Where to Go Middle Fork of the South Platte
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SUMMER HOURS 6am to 6pm Daily
Report Date: 5/27/2026
Current Conditions:
A tale of 2 rivers...
Areas north of Hartsel are running just okay at 38 cfs, but anything below Hartsel is flowing really heavy at about 260 cfs. With the draining of Antero, all of the water (and the fish!) from the lake is coming down the south fork. It would be a good time to explore spinney SWA or those lower areas in Badger Basin. This wont last long, so go explore while you can!!
This can be a fun option for the angler that wants to get away from the crowds.
Hatches:
There are a good number of BWo's and caddis are becoming active. The high water will really tamp down any surface action below Hartsel, but this is a great time to use those heavy jig or euro style nymphs in the higher water.
Tactics:
These flows will make access a bit harder below Hartsel. In the Tomahawk area, its a good time to hit the river with hopper/dropper set ups.
Weather:
Short Term- Cool and wet is the forecast. We will see conditions more akin to March than late May. This little stretch of cooler and wetter weather has sure been nice. After record warmth in March, its nice to see things stay cool and even get some rain. We will see some decent precipitation chances this whole week. Temps will be in the 60's and should see some afternoon rain each day. Things will briefly dry out on Saturday and Sunday and we should have a good amount of sun. After this week it will be nice to see the sun! Winds look calm for the most part, but could get intense with the arrival of a thunderstorm. This is the time of year where you want to keep your head on a swivel.
Long Term- At the conclusion of the weekend, we will return to more of a daily rain pattern. Each day is a carbon copy of the next and you can expect afternoon thunderstorms each day next week. Temps will be nice in the 60's and 70's and some of the storms could get rowdy. In all, it will be well below average temps and above average precipitation chances as we head into June. And to be honest, this is the best case scenario for the dry winter we had. Longer range forecasts are keeping this overall pattern in place, but as always we will have to wait and see. If the jet stream shifts even a little bit, we could be in for some hot and dry conditions.
Tips:
With the higher flows, dont sleep on some of those larger patterns. Scuds, cranefly larva, worms, and stoneflies can all be great additions to the typical hatching insects.
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- Blowtorch, sizes 16-18
- Thread Frenchie, sizes 16-18
- Jig pheasant tail, sizes 16-18
- Copper John, copper, sizes 16-18
- Bead head prince nymph, size 16
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Chubbies, all colors, sizes 12-14
- Stubby chubbies, tan, sizes 16-18
- Hippie stomper, red, size 16
- Amys ant, green, size 16
- Big boned caddis, tan, size 16
Standard nymph rig set up for the South Platte:
Screenshot the diagram above to reference while you're out on the water!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR "WHERE TO GO" PAGE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON OTHER AREAS!
About Alma SWA
Middle Fork of the South Platte River finds its headwaters above Hoosier Pass. Water is diverted from the Breckenridge area and passed through a tunnel under Hoosier Pass into Montgomery Reservoir. This augments the flow particularly in the early summer.
About Tomahawk
Tomahawk is the Middle Fork of the South Platte River. This stretch of the river is a great place to find solitude from the crowds. Summer and fall are a great time of the year to throw big hoppers to eager brown trout. In the summer, bring insect repellent because the mosquitos can get bad. In the fall, bring heavy leaders because large browns come out of their typical hiding spaces and move up river from Spinney to spawn.
This is an area we specialize and are permitted to guide, so give us a shout if you have any questions or if you are interested in allowing one of our Orvis-Endorsed guides show you how best to conquer Middle Fork of the South Platte.
Interested in Booking a Trip?
Directions to Alma - 88.9 miles - 1 Hour 42 Minutes
- From Angler's Covey head west on US 24 W/Cimarron St, go 63.2 miles
- Turn right at CO-9 N towards Fairplay, go 16.1 miles
- Turn right at US-285 N, go 1.0 mile
- Turn left at CO-9 N/ Main Street, Fairplay and through Alma, 8.1 miles
- Watch your speed, this area is famous for speed tickets.
- Turn left at Co Rd 4, Park along stream in desinated areas.
Directions to Tomahawk - 70.5 miles - 1 Hour 19 Minutes
- Head West on US-24, go 63.2 miles
- Turn right on Co-9, go 7.2 miles