Freestone · Mixed · New Mexico, US

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 · 16-20
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.29 mLast reading 6h ago
  • Water temp7.6°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Parachute Adams
Parachute Adams16-20
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.29 m
Last reading 6h ago
Water temp7.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather0°C
WindW 11 km/h
Pressure1023 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.7 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
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 water temperature could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Damselflies & dragonflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10h

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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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

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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
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 · Brown Trout
SD
Sex Dungeon
2-6 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
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
76
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Rio Grande — Taos Box
53 km
79
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Cutthroat trout
Rio Grande — Lower Box / Racecourse (Pilar)
60 km
78
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
Temperature59 × 28%16.5
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time75 × 13%9.8
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity61 × 12%7.3
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
Warmer water — toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the temperature score.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts