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Home › Waters › New Mexico › Rio Grande
River · Northern New Mexico · New Mexico

Rio Grande Fishing Guides

The Rio Grande del Norte gorge below Taos, eight hundred feet of basalt wall over big browns, wild trout water reached by trail or by raft.

A clear river pool below pines and broken rock in the Rockies

Map of the Rio Grande

39 numbered points: 2 access points, 15 campsites, 10 bridges, 1 park or conservation area, 2 agency offices, 2 regulation section limits, 1 hazard, 2 springs, 4 USGS gauges. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 24, 2026.

Printable version →
  • Access / boat ramp (2)
  • Campsite (15)
  • Bridge crossing (10)
  • Park / conservation area (1)
  • Agency / conservation office (2)
  • Regulation section limit (2)
  • Dam / hazard (1)
  • Spring (2)
  • USGS gauge (4)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Points are curated from OpenStreetMap and state agency sources; confirm access and hours before you go.

Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.

Open the printable map
All 39 points on this map
#PointTypeLat, LonNotes
1Special trout water - upper limit: New Mexico/Colorado state line
Taos County reach - 19.31.4.11(A)(5)(a) NMAC		Regulation section limit36.99986, -105.71882Upstream end of the posted special-regulation reach, which runs from the state line down to the Taos Junction Bridge. Check the current New Mexico rules before you fish it.
2Chiflo Campground
BLM - Rio Grande del Norte		Campsite36.74143, -105.68037Rim campground above the gorge north of Cerro.
3USGS Rio Grande near Cerro
Upper gorge flows		USGS gauge36.73989, -105.68350The gauge to read for the Ute Mountain and Wild Rivers reaches.
4Bear Crossing
BLM - Rio Grande del Norte		Campsite36.71816, -105.69122
5Big Arsenic
BLM - Wild Rivers		Campsite36.67547, -105.68147Rim site; a steep trail drops about 800 ft to the river.
6Little Arsenic
BLM - Wild Rivers		Campsite36.66739, -105.68060Rim site with its own trail to the water.
7Montoso
BLM - Wild Rivers		Campsite36.66554, -105.68096
8La Junta
BLM - Wild Rivers		Campsite36.65713, -105.68534On the rim above the Red River confluence.
9La Junta Lower
BLM - Wild Rivers		Campsite36.65359, -105.69014
10Cebolla Mesa
Carson National Forest		Campsite36.64100, -105.68870Trail from the rim to the Red River confluence; a common walk-in put-in for the Taos Box.
11John Dunn Bridge
Near Arroyo Hondo		Bridge crossing36.53506, -105.70886The first road crossing below the Colorado line - there is none in the 61 km above it. Usual put-in for the Taos Box.
12Manby Hot Springs
Also known as Stagecoach Hot Springs		Spring36.50834, -105.72407Riverside hot springs reached on foot from the west rim.
13Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
US 64 west of Taos		Bridge crossing36.47625, -105.73308High steel crossing of the gorge; no river access at the bridge itself.
14Gorge Overlook Rest Stop
West rim beside the Gorge Bridge		Park / conservation area36.47540, -105.73673Parking, toilets and the rim walk.
15Rio Pueblo Campground
BLM - Orilla Verde		Campsite36.33768, -105.73112
16Taos Junction Bridge Boat Launch
BLM - Orilla Verde		Access / boat ramp36.33555, -105.73371Launch and take-out at the bridge; the head of the Orilla Verde float.
17Special trout water - downstream limit: Taos Junction Bridge
Taos County reach - 19.31.4.11(A)(5)(a) NMAC		Regulation section limit36.33607, -105.73377Downstream end of the posted reach that begins at the New Mexico/Colorado state line. The bridge is the marker.
18Orilla Verde Campground
BLM - Orilla Verde		Campsite36.33580, -105.73607
19Rio Grande SpringSpring36.33311, -105.74034
20USGS Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge
The roster gauge for this water		USGS gauge36.32003, -105.75444Read this one for the Orilla Verde and Racecourse floats.
21Petaca Campground
BLM - Orilla Verde		Campsite36.30760, -105.76721
22Lone Juniper Campground
BLM - Orilla Verde		Campsite36.30047, -105.77186
23Lone Juniper Boat Takeout
BLM - Orilla Verde		Access / boat ramp36.29952, -105.77251
24Arroyo Hondo Campground
BLM - Orilla Verde		Campsite36.29704, -105.77352
25Rio Brave Campground
BLM - Orilla Verde		Campsite36.29196, -105.78191
26Pilar Campground
BLM - Orilla Verde		Campsite36.28575, -105.78635
27Pilar Bridge
Pilar		Bridge crossing36.27855, -105.78945
28Pilar Visitor Center
BLM - Rio Grande Gorge		Agency / conservation office36.26802, -105.78869Staffed visitor centre at Pilar, at the downstream end of the Orilla Verde reach.
29Glen Woody Bridge
Below the Racecourse		Bridge crossing36.24599, -105.82555
30Rinconada Bridge
Rinconada		Bridge crossing36.21680, -105.88995
31Embudo Bridge
Embudo		Bridge crossing36.20670, -105.96067
32USGS Rio Grande at Embudo
Gauging here began in 1889		USGS gauge36.20548, -105.96416Embudo is where the USGS started streamgaging in the United States.
33Old Highway 582 Bridge
Near Velarde		Bridge crossing36.14610, -105.99801
34Los Luceros Diversion Dam
In-river diversion structure		Dam / hazard36.12110, -106.04387Scout or portage - a diversion weir spans the river here.
35NM 74 Bridge
North of Espanola		Bridge crossing36.05798, -106.08211
36Espanola Ranger District Headquarters
US Forest Service		Agency / conservation office36.01755, -106.06487District office in Espanola.
37Onate Street Bridge
Espanola		Bridge crossing35.99045, -106.07360A second town crossing sits about 250 m downstream.
38Otowi Bridge
NM 502		Bridge crossing35.87487, -106.14150The 1924 Otowi suspension bridge still stands beside the highway crossing.
39USGS Rio Grande at Otowi Bridge
The Otowi compact gauge		USGS gauge35.87458, -106.14239The index gauge for Rio Grande Compact accounting.

