Where to Go South Platte River – Deckers
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FALL HOURS: 9am TO 6am DAILY
Report Date: 4/8/2025
Current Conditions:
The fishing in the Deckers corridor has been great over the last few weeks. Spring time can be fantastic here and so far this early spring is no exception to that! The warmer weather activated the fish and we have seen consistent fishing. Current flows are at 127 cfs. and below average for this time of year. (the gauge on this site is broken, we are trying to fix it) We should see flows fluctuate pretty good through the remainder of the season. The fish have spread out a bit more and are occupying more areas of the river. 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 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:
Things can definitely still be on the technical side, but the fish are feeding a lot heavier now and that makes them a little less picky. Deeper runs are still a good place to target but we are seeing lots of fish moving in riffles to feed right now. 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.
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- No Mercy midge, sizes 20-24
- Slim Shady, olive, size 22
- Barrs emerger, sizes 20-24
- Darth Baetis, black, olive, size 22
- 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