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The Animas River curving through green bottomland just north of downtown Durango, with forested hills behind

Durango & the San Juan

Durango sits on the Animas River in southwest Colorado.

  • Colorado · West
  • 5 waters
  • 11 guides nearby
  • 5 shops nearby
  • DRO airport · 11 mi
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Photo credit

The Animas River just north of downtown Durango, Colorado. Photo: Ahodges7, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

More about Durango & the San Juan

Durango sits on the Animas River in southwest Colorado; the San Juan River tailwater below Navajo Dam is across the state line in New Mexico, and the Piedra and Los Pinos rivers lie to the east.

Waters around Durango

About this

Tap a water for its live flow, access map, regulations and hatches.

All Colorado waters
  • The Animas River running high and brown past Santa Rita Park in Durango, with a forested hill behindGold Medal Water
    Photo credit

    The Animas River from Santa Rita Park, Durango, Colorado. Photo: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Animas River

    Colorado · 1 mi from Durango

  • The San Juan River tailwater below Navajo Dam, clear water and green banks beneath sandstone bluffsCatch and release
    Photo credit

    The San Juan River between Navajo Dam and the community of Navajo Dam, New Mexico. Photo: Phil Slattery, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    San Juan River

    New Mexico · 34 mi from Durango

  • The Piedra River flowing through willows and autumn brush toward a mountain, seen from a bridgeCatch and release
    Photo credit

    The Piedra River in Hinsdale County, Colorado. Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Piedra River

    Colorado · 30 mi from Durango

  • The Los Pinos River running between cottonwoods and pines, seen from a road bridgeSpecial-regulation trout water
    Photo credit

    The Los Pinos River in La Plata County, Colorado. Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Los Pinos River

    Colorado · 18 mi from Durango

  • Navajo Lake's blue water and mesa shoreline seen through juniper from Navajo Lake State ParkLake or reservoir
    Photo credit

    Navajo Lake from Navajo Lake State Park, New Mexico. Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Navajo Lake

    New Mexico · 32 mi from Durango

Distances and official pages

The rivers, lakes or flats this hub is organised around, each with its straight-line distance from Durango. Within 40 miles a water's own page names this hub as near; a farther one shows its distance instead. Where a nearby guide names a water on its own website, we say how many do. Access, seasons and special regulations differ by reach: check the agency pages under license and rules.

  • Animas River1 mi from Durango in a straight line · named on 1 guide website nearby
  • San Juan River34 mi from Durango in a straight line · named on 8 guide websites nearby
  • Piedra River30 mi from Durango in a straight line · named on 1 guide website nearby
  • Los Pinos River18 mi from Durango in a straight line
  • Navajo Lake32 mi from Durango in a straight line · named on 4 guide websites nearby
All gauge readings

The first USGS gauge on each water: the latest reading, how it compares with that gauge's record for today's date, the 24-hour trend and the NWS flood stage. Open a water for what the level means.

Reading the gauges around Durango…

Check any river's flow Dated report publishers

All Colorado waters

Meet local guides

About this

11 guide listings within 60 miles (9 fly-focused), fly-focused first. Unclaimed listings say so on their page: confirm licensing, rates and dates with the outfitter.

All Colorado guides

All Colorado guides

Fly shops nearby

About this

5 shop listings in the towns around Durango, fly shops first. Confirm hours with the shop before you go.

All Colorado shops

All Colorado shops

Fish around Durango

Species guides mention (7)

Counted from the species each guide lists on its own site. This is what guides advertise, not an agency species list or a promise of what you will catch. We hold no agency species page for this hub yet.

  • Brown trout4
  • Rainbow trout4
  • Carp3
  • Northern pike3
  • Cutthroat trout2
  • Bonefish1
  • Crappie1
  • Largemouth bass1

Things to know

  • Fishing license: Colorado Parks & Wildlife

    Fees on the agency page.

    License page

  • Fishing license: New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (for the San Juan River in New Mexico)

    Fees on the agency page.

    License page

  • Getting there

    DRO Durango La Plata County Airport · 11 mi

    Airports and lodging

  • Regulations and access

    Seasons, limits and access: agency pages.

    2 official pages

Official license and rules pages

Buy the license from the agency and read its current regulations before you go. These links are the authoritative pages; nothing on this page grants or implies access to any water, and fees are only shown when read from the agency page on a stated date.

Nothing here grants or implies access to any water.

