Colorado · river

Animas River

Animas River (Spanish: Río de las Ánimas, Navajo: Kinteeldéé' 'Nlíní, Ute-Southern Paiute: Sagwavanukwiti) is a 126-mile-long (203 km) river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System. The river has experienced numerous catastrophes due to the mining nearby, the largest being the 2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill. From Wikipedia

Length
126 mi
Flows into
San Juan River

Flow now

Animas River At Durango, CO, 2 mi from the river.

1,260cfsat build, Nov 12, 11 AM MT

05,40010,800Oct 12Nov 11

The typical week here, from 10 years of record: 176 cfs to 255 cfs, around 213 cfs.

Also gauged at Animas River Blw Durango Pump Plant Nr Durango, CO: 1,450 cfs, Nov 12.

Snowpack

2.7 in of water in the snow at Columbus Basin and 2 more stations, against a median 1.8 in for the date (150 % of normal).

The snowpack here usually builds from Oct 21, peaks Apr 17 and is gone by Jun 2; runoff follows the melt.

The season, November

Usually workable this week. Pick your window and fish it well.

  • Midgessizes 18 to 22
  • Small eggs and worms
  • Pheasant tail and zebra midge nymphsunder an indicator

Typical for the week over 10 years: 176 to 255 cfs. Running 1,260 cfs today, above that range. Flows are not forecast; check the gauge the day before.

Brown Trout are spawning (October to December). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.

Brook Trout are spawning (September to November). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.

Mountain Whitefish are spawning (October to December). The egg bite behind spawning whitefish is the best winter nymphing of the year: an egg pattern below the riffles.

  • Egg patterns in the runs below the spawning gravel, never on it.

Written by the app's rules engine from the calendar, the gauge record and the snowpack, not by hand, so it says only what the data says. The weather for the week comes with the app.

Fly shops on this water

Nearby waters

Every Colorado water

Open Animas River in FlyMaster for today's plan, the flies, and your own log here.

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Flows from the U.S. Geological Survey, snowpack from the NRCS SNOTEL network, text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Built Nov 12.