Low Flows = New Horizons

What’s up with the water? Flows at two popular fisheries, the South Platte basin and the Arkansas tailwaters in Pueblo, are at polar opposites. Deckers, for example, is flowing at a mere 86 cfs.  Pueblo is hovering around 1040 cfs, but flows there have fluctuated between 1700 and 650 cfs for the past couple of weeks. What can we expect in the coming weeks regarding flows? We can make lemonade from all these lemons, if we are ready to explore some options.

Skinny Water

Back on June 6, our Director of Services, Jon Easdon, sent the Covey fly fishing guides an excerpt from an email he received from Denver Water:  “Cheesman Reservoir outflows will be reduced today from 100cfs to 65cfs.” We found out later that those diminished flows may last for 30-40 days, a timeline that would place us at least until the second week of July before we may see increases along the South Platte. 

As of today, the flows remain low with the one exception being the Arkansas tailwater in Pueblo which is at 1040 cfs.  Cheesman Canyon is 77 cfs.  Further downstream at Deckers, the flow is 86 cfs.  Over on the Dream Stream, the flow is a thin 51 cfs. Elevenmile Canyon? A skinny 49 cfs. 

Hard to believe it’s only the middle of June and

it’s already time to start taking note of water temps.

Phil tereyla, Covey guide

I could post about techniques for fishing these low flows. Suffice to say that hopper-droppers may be the ticket.

I could write a post pondering why the flows on the South Platte are so low. Part of the answer reaches back to the spring when we had a pretty good snowpack, all things considered. No real alarm bells went off about an insufficient snowpack (we could always wish for better). But then we had those steady winds for about five weeks straight, winds blowing throughout the state. Rather than a good melt and run-off, we had an evaporation from the winds and warming weather.  So now Denver Water is holding back the flows so they can reach 95-100% capacity in the reservoirs.  And they may be restricting those flows until we are a little deeper into the heat of summer.

Low Flows = High Temps

Which brings me to the reason for this blog. 

A few days ago, Phil Tereyla, one of our Guides here at the Covey, posted a nice photo on Instagram along with this caption: “Fun stuff before they turned the water off. Hard to believe it’s only the middle of June and it’s already time to start taking note of water temps.”

The cold-water species of Colorado trout — Rainbow, Brown, Cutthroat, Brook — thrive in water temps that stay below 65°. In fact, as water temps increase, the rivers and streams become a hostile environment.  Sure, fish can survive in them.  But when they are hooked, played (and too often played to exhaustion rather than just tired enough to get to the net), posed for an Instagram post, and then released into too-warm of water, the results can be lethal. In fact, not too long ago, the Division of Parks and Wildlife encouraged anglers to stop fishing by noon because water temperatures on the Yampa reached 70 degrees by early afternoon. And, in 2018, the DPW restricted fishing in Lake Pueblo State Park because of dangerously high temperatures. In September.  Not June. Not July.

What makes Phil Tereyla’s Instagram post so important?

With levels so low on the South Platte, water temps will begin to rise. With less water released from the reservoirs, the shallow water heats more quickly. If you are fishing these lower flows, please buy a thermometer, check the water temps, and try to limit your fishing to the morning hours.

Broaden Your Horizons!

Maybe it is time to explore new options.  Expand your repertoire. Instead of wondering when flows will increase on the South Platte — and then lamenting the fact that it is overcrowded — venture up and away from the crowd.

Within a short drive from the Shop, we have several lakes and reservoirs full of opportunities — and water. A guided fly fishing trip on stillwater gives you a unique experience beyond the crowded banks of the trickling South Platte and the chance for a fish of a lifetime. Get yourself a copy of Phil Tereyla‘s book Flyfisher’s Guide to Colorado’s Easy Access Mountain Lakes and head to the high country.

If you haven’t taken advantage of the small streams and backcountry options in our area, you might want to venture out and chase some browns and brook trout. The Leinweber family ventured out to Grape Creek on Father’s Day and caught some nice fish in a beautiful setting.

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Please watch this space and subscribe to our newsletter for up-to-date conditions.  Bookmark our Fishing Reports page to check for flows, productive patterns, and tips for fishing.

Above all, though, be good stewards of our finite resources.