Where to Go South Platte River – Cheesman Canyon
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Fall Hours: 9am TO 6am DAILY
Report Date: 4/8/2025
Current Conditions:
Spring in Cheesman can be a magical thing, and this season is starting out great in the canyon. The river has been fishing great over the last couple of weeks. The sustained warmer temps have helped get the fish a little more into eating. Fish are spreading out a bit more and starting to occupy more areas of the river. This is pretty typical for the canyon in early spring. As the water temps begin to warm a bit, the fishing will really turn on. The flows have come down quite a bit and are currently at 94 cfs. These are a bit below 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 want good clean drifts, so be prepared to work! Pay attention to all of the details right now. Water temps are in the 40's and 50's.
Surprisingly, Cheesman reservoir is currently 91% full!
Hatches:
We have started to see some BWO's becoming active! Its only a matter of time before the BWO's really explode. Focus on midges and BWO's in all life stages. In fact, we have already seen some great dry fly fishing. Its only going to get better too!. Its also a good idea to throw some larger food sources like cranefly larva, worms, and scuds.
Tactics:
The canyon is definitely fishing technical as usual, but the fish are letting anglers get away with a little more 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 pronounced hatches. Again, presentation is key!
Tips:
Cover ground!!
Weather:
Short Term- We are having some very nice weather up this way this week. Temps will be in the high 60's and 70's through the week! As we head into the weekend we will see the warmest temps of the year. High temps will be in the upper 70's. Sunday will be nice but we will see some chances of precipitation later in the day. In all, its absolutely beautiful right now!!
Long Term- Long range forecasts are not in agreement on anything right now. As we go into next week we will have the possibility of a front moving through the area. Right now it does not look to impact this are a whole lot besides lowering the temps about 10 degrees. Some forecast are pointing at some changes around the 20th, but we will have to wait and see. We have had a pretty warm and dry end of winter/beginning on spring. Luckily things arent warming up too fast yet. Lets hope that remains the case as we roll through April and into May.
In the South Platte basin, we have seen some regular storms at higher elevations over the last couple of weeks. This has kept the overall snowpack fairly stable. As of today, the South Platte basin is looking good at 102% of average snowpack. We still have about 2 weeks until we hit the normal median peak, so lets hope we can keep adding to that in the coming weeks.
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:
- Barrs emerger, size 22-24
- Slim Shady, olive, size 22
- Sunny side up eggs, orange, sizes 14-18
- Wader midge, brown, size 22
- Top Secret, purple, size 20-22
- 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.
Interested in Booking a Trip?
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