North Platte River Fly Fishing Report
Gold Medal waterNorth Platte River near Northgate. Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 80–750 cfs (FlyGuysNLies). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
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What's swimming in the North Platte River
No CPW fishery survey or body-of-water page exists for the Colorado reach of the North Platte. The species notes below rely on regulations text and secondary sources.
- The Northgate Canyon section is described as "primarily a brown trout fishery" with Rainbow Trout also caught (secondary source) (The Catch and The Hatch).
- Trout aren't native to the North Platte: Brook and Rainbow Trout were first stocked in the 1880s, and the wider basin holds Brown Trout plus Yellowstone, Colorado River and Snake River finespotted Cutthroat Trout (Trout Unlimited basin assessment).
- The canyon reach from the Routt National Forest boundary downstream to Wyoming is Gold Medal water: flies and lures only, 2-fish bag (CPW special regulations).
Getting to the North Platte River
Access breaks into two distinct sub-reaches -- Northgate Canyon itself, and the North Park valley near Walden several miles upstream. These are shown as two separate locations rather than one "Northgate" pin.
- Northgate Canyon itself: the Routt National Forest's Routt Access Parking Lot and Six Mile Gap are the two main entry points; the canyon sits within the Platte River Wilderness (wilderness rules apply, 25-person group max), and floating is recommended only above 1,200 cfs and described as hazardous otherwise (USFS Routt Access, Northgate Canyon).
- North Park valley near Walden, upstream of the canyon: Verner SWA has about 2 miles of frontage, but access is cut off south of the Jackson County Road 18 bridge -- fish only from the posted parking area. Brownlee II SWA is fishing only, no firearms or bows (CPW Verner SWA; CPW Brownlee II SWA).
- Do not fish Richard SWA -- it lost all public access as of October 1, 2024 (CPW Richard SWA).
- Gold MedalSouthern Routt National Forest boundary downstream to Wyoming (Northgate Canyon) -- artificial flies and lures only, trout bag/possession 2. The same limits apply within Brownlee II or Verner SWAs (CPW special regulations).
59 sourced hatch windows for the North Platte River
Species, size, and season, each tied to the published fly-shop or guide-service chart it came from. See Hatch Charts for every Colorado river we track and a precision-level key.
| Species | Season Window | Size | Precision | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midges | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #16-24 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Midge | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #18-22 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Sculpin | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #2-8 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Leech | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #6-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Baitfish | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #2-10 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Worms | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #10-16 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Midges (various) | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #20-28 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis spp.) | Jan 1–Dec 31 | BWO Parachute #18-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder (North Platte – Gray Reef) |
| Midge (Chironomidae) | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Mercury Midge #20-24 | Seasonal estimate | FlyFishFinder (Gray Reef) |
| Midges (various) | Apr 1–Nov 30 | #16-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Streamers (various) — spring | Apr 1–Jun 14 | #2-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (CO) |
| BWO (spring) | Apr 1–Jun 15 | #16-22 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Brown Stone | Apr 1–Jun 30 | #10-16 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Ant | Apr 1–Nov 30 | #14-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Beetle | Apr 1–Nov 30 | #10-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| BWO, PMD, Caddis, Yellow Sallies, Trico | Apr 1–Jun 30 | — | Seasonal estimate | Four Seasons Anglers |
| Blue Winged Olive (spring) | Apr 8–May 14 | #20-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Blue Winged Olive | Apr 15–Jun 30 | #18-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (CO) |
| Ant patterns | Apr 15–Sep 30 | #14-18 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Stoneflies (various) | May 1–Jul 31 | #4-16 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (CO) |
| Caddis | May 1–Oct 31 | #10-20 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Beetles | May 1–Sep 30 | #14-18 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Caddis | May 1–Oct 31 | #12-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Salmonfly | May 1–Jun 30 | #4-6 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Cranefly | May 1–Sep 30 | #2-6 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Golden Stone | May 1–Jul 31 | #8-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Golden Stonefly | May 8–Jun 30 | #8-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Green Drake | May 8–Jun 14 | #10-12 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Salmon Fly | May 8–Jun 14 | #4-6 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Caddis (various) | May 15–Sep 14 | #10-22 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (CO) |
| Salmonfly | May 15–Jul 15 | #6-14 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| March Brown | Jun 1–Jul 14 | #10-14 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (CO) |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 1–Sep 15 | #14-20 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Green Drake | Jun 1–Aug 31 | #8-14 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Golden Stone | Jun 1–Aug 31 | #8-14 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Hoppers | Jun 1–Sep 30 | #8-16 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Green Drake | Jun 1–Jul 31 | #10-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Yellow Sallie | Jun 1–Jul 7 | #12-14 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Blue Winged Olive (summer, large) | Jun 8–Jul 14 | #14 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 8–Jul 31 | #16-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Yellow Sally Stonefly | Jun 15–Aug 31 | #12-18 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| PMD | Jun 15–Oct 15 | #14-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Hopper | Jun 15–Oct 31 | #6-14 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Terrestrials (various) | Jul 1–Sep 14 | #8-20 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (CO) |
| Trico | Jul 1–Oct 31 | #18-24 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Terrestrials (various) | Jul 1–Sep 14 | #6-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| PMD (Ephemerella infrequens) | Jul 1–Jul 31 | PMD Parachute #16-18 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder (Gray Reef) |
| Trico (Tricorythodes spp.) | Jul 1–Sep 30 | Trico Spinner #20-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder (Gray Reef) |
| Trico | Jul 15–Sep 15 | #18-26 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Trico | Jul 15–Sep 30 | #20-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Hopper | Aug 1–Aug 31 | — | Month-level | FlyFishFinder (Gray Reef) |
| Flying Ants | Aug 15–Sep 15 | #14-18 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Blue Wing Olive | Sep 1–Apr 30 | #16-24 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| Mahogany Dun | Sep 1–Oct 31 | #10-16 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch |
| BWO (fall) | Sep 1–Nov 30 | #18-22 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co (WY) |
| Blue Winged Olive (fall) | Sep 1–Oct 14 | #20-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Mahogany Dun | Sep 1–Sep 30 | #16-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (WY) |
| Mahogany Dun | Sep 1–Sep 30 | — | Month-level | FlyFishFinder (Gray Reef) |
| Streamers (various) — fall | Sep 15–Nov 14 | #2-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack (CO) |
12 fly pairings from real fishing reports
Up to 2 pairings for this river are always free to browse in full. Fly names, leader/tippet spec, and full source are unlocked by .
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Recent reports from anglers on the North Platte River
Real ratings, notes, condition tags, and rig tags logged by signed-in anglers after fishing this water.
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Fly shops on the North Platte River
North Platte River fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the North Platte River?
Guides and local shops report an ideal wade-fishing window of roughly 80–750 cfs on the North Platte River (FlyGuysNLies). TroutTips shows the live current reading against this range so you can check before you go.
Is the North Platte River designated Gold Medal water?
Yes, at least part of the North Platte River carries Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Gold Medal water designation.
What flies work on the North Platte River?
TroutTips tracks 12 fly pairings reported specifically on the North Platte River, each tied to a season and a real source. See the Fly Pairings section on this page for the full list.
Are there fly shops near the North Platte River?
Yes, North Park Anglers, St. Peter's Fly Shop (Old Town), St. Peter's Fly Shop (South) guide this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.