Jackalope Anglers was founded on a straightforward idea: the Rio Grande River near Del Norte is one of the finest and most underappreciated fly fishing destinations in the Rocky Mountain West, and the people who fish it with a knowledgeable guide consistently walk away with the same thought. Why did it take me this long to get here? The Gold Medal water that runs through this stretch of the San Luis Valley holds wild populations of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout in a river system that benefits from a level of solitude and natural character that more famous Colorado rivers have largely lost to pressure and development.
The canyon sections are stunning. The hatches are reliable and diverse. The fish are wild and they fight like it. Building a guide service around this water was not a difficult decision. It was an inevitable one. Jackalope Anglers was built on the values of conservation, genuine hospitality, and the belief that a great day of fly fishing is about more than just catching fish. It is about being in a remarkable place with a guide who knows it well enough to show you things you would never find on your own. We are committed to the long-term health of the Rio Grande fishery and we practice strict catch and release on every trip. This river has given us everything and we intend to give it back in kind.
The Rio Grande has its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado and flows southeast through the San Luis Valley before continuing south into New Mexico and ultimately forming the border between Texas and Mexico for hundreds of miles. The stretch we fish near Del Norte is a completely different river from the desert sections most people picture when they hear the name. Up here the Rio Grande is a cold, clear, mountain-fed trout river running through a landscape of canyon walls, cottonwood lined banks, open meadows, and volcanic rock formations that make every float feel like a genuine adventure.
The river in this section carries a Gold Medal designation from Colorado Parks and Wildlife on certain stretches, reflecting the quality of the wild trout fishery and the exceptional fishing conditions that justify the highest classification the state awards to its trout water. Gold Medal status is not handed out generously in Colorado and it means something specific when it applies to a stretch of river. It means the fish populations are exceptional, the average size of fish is above what most rivers can offer, and the overall quality of the angling experience is among the best available in the state.
The Rio Grande near Del Norte holds three primary trout species, each with its own character and its own particular set of demands on the angler trying to catch it.
Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout The Rio Grande Cutthroat is Colorado's native trout and the fish that gives this drainage its name as a distinct fishery. Recognizable by the distinctive red slash marks beneath the jaw that define the cutthroat family, the Rio Grande Cutthroat is a beautiful and historically significant fish that inhabits the upper and more remote reaches of the drainage.
Rainbow trout inhabit the main stem of the Rio Grande in good numbers and are typically found in the faster, more oxygenated water throughout the river. They are strong, acrobatic fighters that make an impression on anglers of any experience level when they run and jump on a tight line.
Brown trout are the most widely distributed species in the Rio Grande near Del Norte and the fish that our guides spend the most time thinking about. They are intelligent, opportunistic, and capable of growing to impressive sizes in the productive water of this section of the river.
Jackalope Anglers specializes in float trips and for good reason. The Rio Grande near Del Norte has miles of productive water that wade fishing simply cannot access efficiently. A drift boat lets you cover that water properly, presenting flies to fish throughout varied and beautiful river habitat while your guide works the oars and reads the river ahead. Float fishing puts you in position to fish the best water on every bend rather than working the same accessible sections that every wade angler in the valley has already covered.
On a Jackalope float trip your guide handles everything except the fishing. The rowing, the rigging, the fly selection, the coaching, and the net are all taken care of so that you can keep your focus on the water in front of you and the casts that matter. We move at a pace that allows genuine fishing rather than rushing from one access point to the next, and we spend time on productive stretches when the fishing warrants it rather than being slaves to a fixed schedule.
Float trips are available for one or two anglers per boat and are well suited to anglers of all experience levels. Our guides have coached complete beginners on their first day of fly fishing and put experienced anglers onto fish that required every skill they had. Whatever your background, the drift boat approach is the best way to experience what the Rio Grande near Del Norte can do on a given day.
Whatever the River Is Asking for on Any Given Day Body: The Rio Grande near Del Norte is a diverse fishery that supports a range of fly fishing techniques throughout the season and our guides are experienced with all of them. We fish what works and we adjust based on what the river is telling us each day rather than defaulting to a single approach regardless of conditions.
Dry fly fishing on the Rio Grande is one of the genuine pleasures of guiding this river. When the hatches are on and fish are rising, there is no more satisfying way to spend a day on the water than matching the hatch and watching a wild brown trout commit to a fly sitting on the surface.
Nymphing is the most consistently productive technique on the Rio Grande across all seasons and accounts for the majority of fish caught on any given day. Trout feed below the surface the vast majority of the time and a well-presented nymph drifted through the right seam at the right depth is often the most effective way to consistently catch fish regardless of conditions.
Streamer Fishing For anglers who want a legitimate shot at the biggest trout in the river, streamer fishing is how you pursue them. Throwing large articulated flies tight to undercut banks, through deep canyon runs, and along current seams is one of the most exciting ways to fly fish and the fish that eat streamers tend to be the most aggressive and often the largest in any given stretch of water.
Understanding the hatch activity on the Rio Grande near Del Norte gives you a significant advantage in planning your trip and knowing what to expect when you arrive. Our guides pay close attention to hatch timing throughout the season and will always have current information on what is happening on the water. Here is a general overview of what the season looks like from a hatch perspective.
Spring on the Rio Grande brings Blue Winged Olive hatches that can produce excellent dry fly fishing on cold overcast days, often the best days of the entire season for surface action with smaller flies. Midge activity remains consistent through the early season and nymphing is typically the most productive approach during runoff when the water is higher and off color. As runoff subsides in late May and early June the river drops into shape and the fishing improves rapidly across all techniques.
Summer is prime time on the Rio Grande with stable flows, ideal water temperatures, and diverse hatch activity that gives anglers a range of dry fly opportunities throughout the day. Caddis hatches are particularly prolific during summer evenings and can produce outstanding surface fishing in the canyon sections. Pale Morning Duns emerge during the warmer midday hours and various attractor patterns work well when fish are actively looking up. Nymphing remains productive throughout and streamer fishing in the early morning and late afternoon can be exceptional.
Fall is a favorite season on the Rio Grande for anglers and guides alike. Pressure drops significantly after Labor Day, the cottonwoods along the banks turn gold, and the brown trout shift into pre-spawn mode, moving into shallower water and feeding aggressively in ways that make October and November some of the most exciting fishing months of the year. Blue Winged Olive hatches return on cold overcast days and can produce beautiful dry fly fishing. Streamer fishing for pre-spawn browns is at its absolute best during this window. If you can make one trip to the Rio Grande near Del Norte, fall is the time to do it.
Winter, December through March Winter fishing on the Rio Grande is available for anglers willing to layer up and embrace the cold. Midge hatches bring fish to the surface on warmer afternoons and nymphing stays productive throughout the winter months. Angler pressure is at its lowest point of the year, the canyon sections have a stark and beautiful character in winter light, and there is a genuine satisfaction that comes from catching a wild Rio Grande trout on a cold morning with no one else on the water. We guide through the winter for clients who want to experience the river in a completely different season.
The Rio Grande near Del Norte offers extensive pristine water through a combination of Colorado State Wildlife Areas, Bureau of Land Management land, and National Forest territory that together make this one of the most fishable stretches of trout water in southern Colorado. Our float trips launch from access points that put us on the best water for the conditions and the season, and we adjust our put-in and takeout points based on flows, fish activity, and what will give our clients the best possible day on the water.
The canyon sections of the Rio Grande in this area are particularly remarkable from an access standpoint because the raft opens up miles of canyon wall fishing that is simply not reachable on foot. Some of the best fish in the river spend their lives in water that the average angler will never see from the bank, and floating through it is one of the genuine advantages of booking a guided trip with Jackalope Anglers.
Del Norte itself is ideally situated as a base for fishing the Rio Grande with quick access to multiple launch points and fishing sections in different directions from town. We know every put-in and take-out on this river and we use that knowledge to put our clients on the best water available on any given day.
Whether it is your first time fly fishing or you have been at it for years and are looking for a new river worth adding to your list, the Rio Grande near Del Norte has something exceptional to offer. Jackalope Anglers is ready to put you on the water and show you exactly what we have been talking about.
