Colorado

Conejos River

Colorado·San Luis Valley·37.10° N, 106.35° W

Solunar · next 7 days

About Conejos River

Most Colorado anglers drive past the Conejos on their way to the Rio Grande or the San Juans, which is exactly why it's worth the detour. It falls out of the South San Juan Wilderness, gets choked into a black rhyolite gorge below Platoro Reservoir — the Pinnacles — then unspools for miles of pocket water and meadow runs along Highway 17 toward Antonito before the Rio Grande takes it. It's a wild brown-and-rainbow fishery for most of its fishable length, and CPW entomology surveys have turned up more stonefly species here than on any other river in the state. That shows up in the fishing: golden stones and salmonflies in the size 6-14 range are a real event in June, not a footnote.

Practically, it fishes like two different rivers stacked end to end. Up top, the Pinnacles is technical wade-only water — a steep hike-in off Forest Road 250, 100-to-200-foot cliffs over deep pools, undercut banks and boulder seams, and fish that have seen a fly. Down along Highway 17 through the Menkhaven-to-Aspen-Glade stretch and the Mogote reach, it opens into more forgiving pocket water and runs you can cover on foot all day. Nobody floats the Conejos in a drift boat — flows are too low and the channel too tight; this is a wading river top to bottom. Runoff blows it out through late May and much of June (150-250-plus CFS in the canyon, dirty and pushy), it settles into prime shape July through September (roughly 75-150 CFS at Mogote), and the tailwater below Platoro runs cold and clear on a much lower, dam-metered flow when the freestone above is too high or too warm.

The catch is water. This is the San Luis Valley, and the lower river below the fishing reaches is worked hard for irrigation — the gauges near Conejos, Manassa, and the La Sauses delta channels routinely read a fraction of a CFS in summer, effectively dewatered. The fishery lives in the upper 40-odd miles between Platoro and roughly Mogote, where public Forest Service and CPW easement access is genuinely good — about 40% of 80-plus river miles is public. Nearest services are in Antonito; Conejos River Anglers sits about five miles west on Highway 17 and is the local hub for intel, guides, and cabins.

Species

Brown Trout
Primary · Jul-Oct · 10-18"
The dominant fish over most of the river. Wild and resident year-round; fall pre-spawn browns turn aggressive to streamers, and the private ranch waters hold the largest fish.
Rainbow Trout
Common · Jun-Sep · 10-18"
Wild through the canyon and wild-trout reaches; the ranch waters (Rainbow Trout Ranch, Elk Meadow) hold trophy rainbows on private stretches.
Brook Trout
Common · Jul-Sep · 6-12"
Eager little fish in the Lake Fork, South Fork, and high tributaries — a good change of pace from the technical canyon.
Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout
Limited · Jul-Sep · 6-12"
The basin's native, hanging on in the upper wilderness tributaries and headwater forks. Verify specific reaches with CPW before targeting them.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Brown Trout	Primary	Jul-Oct	10-18"
Rainbow Trout	Common	Jun-Sep	10-18"
Brook Trout	Common	Jul-Sep	6-12"
Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout	Limited	Jul-Sep	6-12"

Sections

6 reaches

Tailwater — Below Platoro Reservoir

WadeBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Cold, clear, dam-metered water immediately below Platoro Dam, running lower and more stable than the freestone below (release-dependent — often around 40 CFS out of the reservoir in a normal season, far less on a dry year). Small-water technical nymph and midge fishing for wild brown trout and rainbow trout, and the cold-water refuge when the freestone downstream is blown out or warm.

Best for: Technical nymph and midge fishing for brown trout and rainbow trout; the reliable cold-water option in high runoff or a dry late summer.

Lake Fork of the Conejos

WadeBrook Trout · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

A wild-trout fork joining the mainstem near the tailwater — small freestone and pocket water holding eager brook trout, wild rainbow trout, and brown trout. Designated Wild Trout water from the headwaters down to Rock Lake/Big Lake.

