Guides on the San Juan River: We have assembled the strongest and most diverse guide service the San Juan River has to offer. We have our guides on the river close to 365 days a year! Some of our team have been working the Juan since 1988, almost all of them have been with us for 4 or more years, and many have been with us for 6 or more. We also offer the most water to float or wade of any guide service on the San Juan. We have permits to guide on OVER 100 MILES OF AREA RIVERS AND CREEKS.

My wife and I are very proud of the team of diverse guides that we offer here at Rainbow Lodge and Resolution Guide Service. We believe in matching the client to the guide in order to provide the most instructional and productive day of fishing possible. We have guides that fit almost any personality. From excellent teachers and instructors for the beginner and experienced angler alike, to great laid back guides for the first timer or more relaxed anglers. Click here for guide page.

The San Juan River Quality Waters located below Navajo Dam, are considered to be among the top three world-class streams in the West. The constant year round temperature (45 degrees) of the water in the river has created a four season fishery unequaled in the U.S., producing fantastic fly fishing for trophy rainbow trout averaging 17 inches and two to four pounds. Rainbows over 20 inches are frequently caught on both nymphs & dry flies!

The river offers outstanding dry fly, nymph and streamer fishing. It is an excellent fishery for both beginning and advanced flyfishers. Fed by a constant stream of insects, a trout on the San Juan can grow 15 inches in a year. This is truly an amazing river; one that will keep you coming back time after time.

The San Juan River offers up one of the most interesting insect populations that I have ever had the pleasure of fishing. There are numerous hatches throughout the seasons. From the winter blanket midge hatches, to large spring beatis hatches and a caddis uprising on the lower section that you have to see to believe. This river has something for everyone - a possibility of dry fly, nymph and streamer fishing all in the same day. Allow our guides to show you the very best the San Juan River has to offer year round!

We offer the most extensive choice of rivers to fish of any lodge in the area. We guide primarily on the San Juan but also offer our guests floats on over 100 miles of other prime trout water. When you add the creeks and private water that we wade fish we offer over 100 miles of water to fish - all from 5 minutes to 1.5 hour away from our lodge.

Over 100 miles area rivers to float or wade!

In addition to the guided trips that we offer on the world famous San Juan River below Navajo Dam, we also offer float and wade fishing trips on many other area rivers. Please click on the blue links and you'll be taken to the pages that have additional information on the upper San Juan River near Pagosa the Animas in Durango, Colorado and the Rio Grande near Southfork, Colorado. Add the fact that we are under permit from the USDA to guide wade trips in dry fly heaven on nine creeks and the upper San Juan above Pagosa Springs and you'll soon see that you could fish for five days and never see the same water twice. We also guide Navajo Lake for carp, smallmouth and pike on the fly as well as spin fishing trips for bass and pike. We are the only lodge with a full time guide that is also a licensed US Coast Guard Captain.

The owners of Rainbow Lodge and Resolution Guide Service have had a commercial permit since 1997 on the San Juan River. Our guides know the river extremely well. We specialize in both wade fishing and float trips, so you get the benefits of fishing the entire river. Our guides are very patient teachers and will quickly have even the beginning fly fisher hooked up to one of these large trout.

"The guided trip that we just had on the San Juan with Chris, Jeremiah and Mike was one of the most memorable fishing trips that we have ever been on.  Those guys know the river like the backs of their hands, we were into fish from first cast to last."

"The Animas is a river that I will be returning to every year.  Mark me down for next year same dates and of course with Mike again."

" The upper San Juan was an unbelievable float!  Never have I had such quality fish in such beautiful country.  Add in the fact that we never saw a person all day and .......wow words escape me.  I will see you again next year put me down on the on call list with Chris as the guide"

"Tim was by far the most courteous and knowledgeable guide that I have ever fished with, my wife loved him and it was her first fly fishing experience, that was the goal.  We'll see you again next year for the food, I mean fishing!"

