Where to Go South Platte River – Dream Stream
Current Reports
Angler's Covey Bug of the Month
Bug of the month videos here
Visit the blog here
FALL HOURS: 9am TO 6am DAILY
Photo by Phil Tereyla
Pikes Peak Trout Unlimited has recently installed water temperature sensors here. Check out the water temps HERE
Report Date: 2/17/2025
Current Conditions:
Flows on the Dream are just about average for this time of year and are currently at 96 cfs. We dont expect these flows to fluctuate much until we get into the spring or summer. These flows have consolidated the fish a bit and covering ground is the best technique. Fishing has been decent for resident fish in the upper section. We have seen a good amount of fish closer to Spinney. The crowds have also started to increase. Still focus on the mid to late mornings and into the afternoons. There is no reason to get to the river early right now. Morning lows can be pretty cold up here. And if its also windy they will be a lot colder. Let it warm up before you hit the water!
Hatches:
We have been seeing good midge activity on the river. The dry fly fishing has been very good as of late, but in small windows. With these slightly higher flows, dont be afraid to fish worm and scud patterns. They have been effective as of late
Tactics:
Nymphing will be the most effective technique through the winter months. Fish consume around 85% of their diet sub surface and that percentage will actually go up in the winter. We are seeing some small windows of decent dry fly fishing during the warmest parts of the day. Anglers should be prepared for nymphing, dry fly fishing, and streamer fishing on a daily basis. This is a great time to really cover water as well. When fishing streamers, dead drifting will be the most effective.
Weather:
Short Term- After an active couple of weeks in the weather, we will see things calm down for a bit...And get quite nice! This week will be around average temps with things gradually warming up as we head towards the weekend. Another spring preview is on tap and we will have some beautiful weather this coming weekend. Temps will be in the 40's here. Yes, in the upper 40's! Wind does not look to be a factor either. In all, this will be the nicest stretch of weather we have seen up here in a long time. Make plans to get out and enjoy it!
Long Term- The nice weather will extend into next week through at least Tuesday. 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!
Tips:
Be mindful of the air temps when fishing here, especially in the mornings. Taking a fish out of the water in temps below 20 degrees can freeze the eyes and gills on a fish. This is damage irreversible and we need to ensure we are doing all we can to protect these fish. We are seeing some ice shelves develop on the lower section. With the forecasted low temps, you will likely see parts of the river become iced up.
This is an area we offer guided walk/wade trips, please give us a call if you are interested!
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- Buckskin, tan, sizes 18-22
- Pale Ale midge, brown, size 22
- Barrs emergers, bwo, sizes 22-24
- Money midge, brown, size 22
- Blindside midge, grey, purple, size 22
- Mini leech, olive, black- Sizes 16-18
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Mole Fly, brown. Size 22
- Parachute Adams, size 20-24
- Matts midge, sizes 20-22
Our Top Streamer Patterns for Today:
- Mini dungeon, olive, size 6-8
- Sculpzilla, natural, size 6
- Slumpbuster, black/brown. Size 4
- Thin mint, black, sizes 6-8
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!
The South Platte River below Spinney Reservoir is known to most local anglers as the "Dream Stream." This tailwater doesn't have many hold over fish and is subject to high wind speeds and inclement weather. The spring and fall have been the Dream Stream's saving grace because of the spawns. Large rainbows and cutthroat trout move into the river in the spring, and Large browns and kokanee salmon move in in the fall. There is no camping available next to the river; however, several great campgrounds are downstream along Elevenmile Reservoir. There is a $9 parks pass fee to park in the last lot below Spinney.
This is an area we specialize and are permitted to guide in, so give us a shout if you have any questions or if you are interested in allowing one of our Orvis-Endorsed guides show you how best to conquer South Platte River – Dream Stream.