Autumn is quietly becoming one of the best times to wet a line in Red River. Recent fishing reports are encouraging: the Perfect Fly Store's Red River report for October 7 calls conditions good, with lower temperatures and solid late-season hatches. Anglers at the town hatchery have been doing well on Woolly Bugger flies, and on other stretches of the river, trout have been taking stimulator dry flies with small nymph droppers, along with worms.
The Roswell Tribune's statewide fall fishing report backs it up, rating rainbow trout at Red River "very good" on PowerBait with aniseed. And a conditions-based ranking updated October 9 scores Red River Fishing as "Good," noting lower water that concentrates fish, with rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout in the mix. The USGS gauge on the Red River near Questa was reporting 34 cfs this week — low, clear autumn flows that reward stealthy approaches and lighter tackle.
Fall brings a seasonal bonus: this is brown trout spawning season. The wild browns in the river become more aggressive and more territorial as they move toward the spawn, which can make for memorable encounters for streamer anglers. The Perfect Fly Store notes that while spring is the classic prime season on the Red River, fall can be the best time to fish — cooler water temperatures bring trout back to life after the warm summer months, when the water can get too warm in town stretches.
The species mix is classic northern New Mexico: stocked rainbow trout anchor the fishery, joined by wild and stocked browns, cutbows, and cutthroats. A 4- or 5-weight rod handles most of the river; dry-fly leaders of 9 to 12 feet with 5X or 6X tippets cover the hatch-matching, while streamers on heavier tippets are the play for the aggressive pre-spawn browns.
One more reason to plan an October trip: the fishing pairs perfectly with the tail end of the fall color season and the buzz of Oktoberfest weekend. Fewer anglers crowd the river than in summer, the aspen-lined banks are at their prettiest, and the crisp mornings are made for coffee, waders, and a quiet first drift. As always, check current New Mexico Game & Fish regulations for bag limits and any special rules, and consider hiring one of the local outfitters for a guided day — the guides know which bends are holding the big browns right now.