Guides on the Rio Grande

Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.

Order on this page: premium and outfitter plans first (labelled Premium placement), then claimed free profiles, then unclaimed — one published price, no bidding for position. How placement works

About the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande through the Taos gorge is one of the most dramatic trout fisheries in the country and one of the least crowded, because getting to it means either a steep hike down eight hundred feet of basalt or a raft trip through class III water. The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument protects the corridor, and the reaches from the Colorado line through the Ute Mountain run, the Taos Box and down to the Taos Junction Bridge and Pilar hold wild brown trout, rainbows and, in the upper reaches, cutthroat.

Brown trout are the fish, and big ones live in this canyon. The classic approach is a winter and early-spring trip when flows are low, the water is clear and the browns are concentrated, hiking down at La Junta or the Big Arsenic trail and fishing heavy nymphs and streamers through the pocket water. In summer the river is warmer and the rafting traffic is heavy through the Racecourse below Pilar, and anglers move up to the tributaries, the Red River and the Rio Pueblo de Taos.

The Taos Junction gauge is the reference for the lower gorge. Readings in the low hundreds of cfs mean clear, wadeable, excellent winter and spring fishing. Spring runoff through May and June can push it into the thousands, which is prime whitewater and poor fishing, and summer monsoon storms can turn the whole canyon the color of the cliffs within an hour. Water temperature climbs in late summer; fish early or fish higher.

Taos is the base for everything, with Pilar, Questa and the Wild Rivers Recreation Area strung along the canyon. The hike out at the end of a winter day is the part nobody mentions until you are doing it.

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Posting to Rio Grande.

JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 12 MB. We resize it and strip the location data out of the file.

The name shown under the photo. Leave blank to stay anonymous.

Reader photo license v1.0 — the short version:

  • You grant Guided Floats, LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish, resize and crop your photo on guidedfloats.com and in GuidedFloats’ own social posts and apps. You keep the copyright and can use the photo anywhere else.
  • You confirm that you took the photo yourself, that publishing it does not infringe anyone else’s rights, and that anyone recognisable in it (or a parent or guardian, if they are under 18) is happy for it to appear here.
  • Credit is printed beside the photo wherever it appears on the site, using the credit name you give us. Leave it blank and we use your name; write “Anonymous” for no name. Your email address is never published.
  • Withdrawing is one email to hello@guidedfloats.com naming the photo. It comes off the site within 7 days.
Read the full license

Version 1.0, dated 6 September 2026. Applies to every photograph submitted to GuidedFloats through the contact form, a species page, or the community board.

1. What you give us

By ticking the box on the form you grant Guided Floats, LLC (“GuidedFloats”, “we”) a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, copy, resize, crop and display your photograph on guidedfloats.com, in GuidedFloats’ own social media accounts and mobile apps, and in material that promotes the site itself, in connection with the fish, water or community feature you sent it in for. The license lasts until you withdraw it (section 4).

