Freestone · Mixed · New Mexico, US

Rio Costilla (Valle Vidal)

Costilla Creek, pictured from the Rio Costilla Campground in 2024
Today · A proper day on the water
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Today
A proper day on the water
A proper day for it. Work the seams with an upstream nymph, switch to the dry when they show.
75% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.45 m
Water temp7.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather6°C
WindN 7 km/h
Pressure1031 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.1 mm

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

Water temperature for Cutthroat Trout
Cool — slow
8°C est.ideal 9–15°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Cutthroat 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.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10:00

12:00(now) — Black Midge

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 38%
Also:Western Blue-Winged Olive28%
Peak emergence window5 food groups active

Peak activity at 10:00 — Black Midge (Black Midge, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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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
1
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Cutthroat Trout
SD
Sex Dungeon
2-6 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Restoration water with seasonal closures and special native-cutthroat rules — VERIFY open reaches, dates and tackle rules against NMDGF and Carson NF / Valle Vidal notices before fishing; reaches may be fully closed in some years
  • A Habitat Stamp is required on USFS land in New Mexico
  • Barbless single-hook, minimal handling and quick release are the spirit of the water.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
Cimarron River below Eagle Nest
40 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Red River (lower)
41 km
81
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Costilla Creek, pictured from the Rio Costilla Campground in 2024
  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 'Costilla Creek (Costilla Reservoir to CO border)' (NM-2120.A_829), 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-2120.A_829

The full read · show the working · for Cutthroat Trout · confidence 90%
How the 74 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature70 × 28%19.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity59 × 12%7.1
Conditions total= 74
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 July → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts