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South Platte River Fishing Information
Middle Fork - near Hartsel, CO
The Middle Fork of the South Platte River starts up by Alma and fishes well for brook trout. As it gets into Fairplay and below browns take over with some rainbows present as well. Tomahawk and Spinney SWA are the primary sections to fish, though much of the middle fork is public on the south platte if you’re willing to drive and find the water. This is a great area to explore and find the spots for yourself. Many small fish are up here making it good for beginners. Most intermediate anglers will find this section to be fun but will quickly want to find bigger fish and migrate to the tailwater sections where larger fish can be found.
The river begins up in South Park and the Middle Fork of the South Platte River and South Fork run through the South Park area. This river is a meandering meadow stream until it gets into the first canyon below Eleven Mile Reservoir. Granite rocks make for some scenic views and excellent runs, holes and riffles to find eager trout. The river continues the granite formations until it enters Denver from Chatfield Reservoir. As it enters several reservoirs downstream, it provides excellent tailwater fishing for some of the largest trout in the state. After moving through several of the best places to fish in Colorado, it enters into Denver and provides anglers an opportunity to catch carp and small mouth bass on the fly.
The South Platte is Colorado’s primary river for fly fisherman. There is more river access, tailwaters and fish on this river than you could explore in a year. There is a ton of variety on this river. Whether you want to catch high mountain brook trout in solitude, or hunt large trophy bows on tailwaters you can find it on the platte. You can even chase carp and smallmouth bass in the heart of Denver. Much of the water is protected and catch and release is almost always preferred and regulated. It’s important to preserve this river and let fish go so they can grow.
Reservoirs of the South Platte
There are 6 reservoirs that dam the south platte. Every reservoir except Antero provides a tailwater section below that is public and accessible See the list below and their related tailwater sections. These make up the majority of the fishable sections on the South Platte.
The South Fork is nearly identical in characteristics as the middle fork, but has a little more access. The best waters are on the 63 ranch and Knight/Ilmer SWA but they can be crowded on the weekends. Lots of small fish are located here as well and provide a fun day fishing a meandering stream. Carefully approach the river and you’ll catch more fish, there are no trees or structure to hide behind so the fish get wary if you get too close to the water. The upper headwaters area holds some brook trout fishing and camping.
Dream Stream Tailwater
Some of the biggest fish each year are caught here. Fish over 30” have been landed during the spring and fall as the fish spawn and come out of eleven mile reservoir. Large resident fish stay here as well and are tough but rewarding to catch. There are a lot of fish in this section and though it can get crowded, it’s a rewarding place to fish. Nearly 3 miles of public fishing are available from the tailwater below spinney mountain reservoir to the inlet of eleven mile reservoir. During the fall Kokanee run up the river as well giving you a chance to catch them on the fly. Though there is some good dry fly fishing from time to time, it is sporadic and this section is most commonly a nymph fishery.
Eleven Mile Canyon Tailwater
Eleven Mile Canyon has one of the highest fish per mile counts on the south platte and holds rainbows, browns, cutbows and cutthroat. Fish are gorgeous in this section and you can experience some excellent dry fly fishing during hatches. Fishable year round, you can often sight fish to many of the trout in this section. Some very large fish are caught here every year to the angler who gets lucky or works hard to find them.
<h4>Fly Selection Tips</h4>
<p>Fish are still a bit picky up here but if you find the right insect for the day, they are less spooky on exact patterns and sizes so overall it is an easier section to fish but the fish are smaller. Refer to the list of flies below for some good options.</p>
Fish: Many Small-Sized Fish
Popularity: Medium
Difficulty: Easy
Accessibility: Medium
Best Techniques: Dries & Nymphs
Best Seasons: Spring - Fall
River Type: Small Freestone
Fish Types:
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout
Dog Friendly: Yes
Located in the South Platte River Basin near Hartsel, CO
Hatch Charts
Knowing what flies to use is only have the battle. You have to know when the insects are active on the water and when it's likely the trout are feeding on them. Refer to our hatch charts below to understand when the insect categories and some of the possible hatches on the river.