Click here to see what other guests have said about their guided trips.

Summer rates (click her for winter rates)

Call today to reserve your guide

contact us at: info@sanjuanfishing.com

or call toll free 1-888-328-1858.

We check and respond to your e-mail and phone messages every night!

LOWER SAN JUAN RIVER - Seldom Seen, Never Forgotten!

The Lower San Juan River Below the Quality Water. The lower San Juan float offers a great opportunity to see a part of the river seldom seen. It is a 8.5 or 13.5 mile float (depending on launch used) through private water. The banks are thick with Russian olives and salt cedars, the river is swift in most sections and is surrounded by beautiful farm land. In the state of New Mexico the stream bed belongs to the land owner, so wade fishing this section of the river is almost impossible.  But we offer both private land wade trips (with rod fee) as well as the more common floats (no rod fee unless we stop and wade).

The fish in the lower river are mostly brown trout and love dry flies! A common setup for the lower river is a #12 stimulator and an adams or goddard caddis. The browns and rainbows on this section are hot fish putting up a great battle, and their willingness to take dries make it a memorable day. The average fish on this float will be about 10-15" with plenty of chances at fish in the 18-20" class as well. Nymph fishing and streamer fishing can also be excellent on this stretch.

Most of the really hot dry fly action happens from about mid May-August or until we start to get some heavy summer rains that tend to silt up the lower river. The caddis hatch is one of the best times to float or wade this part of the river. The caddis will most often start to hatch soon after the spring high flows drop back to around 600cfs. As the caddis start to slow down the yellow stone and PMD hatch starts into full swing allowing even more great dry action. Baetis and midges are around almost all year in good numbers as well. The common plan on this float is a starting time around 10-11 and fish until almost dark, as the caddis hatch is at its peak near dark. It is a longer day than the upper river often lasting 9-10 hours.  Winter and early spring can be good as well but the river and flows are much more unpredictable at this time, as cold nights and spring snows and low flows can cool the river down to much or make it too low for productive fishing.

"I've fished the San Juan for 20 years and my first lower river float trip with Resolution Guide Service had to rank near the top of my best days on the San Juan.   It is like a whole different river.  The scenery is spectacular, the solitude is refreshing, and the fish are strong and beautiful!  Leave the crowds behind and find your little piece of fishing paradise on the lower San Juan River.  You won't regret it!"  -- Mike Mora (a.k.a. Ifly4trout)

Booking Your Trip on the Lower San Juan:  All guided trips through Resolution Guide Service include full instruction and a hearty lunch.  Our trips also include all your flies, and any other gear you will need. 

This float can be a wonderful trip for people new to the sport of fly fishing as there are few people and willing fish, but is a  better choice for the angler with a few trips under their belts, as somewhat accurate casting and ability to undo some of your own tangles and tying on your own flies in the event of a break off may be asked of you. It is a excellent trip for expert anglers as it can allow you to test your skills as well as see a new section of the San Juan.

This section of the river is more susceptible to run off from rain, so the back up plan is often to float or wade the quality water section of the river or make a trip to the Animas or one of the small creeks we guide. If a heavy rain happens the lower section can be muddy for up to a week making fishing very tough. The river here is truly wild and fishing it makes for a unforgettable day!

To book your complete trip with Resolution Guide Service and Rainbow Lodge on the San Juan River, contact us at info@sanjuanfishing.com or call toll free 1-888-328-1858.

We check and respond to your e-mail and phone messages every night!

Guide service is also available on many other waters.

Resolution Guide Service LLC is licensed, bonded and insured operating under special USDA Forest Service permit to operate in the San Juan National Forest (Pagosa District) we are also permitted by Navajo State Parks on the San Juan River and Navajo Lake.  We are also a permitted outfitter in Colorado #1929 as well as a licensed river outfitter in Colorado.

Copyright © Rainbow Lodge on the San Juan River LLC, 1999-2008, All rights reserved.