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South Platte River Fishing Information
Dream Stream - near Lake George, CO
Some of the biggest fish each year are caught on the Dream Stream of the South Platte River now known as the Charlie Meyers SWA. I can’t quit and others can’t either, calling it the Dream Stream. The Dream Stream is just a tailwater of the South Platte River that sits below Spinney Reservoir and above Eleven Mile. This makes for some unique and “dreamy” fly fishing opportunities.  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.
The South Platte River
The South Platte is Colorado’s primary river for fly fisherman. Â There is more river access, tailwaters and fish on this river than you could explore in a year. Â There is a ton of variety on this river. Â 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. Â You can even chase carp and smallmouth bass in the heart of Denver. Â Much of the water is protected and catch and release is almost always preferred and regulated. Â It’s important to preserve this river and let fish go so they can grow.
The river begins up in South Park and the Middle Fork 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.
You can catch Rainbows, Browns, Cutthroat, Cutbows, Brook Trout, Tiger Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Common Carp and more in this river and the fish are all different sizes. Â The real difficulty to the south platte is learning each section. Â The difference in fishing techniques and flies is drastic from section to section. Â See the list below and use our river explorer app to find the section that is right for you.
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 publically accessible  See the list below and their related tailwater sections.  These make up the majority of the fishable sections on the South Platte.
Eleven Mile Canyon has one of the highest fish per mile counts on the south platte and holds rainbows, browns, cutbows and cutthroat. Â Fish are gorgeous in this section and you can experience some excellent dry fly fishing during hatches. Â Fishable year round, you can often sight fish to many of the trout in this section. Â Some very large fish are caught here every year to the angler who gets lucky or works hard to find them.
Specific Fly Selection Tips
There are a ton of flies to use on the Dream Stream and the right fly selection is important. Â Focus on these colors and sizes of the following insects and refer to the hatch charts for the right time of year to use them:
Midge Nymphs, Emergers & Dries
Colors: Black, White, Olive
Sizes: #18 – #26
Mayfly Nymphs, Emergers & Dries
Colors: Olive, Grey, Yellow, Black
Sizes: #18 – #24
Caddis Nymphs, Emergers & Dries
Colors: Olive, Brown
Sizes: #14 – #18
Stonefly Nymphs & Dries
Colors: Orange, Yellow, Brown, Black
Sizes: #8 – #14
San Juan Worms
Colors: Pink, Red, Brown
Sizes: #10 – #16
Hoppers
Colors: Yellow, Tan, Olive
Sizes: #10 – #16
Ants
Colors: Black, Red
Sizes: #14 – #18
Fish: Many Large-Sized Fish
Popularity: High
Difficulty: Hard
Accessibility: Easy
Best Techniques: Nymphs
Best Seasons: Year Round
River Type: Medium Tailwater
Fish Types: Rainbow Trout, Cutbow Trout, Brown Trout
Dog Friendly: Yes but Leashed
Located in the South Platte River Basin near Lake George, CO
Fishable Seasons & Current Weather
The best seasons to fish this river are Year Round. See the current weather reports for the next 5-6 days listed below for the nearest city.
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
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.
There are a ton of flies to use on the Dream Stream and the right fly selection is important. Â Focus on these colors and sizes of the following insects and refer to the hatch charts for the right time of year to use them:
Midge Nymphs, Emergers & Dries
Colors: Black, White, Olive
Sizes: #18 – #26
Mayfly Nymphs, Emergers & Dries
Colors: Olive, Grey, Yellow, Black
Sizes: #18 – #24
Caddis Nymphs, Emergers & Dries
Colors: Olive, Brown
Sizes: #14 – #18
Stonefly Nymphs & Dries
Colors: Orange, Yellow, Brown, Black
Sizes: #8 – #14
San Juan Worms
Colors: Pink, Red, Brown
Sizes: #10 – #16
Hoppers
Colors: Yellow, Tan, Olive
Sizes: #10 – #16
Ants
Colors: Black, Red
Sizes: #14 – #18
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.