Midge Hatches
Midges hatch year round, but their importance is from September through winter into April. During the warmer months, the trout often focus on larger insects as they are more active on the water like mayflies, caddis and stoneflies.
Aside from Blue wing olives, mayflies are active most commonly from May to August in Colorado. There are many different mayfly hatches found on most rivers and the most common are listed below.
Blue Wing Olive: September throut winter to April
Colors: Green/Olive
Sizes: #16-24
Pale Morning Dun: June to Mid September
Colors: White, Yellow
Sizes: #14 - #20
Green Drakes: June to August
Colors: Olive/Green
Sizes: #8 - #14
Trico Mayflies: Mid July to Mid September
Colors: Black, White, Grey
Sizes: #18 - #26
Caddis Hatches
Caddis hatch starting early in May and continue to the end of October.
Colors: Olive, Green, Yellow, Tan, Orange, Brown and Black.
Sizes: #10 - #20
Stonefly Hatches
We have some great stonefly hatches in Colorado and while not all rivers carry all species of salmonflies, you can often fish stonefly adult patterns with confidence from May to September. Start off in bigger sizes and get smaller till September hits (size 8 - 16)
Golden Stone: June to August
Colors: Yellow, Tan
Sizes: #8 - #14
Yellow Sally Stonefly: Mid June to August
Colors: Yellow, Tan
Sizes: #12 - #18
Terrestrial Activity
Terrestrials don't hatch since they are out of the water, but they can have importance starting in Mid April and ending in September.
Fish are still a bit picky up here but if you find the right insect for the day, they are less spooky on exact patterns and sizes so overall it is an easier section to fish but the fish are smaller. Refer to the list of flies below for some good options.
These are the the top flies we sell for this river. Use the hatch chart above to know what flies you will want to have in your fly box during your adventure on the river and then select the flies here 30 days before your trip to get them at a great price. All of our flies are hand tied to each order to ensure quality and to keep our prices low for you.
Click on a fly below to select a size and color for purchase.
Our fly assortments make fly selection easy. We take our entomology knowledge and years of fly fishing experience on these rivers to bring you the right fly patterns, including the correct colors, sizes and quantities to set you up for success. A good selection of flies will prepare you properly for anything the trout may be eating on the river and our fly assortments are specifically curated to maximize your success. Take a look at the assortments we provide below and add one to your box today. Use coupon code AST50 for $50 off and free shipping on these as well, just to help make fly fishing a little more affordable!
Click on any of the pictures to see what flies, colors and sizes we recommend in each assortment.
View our access map for the South Platte River and learn public and private access points as well as other notable features around fly fishing this river. We include headwater and confluence data and in an effort to not "hotspot" river access points that are better than others, we list every access point available. This serves two purposes. First, it keeps us from hotspotting, which is just showing the best spots and bringing unwanted and harmful attention to the specific access point. The second reason is while we want to help you catch fish and find great places to explore, we don't want to spell it all out for you. If you get it all spelled out, we're doing the exploring, not you. Missing out on the journey of exploring places to fly fish is one of the more enjoyable aspects of fly fishing. While not everyone has time to go explore everything in person, we provide some of the top level data to help you know if something is worth your time, then pass it off to you to explore and find your own adventure. Now enjoy the info, if you're on this page then this river is worth exploring! Go out and find some memories.
South Platte River Tips & Resources
Use these epic resources to get ready for your adventure. Whether you're planning your trip, learning your insects, improving your fishing with expert tips or getting detailed resources from the USGS streamflows or DoW, we got you covered to help you find the river and find the success you want.
The Middle Fork of the South Platte River starts up by Alma and fishes well for brook trout. As it gets into Fairplay and below browns take over with some rainbows present as well. Tomahawk and Spinney SWA are the primary sections to fish, though much of the middle fork is public on the south platte if you’re willing to drive and find the water. This is a great area to explore and find the spots for yourself. Many small fish are up here making it good for beginners. Most intermediate anglers will find this section to be fun but will quickly want to find bigger fish and migrate to the tailwater sections where larger fish can be found.
