Troutline

South Platte River

Colorado·Front Range·39.16° N, 105.31° W
Flow
274 CFS
South Platte R abv Cheesman Lake
Water Temp
—
Condition
Above Normal
Weather
34°F
Chance Snow Showers

Insights

Flow
Flow 274 CFS — wading range
Solid water to work. Fish the seams and soft inside edges with confidence.
Pressure
Pressure rising
Fish often clamp down after a front passes. Fish deeper, slower — nymphs in the softest water.
Snowpack
Snowpack 1% of normal
Runoff will arrive early and taper fast. Plan on low summer water by July — tailwaters and spring creeks will be your safest bets.

The South Platte is Colorado's most-fished trout river and the reason Denver is the only major US metro within ninety minutes of a Gold Medal tailwater. Three discrete fly-fishing destinations sit on the upper mainstem and all are fed by reservoir releases. The 'Dream Stream' runs between Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Elevenmile Reservoir in the high South Park flats — wide-open spring-creek meanders with cruising rainbows and big migrating browns and cutbows out of Elevenmile in fall. Below Elevenmile, the river drops into Elevenmile Canyon, a tight forested gorge with classic pocket water that fishes well from spring through fall. Below Cheesman Reservoir the river enters Cheesman Canyon — boulder-strewn, technical, walk-in-only water with selective rainbows over wild fish, and one of the most famous catch-and-release stretches in the West. Below the canyon at Deckers the river opens into a road-accessible gorge with consistent year-round trout fishing.

The South Platte is a tailwater system, which means the rivers fish year-round with stable flows and water clear enough that small flies are the rule. Midges are reliable in every month — sizes 20-26 are routine. BWOs run from late winter through May and again in the fall. The summer brings PMDs, caddis, and red quill mayflies, plus terrestrial fishing along the South Park flats. Mysis shrimp from reservoir releases (Frying Pan-style, less abundant) and abundant Trichos in late summer round out the bug list. Fish are conditioned to pressure — long leaders, 6X-7X fluorocarbon, and very small flies (#22-#26 midges, #20-#24 mayflies) are standard for selective fish on the Dream Stream and in Cheesman Canyon.

Main access points are along Highway 67 (Deckers/Cheesman Canyon corridor), County Road 96 (Dream Stream below Spinney), and Park County Road 23 (Elevenmile Canyon below the dam). Cheesman Canyon requires a hike — the Gill Trail down from the parking area is the standard approach. The town of Deckers has a fly shop (Flies and Lies) and basic services. Drive times: 75 min from Denver to Deckers, 2 hr from Denver to the Dream Stream / Elevenmile, 90 min from Colorado Springs to Elevenmile Canyon. Elevation is 6,200-9,000 ft so even summer mornings are cold and afternoon thunderstorms in July-August are routine — keep an eye on the sky.

Species

SpeciesAbundanceBest SeasonSizeNotes
Rainbow TroutAbundantYear-round10-20"Wild and stocked. Cheesman Canyon and Dream Stream produce wild fish to 20+ inches; Deckers is a mix of wild and stocked rainbows.
Brown TroutCommonSep-Nov12-24"Strongest in Cheesman Canyon and on the Dream Stream during fall runs out of Elevenmile Reservoir. Trophy 24+ inch fish move into the Dream Stream in October-November.
Cutthroat TroutCommonSpring12-22"Cutbows (rainbow/cutthroat hybrids) run up from Elevenmile Reservoir into the Dream Stream in spring, with fish to 22 inches taking eggs and BWO nymphs.
Brook TroutLimitedJul-Sep8-12"Small populations in the upper tributaries and in colder side channels. Not a target species on the mainstem.
Ideal wading flow150–450 CFS
Blow-out>800 CFS
Ideal water temp44–62°F

Year-round tailwater. March-May for spring BWOs and pre-runoff fishing. June-August for PMDs, caddis, and Trichos. September-November for fall browns and BWOs. Winter midge fishing on warm afternoons in Cheesman Canyon and Deckers.

Sections

4 sections on this river

Deckers — Wigwam Club to Scraggy View

WadeRainbow Trout

Road-accessible water along Highway 67 from below the Wigwam Club boundary downstream past the town of Deckers. Broad runs, riffles, and bouldery banks. Stocked rainbows mixed with wild fish. Easy walk-in access at multiple pullouts.

Best for: Year-round trout on small flies — midges in winter, BWOs in spring/fall, terrestrials in summer. Good water for less experienced anglers who want technical Cheesman-style fishing without the hike.

Cheesman Canyon — Below Cheesman Reservoir

WadeRainbow Trout

Two miles of wilderness canyon below Cheesman Dam — boulder-strewn, technical, walk-in-only via the Gill Trail. Catch-and-release artificial-only water with selective wild rainbows over 18 inches. Among the most famous and most-pressured stretches in Colorado.

