Freestone · Volcanic · New Mexico, US

San Antonio River / Jemez

Jemez San Antonio Creek meadow

The little waters of the Jemez Mountains — the San Antonio and the upper Jemez above the springs — are about as far from the San Juan's crowds as New Mexico trout fishing gets.

Prime · Brown Trout
Parachute Adams · 16-20
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River steady at a fishable height. On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.04 mLast reading 1h ago
  • Water temp10.2°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Parachute Adams
Parachute Adams16-20
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.04 m
Last reading 1h ago
Water temp10.2°C
ClarityClear
Weather14°C
WindSE 8 km/h
Pressure1031 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
Ideal
10°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
Excellent — conditions well-balanced, with water temperature particularly in your favour.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
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
Brown Trout fly box
SD
Sex Dungeon
2-6 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Open all year; verify Special Trout Water reaches and native-cutthroat rules against NMDGF
  • A Habitat Stamp is required to fish USFS/BLM land in New Mexico
  • Some reaches cross pueblo and private land — confirm access
  • THERMAL / MONSOON caution: a small stream that runs thin and warm in high summer and colours quickly in the monsoon.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 1
Rio Chama below Abiquiu
56 km
80
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Jemez San Antonio Creek meadow
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The little waters of the Jemez Mountains — the San Antonio and the upper Jemez above the springs — are about as far from the San Juan's crowds as New Mexico trout fishing gets. This is volcanic country, the streams running cold and clear through meadow and canyon out of the Valles Caldera, holding wild browns and stocked rainbows in water you can read at a glance. Some reaches carry special trout regulations and there's restored native-cutthroat work in the headwater tributaries that deserves a gentle hand. It's classic small-stream fishing: a short dry-dropper, a careful approach, attractors and a small nymph dropped behind. It runs thin and warm by high summer and the monsoon can colour it fast, so early summer once the snowmelt clears and again in autumn are the times to go. A quiet, pretty river that rewards stealth over reach.

  • Volcanic
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'San Antonio Creek (East Fork Jemez to VCNP bnd)' (NM-2106.A_20), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Temperature, Metals Other Than Mercury. 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-2106.A_20

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 86 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity72 × 12%8.6
Conditions total= 86
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 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts