Fly Fishing Colorado’s Beautiful Animas River
- Species of Fish and Watching Wildlife Overflowing with stocked and spawning trout, the highly prized rainbow trout make up for about 70% of all angler catches. ...
- Secret Fishing Hot Spots of the Animas While it’s difficult to go wrong along the banks on any section of the river. ...
- Southern Ute Tribal River Permit ...
- Animas River Fishing Gear ...
What is the best fishing in the Animas River?
Rainbow fishing is more consistent and offers the dry-fly fishermen a chance to find plenty of good-sized trout. The most important food source for the large trout in the Animas is sculpins. These bottom-dwelling forage fish are found in the mud and rocks throughout the river and are eagerly sought by the trout.
Can you fish the Animas River in Durango?
General Information: The Animas River provides “Gold Medal” trout fishing opportunities for primar- ily brown and rainbow trout in the heart of Durango. Public access is very good for bank, wade, or float fishing on this 7 mile reach of river. Location: La Plata County.
How big of a fish can you catch on the Animas?
Trout bag limit is 2 fish 16 inches or longer. General Information: The Animas River provides “Gold Medal” trout fishing opportunities for primar- ily brown and rainbow trout in the heart of Durango. Public access is very good for bank, wade, or float fishing on this 7 mile reach of river. Location: La Plata County.
What is the bag limit for trout in the Animas River?
Trout bag limit is 2 fish 16 inches or longer. General Information: The Animas River provides “Gold Medal” trout fishing opportunities for primar- ily brown and rainbow trout in the heart of Durango. Public access is very good for bank, wade, or float fishing on this 7 mile reach of river.
Where can I fish the Animas River in Colorado?
Durango, ColoradoConveniently, the best Animas River fly fishing is in Durango, Colorado. From the 32nd Street Bridge on the north end of town to the Rivera Bridge at Dallabetta City Park, 7 miles of the river is accessible. A lot of the water here is wide and shallow, making for stellar wade fishing.
Why is the Animas River Red?
A 1975 tailings pile breach just above Silverton sullied the Animas River for 100 miles downstream, turning the water the color of 'aluminum paint' and killing fish.
What is the Animas River used for?
It is used heavily for agriculture and increasingly for recreation, boating and fishing, which draws a substantial amount of tourism to the region. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Train, which travels along the Animas River from Durango to Silverton, alone draws nearly 200,000 riders a year.
Why is the Animas River so muddy?
Sandstone and limestone rock formations in Hermosa Basin have led to yellow or gold coloration in the Animas River. Red Mountain is high in iron oxide. “That's nothing more than rust,” Churchwell said. “When we get rain on the mountain, we get sediment in the creeks and the Animas.”
Can you swim in the Animas River?
Beach & Swimming Safety The beaches along the Animas River, Lake Nighthorse, and other local areas are fantastic places to spend a mellow day, test the water temperature with your toes, or swim until the sun sets behind the mountains.
Is there gold in the Animas River?
Anywhere near the headwaters of the Animas River is worth exploring including the Animas Forks, Cement Creek, and Mineral Creek. There was a lot of gold mined here back in the day, but mostly from hard rock mines. Smaller quantities were sluiced from the river.
Is the Animas River still orange?
It's back – the color of dread. The mustard hue that triggered global headlines after last summer's Gold King Mine spill has returned to parts of Southwest Colorado's Animas River.
Why is the Animas River Green?
The water at Baker's Bridge typically has a greenish hue to it, not because of heavy metal loads, he said, but because of nutrients that get released when the fast-moving upstream water slows in that location.
Why is the Animas River brown today?
The water was a cloudy brown color with bits of suspended, charred debris. Sediment and ash from the 416 Fire piles up along the banks of Hermosa Creek, a tributary of the Animas River. The Animas began the summer with record low water because of drought and a warm winter.
Why is the Animas River yellow?
The water, tainted by tailings from gold mining that ended in the 1990s, flooded the Animas River watershed and turned its waters bright yellow. The tailings contained heavy metals like cadmium and lead, plus other toxic elements like arsenic, iron and copper.
How did the Animas River get polluted?
The Animas River stretches 126 miles and is part of the Colorado River system. It's been challenged by historic mining pollution, ash flows from a large wildfire scar and drought.
Can you kayak the Animas River?
The Animas is a perpetual flow stream that can be paddled in canoes, kayaks, and rafts (depending upon water levels). During spring runoff rafters enjoy Class I and II rapids from Animas to Boyd Park.
Is the Animas River still orange?
It's back – the color of dread. The mustard hue that triggered global headlines after last summer's Gold King Mine spill has returned to parts of Southwest Colorado's Animas River.
Why is the Animas River yellow?
