and fishing has been fantastic. Give us a call for lake specifics.
Make sure you check out our Area Rivers Reports Page for up to date flows, hatches, and fly info!
