The dog days of summer are here and the rivers of Northern New Mexico have seen their levels drop steadily as the abnormally dry August weather continues.
The lower water levels have had dramatically different effects on the fishing in Rio Arriba County’s two major rivers, the Rio Chama and the Rio Grande.
The decreased flows on the Rio Grande have allowed the water to clear and the fishing has been great. A recent trip to the Rio Grande above Rinconada yielded fine angling for rainbow trout, with a limit of five fish being taken in less than two hours. Smallmouth bass and brown trout are also available in the Rio Grande. Most of the smallmouths will be below the 12-inch minimum size for that species. There are larger fish up to three pounds available, especially in the stretch of river between Pilar and Velarde.
The wary brown trout will bite best at dusk and it won’t be long before they become more active as spawning season approaches. Browns spawn in the fall and reproduce naturally in the Rio Grande. Their colors will begin to deepen and the larger males will develop a hook in their lower jaw, called a kype.
The rainbows all appeared to be holdovers from earlier stockings. They were strong fish that measured about 14 inches. Despite its close proximity to roads, the Rio Grande is capable of producing large trout because the fish are able to survive throughout the year. There is ample feed for trout and bass in the Rio Grande, especially as they grow larger and are able to feed on the abundant minnows and crayfish that inhabit the river.
In contrast, the low water has created poor fishing conditions on the Chama, particularly the stretch of public water between the village of Chama and the river’s confluence with the Brazos River near Tierra Amarilla.
A visit to the to the public water Aug. 8 about a couple miles below the town found the water running very low and clear, with nothing but small rainbow trout and chubs biting. When the chubs are biting, it’s usually a sign that the water is too warm and the trout, especially the larger ones that feed on chubs, have moved downstream into deeper water or are hunkered down under the banks out of the sun.
This stretch of water fishes better in the spring when the water is higher and the rainbow trout are on the move during spawning.
There were no trout big enough to keep and several times the line had to be cut because the little fish had taken the hook too deeply and any attempt to remove the hook would fatally injure the fish. The biggest fish encountered was a foot-long rainbow that was laying dead on the bottom, possibly a victim of the low water conditions.
Fly-fishing would be the best method to use on this part of the Rio Chama, although even that would likely be spotty at best. Judging from the number of deer and elk tracks by the river, wildlife viewing in the early mornings or late evenings will likely yield more rewarding results than fishing right now.
The fishing will get better in the Rio Chama below the Brazos and farther downstream, although even there the flow is dramatically lower and the fishing more difficult. Below Heron dam, the Rio Chama has some deep pools that afford the trout some shelter in the low water and the trout will be bigger.
Farther down on the Rio Chama below the El Vado and Abiquiú lakes, the fishing is dependent on how much water they are releasing from the dams. As of Monday, flows below both dams were above 1,000 cubic feet per second, which is well above average, according to the United States Geological Survey. The fishing below Abiquiú is very poor and the water very muddy. It’s a little better below El Vado, but even there a lower water flow would result in much better fishing. Both these stretches of water will be much better when the flows are cut back in the fall.
The weekly fishing report issued by the state Game and Fish Department lists water flows below these dams and they can also be checked at the Survey’s website waterdata.usgs.gov.us/NM. Watch for when the releases are cut back and then plan a trip. Both of these stretches yield big brown trout when the conditions are right.
So far the weather has been unusual for August, which is typically the rainy season in New Mexico. It’s been very clear and the humidity has been low. The best time to go fishing is when the rains come during the afternoon. Right now, the bright sun and low water are making the fishing challenging in Rio Arriba’s lakes and rivers.