Where to Go South Platte River – Cheesman Canyon
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Fall Hours: 9am TO 6am DAILY
Report Date: 2/17/2025
Current Conditions:
Cheesman has been fishing great as of late. February is actually a lot of our favorite times to fish in here. The flows came up a bit and are at 160 cfs. These are slightly above average flows for this time of year. We could see flows fluctuate pretty good through the remainder of the winter and into spring. Denver Water uses this branch of the river for most of its water demand. If we enter a warmer and drier stretch, its reasonable to assume the flows will increase. The fish are still pretty concentrated, but we have noticed some fish starting to move around a little more. Its still a good idea to cover water to find productive areas. The fish want good clean drifts, so be prepared to work! Pay attention to all of the details right now. Water temps are in the 30's and 40's.
Surprisingly, Cheesman reservoir is currently 94% full!
Hatches:
As usual for this time of year, Midges are are the staples. Focus on them in all life stages. The fish have been keying in particular bugs so make sure you pay close attention to their sizes. Keep your patterns SMALL! If you see days of low bug activity, try dead drifting smaller streamers.
Tactics:
Anglers will need to pay attention to everything right now. Using big indicators with bad presentation could be a recipe for disaster. Focus not only on what patterns you are fishing, but how you are fishing them. Good dead drifts right on top of the fish will be key. 5x and 6x are also a good idea. The key is getting your flies down and as close to the bottom as possible. The dry fly fishing has been decent during heavier midge hatches. A well presented midge during a hatch will take a good number of fish.
Tips:
There is still a good amount of snow and ice on the trail. Use caution when hiking in and out of the canyon. We have heard of multiple people taking falls in the canyon recently. USE CAUTION!
Weather:
Short Term- Things will continue to be interesting up in the Deckers area. Today will be very nice but we could see some precipitation chances later in the day and overnight. Temps will stay cool through the week but gradually warm up as we head towards the weekend. We will have more precipitation chances on Thursday night as well. Overall, neither of these storms look to deliver a big impact, but it will be something to keep an eye on. As for the weekend? Well, its going to be absolutely beautiful. We will see temps in the 50's and 60's!! Make plans to get out and enjoy it!
Long Term- The nice weather will extend into next week through at least Wednesday of next week. Longer range forecasts are suggesting there may be some changes around then, but its pretty far out to have any confidence in right now. Models are also showing activity around March 1-4, so that may be the next time we have decent snow potential. Again, enjoy the weather during this time because its sure to change!
Our snowpack got a decent boost this last week. The South Platte basin in particular received some good snow recently. This basin is one of the strongest in the west actually and is sitting at 105 % of average as of today. This will be likely to change over the next 10 days with the forecasted weather though. As we roll into spring we will have longer days and a higher angle of the sun. This combination can start to decrease the overall snowpack at a good pace. With our biggest snow months historically on the horizon March and April), lets hope we can keep building this for our summer water. Snow now means water later, and we can use all we can get!
This is an area we offer guided fly fishing trips. We are one of two outfitters permitted to operate in Cheesman. There is not better way to learn an area like Cheesman Canyon than hiring one of our Orvis endorsed professional guides!
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- Money midge, brown, sizes 20-24
- Rojo midge, red, sizes 20-24
- Bling midge, sizes 20-24
- Wader midge, brown, size 22
- Barrs emerger, sizes 20-24
- Mercury midge, sizes 20-24
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Mole Fly, brown. Size 22
- Vis a dun, black, size 20
- Parachute adams, sizes 20-24
- Iwane dun, BWO, sizes 20-22
- Sparkle dun bwo, olive, size 20
Our Top Streamer Patterns for Today:
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- Wooly Buggers, black, green, brown, Natural. Sizes 12-8
- Baby Gonga, brown, grey. Size 6
- Jig Streamer/leech, dark, sizes 4-8
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!
Cheesman Canyon is one of the most technical and rewarding tailwater fisheries in Colorado. A half-hour hike from Gill trailhead through some hilly terrain gets you to the base of the canyon where the trail splits into a high road and low road. This stretch of the river is catch and release only and is known for holding large rainbows. Almost the entire length of the river that runs through this gorgeous boulder-filled canyon is loaded with deep pocket water and fast runs that provide different challenges depending on where the fish are located. Most of the time the fish are hanging close to undercut boulders and other structure.
Before going to Cheesman, load your box with these patterns: Cheesman Emergers #22-24, Amy's Ants #10-14, hoppers #8-10, Murphy's Bubbleback Midge #20-24, Blindside Midges #20-22, Dorsey's Top Secret and Medallion Midges #22-24, Stonefly nymphs #14-18, Caddis larva #16-20, Tan and orange scuds #14-18, Sparkle Wing RS-2's #18-22, BWO Barr's Emergers #20-22, Copper Johns, Black Beauty #22-24, and Stalcups baetis #20-22.
This is an area we specialize in and are permitted to guide in, so give us a shout if you have any questions or if you're interested in working with one of our Orvis- Endorsed guides to conquer Cheesman.
My favorite stretch of the South Platte. What can I say: technical, challenging, humbling, and rewarding. It is often said that if you can catch fish in Cheesman Canyon, you can catch fish anywhere.
Jon Easdon, Guide and Director of Services
Accessibility: There is a 1.5 mile trail from the parking lot on Co 126 to the river. At the river the trail splits into a high and a low section that runs approximately 5 miles upstream from the Wigwam Club (posted) to Cheesman Dam.
Elevation: 6,600 ft
Distance: 42.5 miles from Colorado Springs / 55 minutes .
Season: Fishable all year depending on flows
Fish species: Brown, Rainbow, Cutthroat and Cutbow trout
Fishing Regulations: Catch and release, flies and lures only
Techniques & Tips: Fishing is technical and calls for 9-12 foot leaders and fine tippets - 5X to 6X
Camping: Not in the canyon, though there is camping nearby at Lone Pine and Wigwam Campgrounds on Co 126.
Kids: Yes, but parts of the trail going down to the river can be very steep.
Additional Information: Cheesman Canyon can be crowded, especially in the summer. The further upstream you walk, the fewer crowds you will encounter.
South Platte River – Cheesman Canyon.
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Directions - 42.8 miles - 55 Minutes
- From Angler's Covey head west on US 24 W/Cimarron St, go 16.7 miles
- Turn right at CO-67 towards Deckers, go 23.1 miles
- Slight left at the town of Deckers and CoRd 126, go 3.0 miles
- Parking area is on the left