Best for: Wild rainbow trout on size 22-26 midges and tiny mayfly nymphs. Sight-fishing with 7X tippet. Best Mar-May and Sep-Nov for cooler water and cooperative fish.

Dream Stream — Spinney Mtn Reservoir to Elevenmile Reservoir

WadeBrown Trout · Shad

Roughly four miles of meandering meadow water through the Charlie Meyers SWA in the South Park flats. Wide-open wading with cruising rainbows and big migrating browns and cutbows out of Elevenmile in fall and spring. Treeless — no shade, no wind block, weather changes fast.

Best for: Sight-fishing for migrating browns and cutbows in spring (Apr-May) and fall (Oct-Nov). Cruising rainbows year-round. Long leaders, 6X tippet, small mayfly nymphs and midges.

Elevenmile Canyon — Below Elevenmile Reservoir

WadeBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Tight forested gorge with classic boulder pocket water for about eleven miles below Elevenmile Dam. Forest Road parallels the river — road-side access throughout. More forgiving than the Dream Stream or Cheesman Canyon — good place to learn the river.

Best for: Wild rainbow trout and brown trout on small nymphs, dry-dropper rigs in summer, and midge fishing in winter. Best Apr-Oct.

Regulations

Current fishing rules and restrictions

Multiple special-regulation sections including Gold Medal water and catch-and-release zones. Standard statewide trout limit is 4 daily / 8 in possession but most fly-fishing water on the South Platte has tighter rules — check posted signs at each access.

  • Cheesman Canyon (from Cheesman Dam downstream to upper Wigwam Club boundary): artificial flies and lures only, catch-and-release for all trout
  • Dream Stream (Spinney Mtn Reservoir to Elevenmile Reservoir, Charlie Meyers SWA): artificial flies and lures only, catch-and-release
  • Deckers (Wigwam Club boundary to Scraggy View): artificial flies and lures only, 2 trout daily 16 inches or longer
  • Elevenmile Canyon (below Elevenmile Dam): artificial flies and lures only on portions; check signs
  • Statewide trout limit: 4 daily / 8 in possession where not specially regulated

Lower river sections in metro Denver carry warmwater-fishery rules and may have urban-corridor advisories. Always check the Colorado Parks & Wildlife brochure and on-water signage — the South Platte has more special regulation segments than any other river in the state.

Source: Colorado Parks & Wildlife — Fishing Regulations. Regulations change annually — verify before fishing.

Access & Logistics

Getting there, fly shops, and lodging

Getting There

Deckers, CO (Cheesman Canyon / Deckers); Lake George, CO (Dream Stream / Elevenmile)

75 min from Denver to Deckers; 2 hr from Denver to the Dream Stream; 90 min from Colorado Springs to Elevenmile Canyon

Fly Shops

Camping & Lodging

Lone Rock and Platte River campgrounds along Highway 67 below Deckers. Elevenmile Canyon Recreation Area campgrounds below Elevenmile Dam. Cabins and motels in Deckers and Lake George. Colorado Springs and Denver are within easy day-trip range.

Cheesman Canyon is foot-access only via the Gill Trail from the Cheesman Canyon parking area on FR-211. Deckers and Elevenmile Canyon have road-side access. The Dream Stream is at Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area between Spinney and Elevenmile reservoirs; a CPW habitat stamp is required for parking. Cell coverage is spotty above Deckers.

Conditions data is live from public monitoring networks. Regulations change annually — always verify current rules with your state fish & wildlife agency before fishing.

More in Colorado

View all 8 rivers

Other regions

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Summit County tailwater below Dillon Reservoir through Silverthorne, then a longer reach below Green Mountain Reservoir down to its confluence with the Colorado. The Outlets Mall stretch in Silverthorne is the most-fished stretch — urban, accessible, and selective. Below Green Mountain offers bigger drift-boat water with strong wild brown trout populations.

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The Colorado's upper reaches in Grand County and through Middle Park — from headwaters at La Poudre Pass through Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Pumphouse, Radium, and on through Glenwood Canyon. Gold Medal water below Williams Fork at Pumphouse-Radium float with strong wild brown trout populations.

Eagle RiverCO

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Frying Pan RiverCO

Fourteen miles of legendary Gold Medal tailwater below Ruedi Reservoir, ending at the Roaring Fork in Basalt. Mysis shrimp from the reservoir grow huge trout — 'Toilet Bowl' fish below the dam are some of the largest wild rainbows in the lower 48.

Gunnison RiverCO

Big-water Gold Medal fishery best known for the Gunnison Gorge — 14 miles of wilderness canyon below the Black Canyon with the densest population of large wild trout in the state. Easier float-and-wade fishing on the lower river through Delta and Whitewater.