Elevenmile Reservoir

Elevenmile Reservoir fills the upper South Platte at about 8,600 feet in South Park, just downstream of Spinney Mountain and the Dream Stream. It covers about 3,400 acres inside Eleven Mile State Park, and Denver Water stores water here for the city. Rainbows, cutthroat and cutbows grow well on its chironomids and scuds, and it also holds kokanee, browns and northern pike.

Ice-off in spring and the weeks after are the best fly fishing, with fish cruising the shallow bays and the inlet: chironomids under an indicator, scuds and leeches on a slow line. Summer moves fish deeper and brings afternoon wind across the open park. Fall brings browns and pike shallow, and the winter ice fishery is one of the busiest in the state. Only 2 of the 4 trout may be over 16 inches.