Fall Fishing Notes Around Durango. Cooler nights drop water temperatures back into the fifties and the fishing turns on all day instead of just mornings. Size 18 to 22, on cloudy or drizzly days, best from late morning through afternoon. Early on the Animas on still mornings in September. Hoppers and ants still work on warm afternoons until the first hard frost. October caddis, size 8 to 10, shows late September into October, fish the pupa in the evening. Brown trout start moving and get aggressive in October, so streamers in the low light earn their keep. Flows are low and clear, so long leaders, small tippet, and a quiet approach matter more than fly choice.
Right now
Animas River at Durango
1,800 cfs
45°F, as of Oct 31, 4:30 AM
San Juan River below Navajo Dam
240 cfs
51°F, as of Oct 31, 4:15 AM
The Animas went from 157 cfs to almost 1,800 in a week, thanks to last week's storms. It is falling fast and clearing, 566 cfs tonight, and the fishing turns on as it settles. Here is how to fish the drop, and what the next round of rain means.
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Conditions, hatches, and what is working on the Animas, San Juan, Piedra, Los Pinos, Dolores, and more. $10.00 a month or $60.00 a year. Cancel any time.
