Where to Go South Platte River – Deckers
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FALL HOURS: 9am TO 6am DAILY
Report Date: 12/3/2024
Current Conditions:
Thankfully, the flows out of Cheesman came back up a few days ago. Until that, they were extremely low at 50 cfs. The current flows in Deckers are at 123 cfs. These are just about average flows for this time of year. We do expect these flows to remain at or near this throughout the winter. The fishing has been extremely technical and small bugs are a must! Fish will concentrate a lot right now. You may see large stretches of pretty "dead water" right now. Move around until you start seeing fish and focus there.
Cheesman reservoir is currently 83% full
Hatches:
As usual for this time of year, Midges and BWO's are the staples. Focus on the above in all life stages. The fish have been keying in particular bugs so make sure you pay close attention to what bugs are hatching. Keep your patterns SMALL!
Tactics:
With the lower flows, 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. These low flows will also afford some good opportunities for dry/dropper fishing. That technique can be deadly right now with its stealth. The dry fly fishing should get really good with the lower flows. A well presented midge or baetis will also take a good number of fish.
Tips:
Despite the warmer temps, it may still be possible to see some anchor ice in the mornings, especially farther downstream.
Also- One of our guides had his Riversmith rod vault cut off of the top of his truck in the Gill trailhead parking lot last week. We have heard other reports of this happening in Deckers. Keep this in mind and do not leave anything valuable in your vehicle.
Weather:
Short Term- We will continue to see some quiet and cool conditions through the week. This lull in the weather has brought pretty nice temps and a lot of sunshine to the area recently. Temps will remain in the 40's and 50's for highs and get pretty cold each night with lows in the teens. There wont be much change to this clear through the weekend. In all, we couldnt ask for better fishing weather for December.
Long Term- After this week and weekend, all signs are pointing at some changes coming to the area. Precipitation chances will increase and we will see some much colder temperatures. Its still a little too early to tell exactly what will happen and we will be keeping an eye o things. Longer range forecasts are hinting at an active weather pattern around mid month as well. By all accounts, it looks like we will return to a more winter like weather pattern.
Our snowpack for this season is off to a great start. As of today 12/3/24, the South Platte basin is at 109% of average snowpack for this time of the year.
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- Black Beauty, sizes 20-24
- Sunny side up eggs, all colors, sizes 14-16
- Darth Baetis, black, size 20
- RS2, grey, black, sizes 22-24
- Zebra midge, black, size 22
- Jedi master, olive, sizes 20-22
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Mole Fly, brown. Size 22
- Vis a dun, black, size 20
- Parachute adams, sizes 18-22
- Sparkle dun BWO, size 20
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