With winter fading into the rearview, fly fishing season in Southwest Colorado is back and better than ever. And lucky for those who live and vacation at Glacier, a wealth of prime fly fishing locales are just minutes away from your doorstep. From the Animas River in Downtown Durango to the San Juan River about an hour west, here are our favorite spots to cast a line.
The Animas River
Winding right through downtown Durango, the Animas River is a fly fishing gem. This gold-medal water is home to healthy populations of rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout. Some of the best river access points near Glacier include Trimble Crossing, Haviland Lake, and Animas City Mountain. The Animas offers great dry fly fishing with blue winged olives in the spring and pale morning duns in the summer.
Cascade Creek
This picturesque creek tumbling down from the La Plata Mountains offers fabulous small stream fishing in a gorgeous alpine setting. Cascade Creek holds healthy brook trout that eagerly take dry flies. It’s just a short drive from Glacier up Highway 550 towards Purgatory.
Haviland Lake
Tucked away in the San Juans right above Glacier, Haviland Lake is stocked annually with trout by Colorado Parks & Wildlife. It’s the perfect spot for a picnic and some lake fishing in a beautiful mountain setting. Kids and new anglers will love it here.
San Juan River
About 60 miles west of Durango, the San Juan River below Navajo Lake is a world-class tailwater fishery. You’ll need a New Mexico fishing license to cast off in these waters, but it’s well worth it. With heavy insect hatches and hungry trout, it’s a dry fly anglers’ paradise. Here, the special catch-and-release regulations help sustain this amazing trout population.
Vallecito Lake
One of the largest bodies of water in the area, Vallecito Lake is a stunning high-altitude reservoir surrounded by mountains about 30 minutes northeast of Durango. It’s stocked with trout and an excellent stillwater fishery.
With an incredible variety of gold medal rivers, alpine streams, and well-stocked lakes right in Glacier’s neighborhood, this spring and summer are shaping up to be outstanding for fly fishing in Durango. Grab your rod and go explore our amazing local waters!
Want to head out on a guided trip? Get in touch with our friends at Duranglers for the ultimate excursion.
