Animas River Fly Fishing Report
Gold Medal waterAnimas River at Durango. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 200–400 cfs (RiverReports). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
Want today's Rig of the Day pick for Animas River? Flip its card in the live River Conditions grid on the homepage.
What's swimming in the Animas River
- Rainbow Trout make up roughly 70% of the historic angler catch here (spawning mid-March to mid-April), with Brown Trout around 25% (spawning mid-October to mid-November) (CPW fishery survey).
- Native Cutthroat Trout persist only in very limited numbers, with the same survey reporting "very limited survival of native cutthroat trout" in this reach (CPW fishery survey).
- CPW stocks Rainbow Trout (Gunnison River Rainbow strain) annually; a recent creel estimate put the catch at roughly 6,000 fish, about 79% rainbows and 17% browns, with 98% released (CPW fishery survey).
- The reach from the Lightner Creek confluence to Rivera Crossing Bridge is Gold Medal water: artificial flies and lures only, 2-fish bag with a 16-inch minimum (CPW special regulations).
Getting to the Animas River
- Santa Rita Park and Oxbow Park are City of Durango access points; Oxbow Park (completed 2020) has a parking area, restrooms, changing rooms and a small-craft boat ramp (City of Durango).
- 9th Street at Schneider Park and 29th Street at Memorial Park are city-managed access points, with free Recreation Center parking for tubers (City of Durango).
- High Bridge (US 160/550) and Dallabetta Park at Rivera Crossing Bridge anchor seven miles of public bank, wade or float access along the Animas Riverwalk with four boating access points; seasonal restrooms at 29th St., the VFW lot, Cundiff, Schneider, Santa Rita and Dallabetta parks (CPW fishery survey; City of Durango).
- From 32nd Street Bridge to Lightner Creek: standard bag limits (4 trout/day, bait allowed).
- Gold MedalLightner Creek to Rivera Crossing Bridge: artificial flies and lures only, 2-fish bag with a 16-inch minimum (CPW fishery survey; CPW special regulations).
22 sourced hatch windows for the Animas River
Species, size, and season, each tied to the published fly-shop or guide-service chart it came from. See Hatch Charts for every Colorado river we track and a precision-level key.
| Species | Season Window | Size | Precision | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midges | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #18-24 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| BWO (winter/spring) | Jan 1–Mar 31 | #16-24 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue Winged Olive (spring) | Mar 1–Mar 31 | #16-22 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Midges (various) — spring | Mar 8–May 22 | #20-28 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Damsels | Apr 15–Aug 31 | #6-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Ants | Apr 15–Sep 15 | #14-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Salmonflies | May 15–Jul 15 | #6-14 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Beetles | May 15–Sep 15 | #14-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Caddis | May 15–Oct 15 | #12-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| PMD | Jun 1–Sep 15 | #14-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Caddis (various) | Jun 8–Sep 22 | #10-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Golden Stonefly | Jun 8–Aug 7 | #8-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Golden Stones | Jun 15–Aug 15 | #8-14 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Yellow Sallies | Jun 15–Aug 15 | #12-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Hoppers | Jun 15–Sep 25 | #8-14 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Attractors (various) | Jun 15–Sep 14 | #8-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jul 1–Aug 31 | #16-20 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Terrestrials (various) | Jul 15–Sep 30 | #6-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Flying Ants | Aug 15–Sep 15 | #14-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| BWO (fall/winter) | Sep 1–Dec 31 | #16-24 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue Winged Olive (fall) | Sep 1–Oct 31 | #16-22 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Midges (various) — fall | Sep 8–Oct 31 | #20-28 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
10 fly pairings from real fishing reports
Up to 2 pairings for this river are always free to browse in full. Fly names, leader/tippet spec, and full source are unlocked by .
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Recent reports from anglers on the Animas River
Real ratings, notes, condition tags, and rig tags logged by signed-in anglers after fishing this water.
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Fly shops on the Animas River
Animas River fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the Animas River?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 200–400 cfs on the Animas River (RiverReports). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is the Animas River designated Gold Medal water?
Yes, at least part of the Animas River carries Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Gold Medal water designation.
What flies work on the Animas River?
TroutTips tracks 10 fly pairings reported specifically on the Animas River, each tied to a season and a real source. See the Fly Pairings section on this page for the full list.
Are there fly shops near the Animas River?
Yes, Duranglers Flies & Supplies, The San Juan Angler, Rio Epic Outfitters, Heads Up Fly Fishing, Cut Bank Outfitters, Durango Fly Fishing guide this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.