Fly Fishing San Juan River - Below Crusher Hole

Overview

This San Juan tailwater reach passes Crusher Hole and the village of Navajo Dam before continuing through a broad cottonwood valley to the Hammond Tract. Near Crusher Hole, long riffles, rock structure and deeper holes give way downstream to gravel bars, longer runs and undercut banks on the outside bends. Brown and rainbow trout inhabit this varied lower-river water.

Dam releases change the level and current, while storms can alter clarity. Short-pull streamer presentations suit the deeper banks, and worm, midge and scud patterns offer a subsurface approach to the riffles. Watch for Baetis, caddis or terrestrial activity before changing to a surface presentation.

Riffles Above the Broad Valley

The upper part retains the long riffles and rock structure of the dam-side tailwater. Around the Cottonwood area, slower flats lead into deeper holes and runs. Read the seam beside the vegetation or rock rather than treating a flat as one uniform piece of water.

Farther down toward Hammond, the channel broadens into valley water with gravel bars, cottonwood banks and outside bends. Those banks give you a different target from the riffles above: a current break alongside cover or a deeper lane entering the bend. Neither the slow-looking surface nor a gauge reading alone describes the footing or current beneath it.

Streamers Along the Banks

Woolly buggers, leeches and sculpin patterns are useful ways to cover the lower river's deeper banks. Try short, quick pulls, then change the retrieve to follow the current lane. Olive and black in sizes 6 through 10 give you a starting choice; a rubber-legged version adds another profile when storm runoff colors the water.

A weighted fly can reach the deeper outside-bend lane more directly than an unweighted one. Choose weight and line to match that presentation rather than assuming every run needs the same setup. Work the fly along the structure before pulling it across the faster current.

Worms, Midges and Scuds

A San Juan worm or squirmy worm trailed by a red or black midge larva offers an indicator approach to the upper riffles. Adjust depth so the flies follow the chosen lane near the bottom, resetting before the rig drags across conflicting currents. Worm and leech patterns in sizes 12 to 14 add other subsurface choices.

Orange or olive scuds and egg-colored attractors give you alternatives when the first rig draws no response. A 4X tippet is a starting option for these presentations; change the leader or weight to improve the drift rather than relying on a particular pattern to do all the work.

Surface Options Through the Seasons

Watch the quieter flats for midge activity on calm winter or early-spring afternoons. A cluster-midge imitation gives you a surface option when fish are rising. Baetis patterns, including a size 18 or 20 comparadun, offer another choice for observed mayfly feeding.

Caddis, golden stonefly and Pale Morning Dun patterns broaden the box as the season warms. Look for the insects before choosing among them, and give evening caddis presentations time in the riffle lanes. Hoppers and ants along grassy or sage-lined banks add another warm-season approach; a hopper with a dropper can cover contrasting depths in the same lane.

Fall offers a reason to carry both small mayfly patterns and streamers. Watch the feeding activity and the changing clarity, then choose between a surface drift and a presentation through the deeper run. Dam-release changes and summer storms can reshape the useful lanes in any season.