Pecos River Basin
Target Species Brown, Rainbow, Rio Grande Cutthroat
Notable Hatches Caddis, PMD, BWO, Stonefly
About the Pecos River Basin
The Pecos River Basin drains the western slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, creating one of New Mexico's most beloved trout fisheries. The upper Pecos near the villages of Pecos and Terrero has been a fly fishing destination since the early 1900s, offering accessible mountain stream fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout in a beautiful ponderosa-and-spruce canyon.
Key Fisheries
- Pecos River (Upper): The classic mountain freestone section near Terrero and Cowles, with good road access and wild trout.
- Pecos tributaries: Smaller streams in the Pecos Wilderness hold Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout for backcountry anglers.
Iconic Hatches
Caddis emergences drive the summer fishing on the Pecos, with PMD hatches providing excellent dry fly opportunities in June and July. Stoneflies appear in early summer in the faster canyon water. BWO hatches in fall create technical but rewarding dry fly fishing.