The water, tainted by tailings from gold mining that ended in the 1990s, flooded the Animas River watershed and turned its waters bright yellow. The tailings contained heavy metals like cadmium and lead, plus other toxic elements like arsenic, iron and copper.
Why is the Animas River Green?
The water at Baker's Bridge typically has a greenish hue to it, not because of heavy metal loads, he said, but because of nutrients that get released when the fast-moving upstream water slows in that location.
How did the Animas River get polluted?
The Animas River stretches 126 miles and is part of the Colorado River system. It's been challenged by historic mining pollution, ash flows from a large wildfire scar and drought.
The animas offers Easy access from downtown durango and high mountain adventure fishing
If you are looking for small creek fishing in a high mountain setting, you’ll want to hike to one of the upper stretches above the small town of Hermosa just north of Durango. However, don’t expect easy access; most of these hikes trek down into the Durango River Gorge and are miles long, so pack a lunch and bring good shoes or take the D&S train.
The animas River Flies and fish
In the spring, the Animas has a number of good bug hatches, but midges and blue winged olives are the most consistent. Caddis are also a reliable bug; on a few limited days, larger drakes will also appear in the late, cooler evenings.
Other fly fishing fishing spots nearby
Whether you are looking to fly fish the San Juan’s high mountain creeks, the Piedra’s canyon gorge, or the Animas River’s Gold Medal Waters, this area’s got something for every angler.
Where is the Animas River?
The Animas River is the most prominent river in southern Colorado with the headwaters forming in the San Juan Mountains and flowing all the way through to Farmington, New Mexico, joining the San Juan River system.
Where to catch cutthroat trout in Colorado?
The headwaters begin in Silverton, Colorado in the high alpine of the San Juan Range where you are most likely to find the largest variety of fish. Cutthroat trout and Brook trout will be more heavily mixed in with the numerous tributaries including Molas Creek, Elk Creek, Sultan Creek, and Noname Creek. A large majority of the headwater is hard to access but very rewarding with a high fish count, crystal clear water, and TONS of public access. This section, like many Colorado alpine stretches, carries prolific midge and small fly life where you can be successful with flies like RS-2’s and WD-40’s year-round.
Description for Animas River, San Juan County, New Mexico
Animas River is a stream located just 1 miles from Farmington, in San Juan County, in the state of New Mexico, United States. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including cutthroat trout, brown trout and rainbow trout here. Whether you’re spinning, fly fishing or baitcasting your chances of getting a bite here are good.
Fishing Reports near Animas River
"A shallow lake with a great forage base, Pastorius Reservoir actually has a pretty nice fishery, if..." Pastorius Reservoir
Best Fishing Times near Animas River
Fishing Animas River, NM on 2/20/2022 will be best from 12:00AM through 12:00AM, and from 12:00AM to 12:00AM. If those times won’t work for you, 12:00AM to 12:00AM looks promising. Remember to adjust these times based on barometric pressure, and weather changes.
What is the best fish to catch in the Animas River?
Rainbow fishing is more consistent and offers the dry-fly fishermen a chance to find plenty of good-sized trout. The most important food source for the large trout in the Animas is sculpins. These bottom-dwelling forage fish are found in the mud and rocks throughout the river and are eagerly sought by the trout.
How wide is the Animas River?
The Animas is big water. In Durango the river is almost 100 feet wide, filled with huge rocks and deep holes. The river offers extensive riffles, freestone conditions, and stretches of pocket water. The bottom consists of gravel and cobbles. The rocks are as slick as those in any river in the West, and anglers must always be very cautious ...
What river is the River of the Lost Souls in Colorado?
When Juan Rivera passed through this corner of Colorado in 1765, he named the river El Rio de las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio, “The River of the Lost Souls in Hell.”.
What railroad runs through the Animas?
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad parallels the Animas the entire way between Silverton and Durango, carrying passengers into the depths of rich forests and along the very brinks of the Animas canyons. Few who come to know the Animas are not touched by the majesty of the river and the surrounding mountains.
What is the best river in Colorado for fly fishing?
One of the last free-flowing rivers in the state of Colorado, the Animas River is a unique and rare treasure. With the newest and one of the best Gold Medal Water fly-fishing sections in Colorado, the Animas is a river that should be on your list of places to fish.
Where are the Animas located?
Below the Rivera Bridge, the Animas runs through private land and the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Significant tribal land along La Posta Road is open to angling for those with a Southern Ute Tribal permit. For details on the location of the water, consult the latest edition of the Southern Ute Tribal Fishing Proclamation.
Where is the Animas River in Durango?
South of the New Mexico border at Farmington the Animas joins the San Juan River. Fortunately, public access to the Animas River within the city of Durango is plentiful with almost 7 miles of river from 32nd Street Bridge to the Rivera Bridge south of town.