South Platte Fly Fishing Report
Gold Medal waterTwo separately-gauged stretches: the Cheesman Reservoir tailwater through Cheesman Canyon and Deckers, and the Dream Stream tailwater between Spinney Mountain and Elevenmile reservoirs. Guides and local shops report ideal wade-fishing windows of roughly 150–400 cfs on the Cheesman Canyon / Deckers reach and 100–250 cfs on the Dream Stream (Spinney to Elevenmile) reach (Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing; RiverReports). Live gauge data below updates automatically.
Want today's Rig of the Day pick for South Platte? Flip its card in the live River Conditions grid on the homepage.
Cheesman Canyon / Deckers
Dream Stream (Spinney to Elevenmile)
What's swimming in the South Platte
- The roughly 8-mile Deckers reach supports Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat x Rainbow "cutbow," and Brown Trout (CPW fishery survey, April 2025).
- A 2024 annual survey found the species mix at Brown Trout 71.3%, Rainbow Trout 28.5%, cutbow 0.2% (CPW fishery survey).
- Two Gold Medal sections cover this reach: Cheesman Dam to Wigwam Club (catch-and-release, flies and lures only) and Wigwam Club to Scraggy View picnic ground (2-fish bag, 16-inch minimum) (CPW fishery survey; CPW special regulations).
Getting to the South Platte
- Cheesman Canyon Trailhead / Gill Trail #610 (Pike-San Isabel National Forests): park in designated spaces only, no overnight parking or use; in the canyon itself it's flies and lures only, catch-and-release only, dogs leashed (USFS Cheesman Canyon Trailhead).
- Lone Rock Campground, 1 mile west of Deckers on US 126, has river access on "gold medal waters" -- but private land and fences run along the river, so watch for posted boundaries (USFS Lone Rock Campground).
- South Platte River Corridor day-use area is open year-round, sunrise-to-sunset hours; day use only between Pine Creek Road and Buffalo Creek. "Watercraft may pass through private property but are not allowed to stop on private property" (USFS South Platte River Corridor).
- Gold MedalCheesman Dam to the Wigwam Club south property line -- flies and lures only, all trout released. Gold MedalNorth Wigwam Club boundary to Scraggy View picnic ground -- flies and lures only, 2 trout at a 16-inch minimum (CPW fishery survey; CPW special regulations).
45 sourced hatch windows for the South Platte
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 | #24-28 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Midges | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #20-24 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Midge (nymph/emerger/dry) | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #18-26 | Seasonal estimate | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Blue-Winged Olive | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #18-24 (mayfly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Cranefly larva | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #6-14 | Seasonal estimate | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| San Juan Worm | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #10-16 | Seasonal estimate | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Scud | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #14-18 | Seasonal estimate | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Midge | Jan 1–Dec 31 | #22-26 (Mercury Midge); size 24 Zebra Midge cited | Seasonal estimate | FlyFishFinder |
| Little Black Stonefly | Feb 1–Mar 31 | #8-14 (stonefly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Blue-Winged Olive | Mar 1–May 31 | #18-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| BWO (spring) | Mar 15–May 15 | #16-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue Winged Olive (spring) | Mar 23–Apr 30 | #16-20 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Ants | Apr 1–Oct 31 | #14-18 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Caddis | May 1–Sep 30 | #14-18 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Salmonfly | May 1–Jun 30 | #8-14 (stonefly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Golden Stonefly | May 1–Aug 31 | #8-14 (stonefly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Caddis | May 1–Aug 31 | #16-18 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Caddis (various) | May 8–Sep 30 | #10-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Golden Stonefly | May 8–Jul 7 | #8-10 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Caddis | May 10–Sep 30 | #10-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Golden Stone | May 15–Jul 31 | #8-10 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Pale Morning Dun | May 15–Jul 31 | #16-18 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 1–Aug 7 | #16-20 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Pale Morning Dun | Jun 1–Sep 30 | #18-24 (mayfly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Green Drake | Jun 1–Aug 31 | #18-24 (mayfly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Yellow Sally | Jun 1–Aug 31 | #8-14 (stonefly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Hoppers | Jun 1–Sep 30 | #10-16 | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| PMD | Jun 15–Aug 30 | #16-18 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Trico | Jul 1–Sep 30 | #18-24 (mayfly range) | Month-level | The Catch and The Hatch (Deckers) |
| Terrestrials (various) | Jul 15–Sep 30 | #6-18 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Trico | Jul 15–Oct 15 | #18-22 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Hoppers | Jul 15–Sep 25 | #6-12 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Trico | Jul 23–Oct 22 | #20-24 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| BWO (fall) | Aug 15–Oct 31 | #16-20 | Day-level | Big Y Fly Co |
| Blue Winged Olive (fall) | Sep 1–Oct 31 | #16-20 | Week-level estimate | Fly Shack |
| Blue-Winged Olive | Sep 1–Nov 30 | #18-22 | Month-level | FlyFishFinder |
| Midges | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #20-26 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| BWO | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #16-24 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| PMD | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #16-20 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| Trico | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #18-26 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| Caddis | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #14-20 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| Golden Stonefly | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #8-10 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| Yellow Sally | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #12-18 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| Green Drake | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #10-12 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
| Terrestrials (hopper/ant/beetle) | Seasonal (no specific dates published) | #10-16 | Seasonal estimate | Check Your Flies (South Platte Basin) |
20 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 .
Loading fly pairings…
Recent reports from anglers on the South Platte
Real ratings, notes, condition tags, and rig tags logged by signed-in anglers after fishing this water.
Loading angler reports…
Fly shops on the South Platte
South Platte fly fishing questions
What is a good flow (cfs) to fish the South Platte?
Guides and local shops report ideal wade-fishing windows of roughly 150–400 cfs on the Cheesman Canyon / Deckers reach and 100–250 cfs on the Dream Stream (Spinney to Elevenmile) reach of the South Platte (Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing; RiverReports). TroutTips shows the live current reading for each reach against its own range so you can check before you go.
Is the South Platte designated Gold Medal water?
Yes, the Gold Medal designation covers two separate stretches of the South Platte: Cheesman Canyon / Deckers and Dream Stream (Spinney to Elevenmile).
What flies work on the South Platte?
TroutTips tracks 20 fly pairings reported specifically on the South Platte, 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 South Platte?
Yes, Royal Gorge Anglers, Minturn Anglers (Minturn), Ty's Fly N Tackle, Tumbling Trout Fly Shop, South Platte Fly Shop, Flies & Lies, Angler's Covey, Anglers All, Minturn Anglers - Denver Front Range guide this river. See the Nearby Fly Shops section on this page for details.