The Durango & the San Juan area

About this

The circle is the 60-mile area this page covers, around Durango. Tap a water for its page. Shops and guides appear where they publish a street address on their own website; all of them are listed above.

Map of the Durango & the San Juan area: its waters, shops and guides

RestroomsWaters

Map of Durango & the San Juan: the 60-mile area this page covers, its waters, and shops and guides with an exact address.

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles

Restrooms near Durango & the San Juan

Restrooms near Durango & the San Juan

Restrooms within 5 miles of the centre of Durango & the San Juan in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.

Map of 7 restrooms near Durango & the San Juan

Skip the map; every place is in the list below

Map of 7 restrooms near Durango & the San Juan, numbered as in the list, with the town centre marked.

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles

  1. Restroom

    0.4 mi away in a straight line
    • Flush toilet (mapped)
    • Public (mapped)
    • Wheelchair accessible (mapped)

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  2. Restroom

    0.4 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  3. Restroom

    0.9 mi away in a straight line
    • Flush toilet (mapped)
    • Wheelchair accessible (mapped)

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · free? · open to everyone? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  4. Restroom

    1.8 mi away in a straight line
    • Portable toilet (mapped)

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  5. Restroom

    1.8 mi away in a straight line
    • Portable toilet (mapped)

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  6. Restroom

    2.7 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  7. Restroom

    4.1 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.

Base yourself nearby

About this

Durango has the most lodging; Navajo Dam, NM is the small settlement beside the San Juan tailwater. We do not list or price properties. The search opens an outside site.

Find lodging on Google Maps

Nearest airports

About this

Distances are straight-line from the town centre, computed from OurAirports open data; distances by road are longer. Fares are never estimated here.

  • DRO Durango La Plata County AirportDurango, CO · 11 mi · regional
    Search flights
  • CEZ Cortez Municipal AirportCortez, CO · 41 mi · regional
    Search flights
  • TEX Telluride Regional AirportTelluride, CO · 47 mi · regional
    Search flights
  • ABQ Albuquerque International SunportAlbuquerque, NM · 170 mi · major hub
    Search flights

Rough out the trip

About this

Set nights, anglers and guided days. Each line says where its figure comes from, and anything we cannot source honestly (guide rates, fares, license fees not read from the agency page) stays a link rather than a number.

Estimates, not quotes

  • Fishing licenseSee source
    Agency page
    Source

    One per angler (2 anglers). Fees are set by Colorado Parks & Wildlife; see the agency page.

    Source: Colorado Parks & Wildlife
  • Guided days2 rates pages
    Blue Sky Fly Fishing Co.Born N' Raised Guide Service on the San Juan River
    Source

    1 guided day for 2 anglers. We do not copy guide rates: 2 guides near here publish a rates page on their own website.

    Source: Guide websites (rates pages linked, never copied)
  • Find lodgingSee source
    Search lodging
    Source

    Search places to stay near the destination. We do not list or price properties.

    Source: Lodging search link
  • FlightsSee source
    Search flights
    Source

    Fares are not estimated here. Search flights to DRO (Durango La Plata County Airport).

    Source: Flight search link (no fares quoted)

No priced itemsUse the links for real figures.

How we estimate

Estimates, not quotes. Nothing here is a price from a guide, a property or an airline; confirm every cost with the provider before you book. No placeholder lodging range is configured for this region, and licenses, guided days and flights are never priced here.

Parks, forests and visitor offices

About this

For the non-fishing days, or the people traveling with you. Official sources only; what to do there is for their pages to say.

Gear checklist

About this

A wade-fishing checklist for big western trout rivers: a 9 ft 5–6 weight outfit, nymph, dry and streamer setups, waders, boots and a wading staff, with estimated prices by tier and where to buy.

A woman in waders and a sun hat wades a broad river and casts, bluffs on the far bank

Big western rivers (wade fishing)

9′ rod, 5–6 weight, floating line · Rainbow and brown trout, whitefish

Open checklist

Watch: wade fishing a big river

About this

Covering broad water and staying upright in it.

Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.

  • Walk & Wade Streamer Fishing for Trout | Madison River MontanaEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube

Not sponsored All videos on big rivers

Stories from Colorado

About this

Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly, tagged with a water in Colorado.

No Colorado stories yet.

Share a storyAll Colorado stories

Sources for this page

All 8 sources

Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories (open map records checked against each business’s own website). Everything else links to the publisher below; this page copies none of their text. A destination hub organises discovery; it does not assert public access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.

Links checked 13 Oct 2026. Not a claim of access or conditions.