Freestone · Mixed · New Mexico

Cimarron River below Eagle Nest

A fast mountain stretch of the Cimarron River flowing through forested Cimarron Canyon, New Mexico, with deadfall logs in the current.
Good · Brown Trout
Parachute Adams · 12-18
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
River dropping into shape after a lift. Fishing well — get there before it drops out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.45 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp8.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Parachute Adams
Parachute Adams12-18
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.45 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp8.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather7°C
WindW 7 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent1.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
8°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2
American March BrownHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Open all year; Special Trout Water with a stricter regulated reach near Tolby — verify exact reach and rules against NMDGF
  • A Habitat Stamp is required on USFS/state land where applicable
  • DROUGHT caution: a small stream, low-flow sensitive — be conservative in dry years
  • Flow is release-influenced from Eagle Nest Lake.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 4
Rio Costilla (Valle Vidal)
40 km
Cutthroat trout
Red River (lower)
43 km
85
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Rio Grande — Taos Box
53 km
84
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Rio Grande — Lower Box / Racecourse (Pilar)
60 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Gallery · 2
  1. A fast mountain stretch of the Cimarron River flowing through forested Cimarron Canyon, New Mexico, with deadfall logs in the current.
    USA - New Mexico - Cimarron Canyon State Park
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Cimarron River (Turkey Creek to Eagle Nest Lake)' (NM-2306.A_130), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Temperature, Nutrients, Turbidity. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · NM-2306.A_130

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 74 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature70 × 28%19.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity55 × 12%6.6
Conditions total= 74
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts