Where to Go South Platte River – Dream Stream
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Report Date: 5/12/2025
Current Conditions:
The flows on the Dream are very low right now. Current flows are at 65 cfs. We have no idea how long these low flows will last, but we hope its not long. These flows will start to concentrate the fish in deeper areas of the river. We suggest keeping a close eye on the flows. We expect the flows to fluctuate between 60-130 cfs this spring. It will likely be awhile until we see any significant increases in flows on the Dream.
Hatches:
We have had some great midge and BWO activity on the river. With the low flows we have seen some pretty good dry fly fishing, although the fish are super spooky. Caddis larva are starting to become a little more prevalent as well.
Tactics:
Nymphing is always the most effective technique but dont overlook the dry fly fishing. We are seeing some windows of decent dry fly fishing during the warmest parts of the day. The BWO's will only intensify and we should have some stellar dry fly opportunity coming up. This is a great time to really cover water as well.
Weather:
Short Term- We will remain very warm (for this time of year) through Tuesday. Temps will be in the mid to upper 60's and quiet. Wednesday will be warm still but extremely windy. Temps will remain very nice through this coming weekend. Although rain chances are pretty low, we cant rule out a rogue storm rolling through. Low temps are still cool but things are warming up quickly each day.
Long Term- Towards the latter part of this coming weekend, we will see some weather disturbances start to move through the area. Precipitation chances will increase significantly on Sunday evening, and remain on the higher side into next week. Temps wont be cold enough for snow, but we could see some good rain and thunderstorms roll through this area. We should start to see run off here soon. Past that, its really hard to say... Long range forecasts are still predicting a dry and warm end of spring/start to summer. Lets hope thats not the case...
Tips:
Cover water. Thats the name of the game with these low flows. Focus on areas that have deeper water.
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- Spanish Bullet, copper, size 18
- RS2, grey & olive, sizes 20-22
- Slim shady, olive, size 20
- Stalcups baetis, olive, size 22
- Buckskin, sizes 18-22
- Caddis candy, size 16
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Mole Fly, brown. Size 22
- Parachute Adams, size 20-24
- Barrs Vis a Dun, sizes 18-20
Our Top Streamer Patterns for Today:
- Peanut, 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.