Where to Go South Platte River – Cheesman Canyon
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SUMMER HOURS 6am to 6pm Daily
Report Date: 7/24/2025
Current Conditions:
We saw the flows bump up again 2 days ago. Current flows are at 242 cfs. and the canyon is pretty much in its prime right now. Great flows, a ton of bugs, and picky fish. These flows have spread the fish out a lot more and they will become more comfortable feeding. These flows are just about our favorite for thew canyon and its an excellent time to target this iconic fishery. Hopper or dry/droppers have been a ton of fun, and nymphing is certainly a go to technique in the canyon. Throw some bigger bugs and junk into the mix right now! The river has been very busy, especially on weekends.
Cheesman reservoir is currently 95% full and Denver Water will be trying to keep the reservoir level at 95% through the summer.
Hatches:
PMD's, caddis, tricos, midges, and yellow sallies have all been active. Its getting exciting here in terms of bug variety and anglers will want to expand their fly boxes a bit more right now. With these higher flows scuds, cranefly larva, worms, and stones will also be become a factor.
Tactics:
Depth/weight will always be the most important thing with nymphing, but especially now. Focus on seams, shelves, and transition points in the river. As the day progresses, running a hopper/dropper through the riffles can be electric. Water temps are great in the 40's and 50's.
Tips:
Keep your head on a swivel during rainstorms in the canyon. This area can flood very easily with heavy rains. Considering our forecast, it would be wise to plan your day around the weather.
Weather:
Short Term- We have had a few days of cooler and wetter weather up here. We have seen some good rainfall over the last week. This is great news as things were getting pretty hot and dry. We will continue to see some cooler temps and increased chances of rain heading into the weekend. Temps will be in the 80's and we could see rain each day starting around 1pm. Some of these storms could get intense, so keep a close eye on the sky! The weekend will dry out a bit and warm up. By Sunday, we will have temps in the upper 80's.
Long Term- As we head into next week, it looks like we will return to a cooler and wetter weather pattern. Precipitation chances will really ramp up Tuesday through Friday and we could see significant rainfall around then. This pattern looks to be holding steady well into the following weekend. This is our monsoon season and its great to see this happening. These frequent storms will help keep things cool and temper the fire danger. Longer range forecasts keep pointing at hot and dry weather through the back half of the summer and into fall. We will have to see what materializes with that, but we are hoping the weather folks are wrong on this one.
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:
- Iron Sally, sizes 16
- Black beauty, sizes 20-24
- Foamback emerger, black/brown, sizes 20-22
- Barrs cranefly, size 10
- Slashot scud, orange/grey, size 16
- Jedi Master, Olive, size 22
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Barrs vis a dun, black, size 22
- Elk Hair caddis, tan, sizes 16-18
- Sparkle dun, PMD, sizes 16-18
- Stubby chubby, dark, sizes 14-16
- Chubby, yellow, green, sizes 12-14
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