Best for: Small-stream dry-fly fishing for brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout.

The Pinnacles (Rhyolite Canyon)

WadeSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The signature reach — a narrow rhyolite gorge with sheer 100-to-200-foot volcanic cliffs over deep emerald pools, granite talus, undercut banks, and pocket seams. Technical wading on a rugged, steep hike-in off Forest Road 250. The sub-reach from Saddle Creek to the South Fork confluence is fly-fishing only. Wild brown trout and rainbow trout that average 14-18 inches and have seen plenty of flies.

Best for: Wild brown trout and rainbow trout on golden stone and salmonfly nymphs and dries early, hoppers and attractors midsummer, BWO and midge in fall.

Highway 17 Canyon — South Fork to Menkhaven

WadeBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Below the South Fork confluence the river opens into miles of roadside pocket water and pool-and-riffle along Highway 17, with public Forest Service access near the Aspen Glade and Mogote campgrounds. More forgiving than the Pinnacles above — water you can cover on foot all day for wild brown trout and rainbow trout. Runoff pushes it to 150-250-plus CFS and dirty through June; it settles into prime shape July through September.

Best for: All-day pocket-water fishing for brown trout and rainbow trout — dry-dropper rigs on stoneflies and caddis, attractors, and terrestrials.

South Fork of the Conejos

WadeCutthroat · Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout

A freestone fork draining the South San Juan Wilderness — small, technical pocket water with brook trout, wild trout, and native Rio Grande cutthroat trout in the upper reaches. Substantial hiking for the better water; the confluence marks the bottom of the fly-only Pinnacles reach.

Best for: Backcountry small-stream fishing for brook trout and native cutthroat trout.

Menkhaven to Mogote — Wild Trout Meadow

WadeBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The most approachable public dry-fly water on the river — open pocket water and meadow runs along Highway 17. The Menkhaven Ranch to Aspen Glade stretch is Wild Trout water (artificial flies only, 2 trout, 16-inch minimum); Menkhaven Ranch itself is posted private. The CONMOGCO gauge at Mogote is the reference flow for this reach and the canyon above. Below the town of Conejos toward Manassa the river is dewatered by irrigation and is not a fishery — keep to the water above.

Best for: Approachable dry-fly and hopper fishing for wild brown trout and rainbow trout; the terrestrial meadow reaches shine in late summer.

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 75–150 cfs
Blow-out: >250 cfs
Ideal water temp: 50–62°F

Best seasons

July through September is prime — post-runoff clarity, the stonefly complex giving way to terrestrials, and 75-150 CFS at Mogote fishes the canyon and Highway 17 pocket water beautifully. Late June is the window for the salmonfly and golden-stone hatch if flows have dropped enough. Fall (Sep-Oct) brings BWO and midge fishing and aggressive pre-spawn browns. Above roughly 250 CFS in the canyon during peak runoff (late May to mid-June) the river is high, dirty, and dangerous to wade; below about 40-50 CFS at Mogote in a dry late summer the freestone warms and fish stress, so shift to the cold tailwater below Platoro. High-elevation afternoon thunderstorms are a real hazard in the gorge.

Regulations

The Conejos carries several special-regulation reaches under Colorado's wild-trout program; elsewhere standard statewide trout regulations apply. Much of the land along the river is private, so public fishing is concentrated on the USFS and CPW-easement reaches.

Menkhaven Ranch downstream to Aspen Glade Campground: Wild Trout water — artificial flies only; 2 trout, 16" minimum
Lower bridge at the town of Platoro downstream to the South Fork confluence: artificial flies and lures only; 2 trout, 16" minimum
Saddle Creek to the South Fork confluence (within the Pinnacles): fly-fishing only
Lake Fork of the Conejos, headwaters down to Rock Lake/Big Lake: Wild Trout water
Elsewhere: standard Colorado statewide trout regulations unless posted
Valid Colorado fishing license required (resident/nonresident; annual and 1-day options via CPW)

Regulations change annually — confirm the current bag and gear line for each reach on the CPW Conejos River page and the 2 CCR 406-1 special-regulation listing before fishing. Respect posted private boundaries (Menkhaven Ranch and the guest-ranch waters); public access is on USFS and CPW-easement reaches.