You keep the copyright. The license is not exclusive, so you can use the photo anywhere else and license it to anyone else. We will not sell your photo, license it on to anyone else on its own, or use it in paid advertising for a third party.

2. What you confirm

You confirm that you took the photograph yourself (or otherwise own the rights to it), that you have the right to grant this license, and that publishing the photo does not infringe anyone else’s copyright, privacy or other rights.

If any person is recognisable in the photo, you confirm that they have agreed to its being published here, and that a parent or guardian has agreed on behalf of anyone under 18. Please do not send photographs of other people’s catches, screenshots, or pictures copied from other websites or social media.

3. Credit

We print the credit name you give us beside the photo wherever it appears on the site, and record it as the photo’s creator in the page’s structured data. If you leave the credit blank we use the name you gave us on the form. Write “Anonymous” if you prefer no name at all. Your email address, phone number and the exact spot the photo was taken are never published.

4. Withdrawing the license

You can withdraw the license at any time by emailing hello@guidedfloats.com, or by using the contact form, and telling us which photo you mean. We will remove the photo from guidedfloats.com within 7 days of receiving your message and stop using it in anything new. Copies that are already outside our control — search-engine caches, social posts that have already gone out, printed material already produced — may take longer to disappear or may not be recallable, and we are not responsible for those.

5. What we may do

We choose which photos to publish and may decline any submission without giving a reason. We may crop, resize, sharpen or colour-correct a photo for display, and we may remove a photo at any time. We will not alter a photo in a way that misrepresents the fish, the water or you.

6. Your details

We keep your name, email address, the credit name, the water and date you gave us, and the network address the submission came from, with the submission record, as our evidence of this license. We hold that record for as long as the photo is published and for the retention period described in our privacy policy. Location data that your camera or phone embedded in the file is removed before the photo is published.

7. Versions

The version of this license you accepted is stored with your submission and printed with the photo. A later version does not apply to a photo you have already sent unless you agree to it.

Flow alert

Tell me when the Rio Grande cfs

Now: 1,270 cfs, read 6:30 am CST, Mon Nov 2, 2026 (USGS 08276500, RIO GRANDE BLW TAOS JUNCTION BRIDGE NEAR TAOS, NM).

We never use this address for anything else and never share it. See the privacy policy.

Access

Wild Rivers Recreation Area, Questa: rim campgrounds and the steep La Junta and Big Arsenic trails.
Red River confluence: the classic winter walk-in fishery.
John Dunn Bridge: road access to the river above the Taos Box.
Taos Junction Bridge: access near the gauge and the standard raft takeout.
Orilla Verde Recreation Area, Pilar: the easiest river-level access, camping and ramps.
The Racecourse below Pilar: heavy summer whitewater traffic.
Trails into the gorge are steep and exposed; carry water and plan the climb out.

Seasons

December through April: the best fishing of the year, low clear water and concentrated brown trout.
May and June: runoff and whitewater season; fishing is poor and rafting is excellent.
July and August: monsoon storms, warm water and turbid conditions; fish the tributaries.
September through November: clearing water, cooling temperatures and brown trout on the move.

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Questions

What is the current flow on the Rio Grande?

As of Nov 2, 6:30 am, the USGS gauge RIO GRANDE BLW TAOS JUNCTION BRIDGE NEAR TAOS, NM reads 1,270 cfs, the 84th percentile for this date. Conditions update every 15 minutes.

What species can you catch on the Rio Grande?

Anglers target Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout on the Rio Grande in New Mexico.

Are there fishing guides on the Rio Grande?

GuidedFloats lists 4 guides and outfitters on the Rio Grande. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.

Where can you access the Rio Grande?

Wild Rivers Recreation Area, Questa: rim campgrounds and the steep La Junta and Big Arsenic trails. Red River confluence: the classic winter walk-in fishery. John Dunn Bridge: road access to the river above the Taos Box. Taos Junction Bridge: access near the gauge and the standard raft takeout. Orilla Verde Recreation Area, Pilar: the easiest river-level access, camping and ramps. The Racecourse below Pilar: heavy summer whitewater traffic. Trails into the gorge are steep and exposed; carry water and plan the climb out.

When is the best time to fish the Rio Grande?

December through April: the best fishing of the year, low clear water and concentrated brown trout. May and June: runoff and whitewater season; fishing is poor and rafting is excellent. July and August: monsoon storms, warm water and turbid conditions; fish the tributaries. September through November: clearing water, cooling temperatures and brown trout on the move.

Where are the fishing regulations for the Rio Grande?

Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New Mexico agency site: https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/fishing/