Tailwater · Mixed · New Mexico, US

Rio Chama below Abiquiu

Rio Chama below Abiquiu Dam
Today · About as good as it gets
Pheasant Tail
Forecast · Today
About as good as it gets
On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% projected
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail
Pheasant Tail
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.77 m
Water temp8.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather8°C
WindN 4 km/h
Pressure1036 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°

We have not characterised this dam's release, so this is a general cold-release figure and could be several degrees out in either direction. Treat it as a hint, not a reading, and check locally before you fish.

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 working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11 Uhr

12 Uhr(now) — Western Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 95%
Also:Black Midge89%
Peak emergence window5 food groups active

Peak activity at 11 Uhr — Western Blue-Winged Olive (Western Blue-Winged Olive, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October 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 Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2
TricoHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Brown Trout
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Open all year; verify the chosen named reach and current rules against NMDGF — character varies sharply by reach
  • A Habitat Stamp applies on USFS/BLM land
  • Reach-by-reach access and private land matter
  • Flow on the regulated reach tracks El Vado/Abiquiu releases.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 3
San Antonio River / Jemez
56 km
76
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Rio Brazos (Tierra Amarilla)
56 km
74
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Rio Grande — Lower Box / Racecourse (Pilar)
57 km
86
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Rio Chama below Abiquiu Dam
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Supporting
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Rio Chama (Ohkay Owingeh to Abiquiu Dam)' (NM-2113_00), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. 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-2113_00

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 75 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature78 × 28%21.8
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity66 × 12%7.9
Conditions total= 75
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
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts