WHERE TO GO FLY FISHING IN THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS
My favorite place to fish in the Jemez Mountains is the main stretch of the Jemez River. Anywhere above the town of Jemez Springs is good. Parts of this river hold a lot more deep holes and really fishable water than others. You want to find a stretch ideally that has a lot of deep holes and cuts. These holes are where you have the best chance of catching bigger fish on the Jemez. Some parts of the river receive more angling pressure than others. You will have to do some exploring to find a stretch you like. There are fish throughout the whole river but some stretches are better than others.
Another really good spot to check out is the Guadalupe River. This is another stream that can produce a lot of fish for you and is a lot of fun to check out. This is my second favorite stream in the Jemez. The East Fork is good as well.
The most popular fishing spot in the Jemez Mountains is undoubtedly Fenton Lake. The lake holds rainbows and browns and spin and bait casters line up to catch them on the banks. If I am in the Fenton Lake area I usually opt to fish the stream below it instead of the lake itself. The stream winds through a beautiful grassy field and I always get a lot more action fishing here than the lake itself, and also avoid the crowds. There are a lot of nice pools in front of beaver dams and nice cuts in the winding stream that make for some really fun fishing. The main stretch of the Jemez River still offers the best fishing, but this stream can be fun too.
I should also mention fishing the caldera. The stream winds through a grassy meadow in the middle of the caldera. You have to apply for a permit and pay to fish this area. It is a nice area, certainly, but I would not say that it is worth the money and effort to fish when there are so many other areas to fish so nearby. Other free stretches of river in the Jemez Mountains hold more and bigger fish.
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