Where to Go South Platte River – Deckers
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FALL HOURS: 9am TO 6am DAILY
Report Date: 2/17/2025
Current Conditions:
Deckers has been fishing really good as of late. The warmer weather activated the fish and we have seen consistent conditions over the last couple of weeks. Current flows are at 170 cfs. and a bit above average for this time of year. We should see flows fluctuate pretty good through the remainder of the season. The fish are pretty concentrated and you will see large areas pretty much devoid of fish. Move around until you start seeing fish. They 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:
The river is mostly ice free, even downstream past Nighthawk. Also, dont be afraid to throw on a leech, scud, or cranefly larva. We have seen some fish eating some of these bigger meals.
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!
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- No Mercy midge, sizes 20-24
- Blindside midge, grey, black, size 22
- Darth Baetis, black, size 20
- Crane fly larva, size 8
- Wader midge, size 22
- Buckskin, size 22-22
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Mole Fly, brown. Size 22
- Parachute adams, sizes 18-22
Standard South Platte nymph rig set up:
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!
The South Platte River at Deckers was devastated by debris in 2002 from Colorado's largest fire in its recorded history followed by two huge floods. Since then, Deckers has been making great progress toward recovery and the debris left over from the fire and floods is being used by caddis for making their cases. The caddis have taken over the river the last few springs. Caddis hatches that rival the famed Arkansas River's "Mother's Day hatch" have happened in Deckers the last four years. It's showing no sign of slowing down.
When the fish aren't coming up to caddis, a tandem nymph rig with typical fare can still be deadly. The summer months can be a lot of fun for anglers that are into throwing streamers and big dry flies. Elk hair caddis, Amy's Ants, stimulators, and foam hoppers such as the streambank hopper are great dry flies to have. Good nymph patterns to carry are: Mercury Pheasant Tails, South Platte Brassies, San Juan Worms, Pat's Rubber Leg Stonefly, RS-2's, Murphy's Bubbleback Midge, Blindside Midges, Buckskins, Top Secret Midges, Medallion Midges, and Black Beauties.
I'm so pleased to see this fishery come back strong after the Hayman fire. Deckers has been producing some of the area's strongest, most beautiful trout in the last couple of years. While the area may get crowded, there is a ton of water along the corridor and it's always fun to go seek out new water. As with anywhere on the South Platte, be sure to check the flows before you go. Sudden bumps or drops in the flow will negatively affect the fishing on this river.
Jon Easdon, Guide and Director of Services
Deckers is also a great winter fishing destination because it is a tailwater. A tailwater fishery is where a river comes out below a dam; consequently, during the winter months the water temps are just warm enough to stay relatively ice-free all year. Sections where the sun hits the water is where you can find feeding fish. This time of year can be the most productive for solitude-seeking anglers who aren't afraid of using light tippets and very small flies.
This is an area we specialize and are permitted in, so give us a shout if you have any questions or if you're interested in allowing one of our Orvis-Endorsed guides show you how best to fish the Deckers area.
South Platte River – Deckers.
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Directions - 40 miles - 49 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