Source: Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Antonito, CO

~2.5 hr from Santa Fe, NM; ~3.5 hr from Colorado Springs; ~4 hr from Albuquerque or Denver; ~45 min from Alamosa (ALS) regional airport

Fly shops

Conejos River AnglersAntonito
Angler's CoveyColorado Springs

Camping: USFS campgrounds line Highway 17 and Forest Road 250 — Mogote, Aspen Glade, Spectacle Lake, Lake Fork, and others up toward Platoro. Cabins and guest ranches (Conejos River Anglers, Rainbow Trout Ranch, Elk Meadow Ranch) sit along the river; full services (gas, food, lodging) are in Antonito at the Hwy 17 / US-285 junction, with Chama, NM about 30 minutes south.

The fishery lives in the Platoro-to-Mogote corridor — roughly 40% of the river's 80-plus miles is public USFS or CPW easement. Below the town of Conejos toward Manassa and the La Sauses delta the river is effectively dewatered by irrigation in summer and is not a fishery. The Pinnacles requires a steep hike-in off FR 250; the Highway 17 reaches are roadside and far more approachable.

More in Colorado

View all 24 rivers

San Luis Valley

Rio Grande

461 cfs50°F water

Prime

Other regions

Animas River

1,810 cfs47°F water

Good

Arkansas River

13.4 cfs44°F water

Fair

Big Thompson River

12.6 cfs38°F water

Slow

Blue River

13 cfs44°F water

Good

Cache la Poudre River

12.2 cfs

Fair

Clear Creek

60.5 cfs

Good

About Conejos River

Species

Brown Trout

Primary · Jul-Oct · 10-18"

The dominant fish over most of the river. Wild and resident year-round; fall pre-spawn browns turn aggressive to streamers, and the private ranch waters hold the largest fish.

Rainbow Trout

Common · Jun-Sep · 10-18"

Wild through the canyon and wild-trout reaches; the ranch waters (Rainbow Trout Ranch, Elk Meadow) hold trophy rainbows on private stretches.

Brook Trout

Common · Jul-Sep · 6-12"

Eager little fish in the Lake Fork, South Fork, and high tributaries — a good change of pace from the technical canyon.

Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout

Limited · Jul-Sep · 6-12"

The basin's native, hanging on in the upper wilderness tributaries and headwater forks. Verify specific reaches with CPW before targeting them.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Brown Trout	Primary	Jul-Oct	10-18"
Rainbow Trout	Common	Jun-Sep	10-18"
Brook Trout	Common	Jul-Sep	6-12"
Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout	Limited	Jul-Sep	6-12"

At a glance

Ideal wading flow

75–150 cfs

Blow-out

>250 cfs

Ideal water temp

50–62°F

Best seasons

Regulations

Menkhaven Ranch downstream to Aspen Glade Campground: Wild Trout water — artificial flies only; 2 trout, 16" minimum
Lower bridge at the town of Platoro downstream to the South Fork confluence: artificial flies and lures only; 2 trout, 16" minimum
Saddle Creek to the South Fork confluence (within the Pinnacles): fly-fishing only
Lake Fork of the Conejos, headwaters down to Rock Lake/Big Lake: Wild Trout water
Elsewhere: standard Colorado statewide trout regulations unless posted
Valid Colorado fishing license required (resident/nonresident; annual and 1-day options via CPW)

Source: Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Antonito, CO

~2.5 hr from Santa Fe, NM; ~3.5 hr from Colorado Springs; ~4 hr from Albuquerque or Denver; ~45 min from Alamosa (ALS) regional airport

Conejos River

About Conejos River

Species