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 6pm Daily
Photo by Phil Tereyla
Pikes Peak Trout Unlimited has recently installed water temperature sensors here. Check out the water temps HERE
Report Date: 4/14/2026
Current Conditions:
The flows have been just below 100 cfs for almost 2 weeks now. Current flows are at 98 cfs. and the fishing has been good. With the water situation and Spinney being so low, we have no idea how long these flows will last. The fish have really started to spread out and are occupying all parts of the river. Fish will move into riffles to feed during pronounced hatches. We have also started to see some excellent dry fly fishing. The annual spawn is all but done, and with that the crowds are now decreasing a bit. That being said, there may still be some spawning fish in the system. If you see paired up fish on Redds, PLEASE LEAVE THEM ALONE! These fish get absolutely hammered every spring. Lets all try to care for the resource so these fish and their eggs have a chance to reproduce. Its the future of this fishery. Water temps will certainly become a concern this season. We are already seeing water temps reach 55 degrees by 1pm. While this is great for the bug life, its about 6 weeks early than we normally see water temps in that range.
Hatches:
There are still a good number of midges in the system and the BWO's are in full force. This has made for some really good rotating hatches each day. The BWO's have the trouts attention as well and the fishing has been good during all stages of their hatch. Cloudier, less windy days have been fantastic for these spring mayflies.
Tactics:
Covering ground is always a good tactic up here. Sightfishing is fun right now and there is opportunity all throughout the river. Dont sleep on fishing worms, egg, scud, and leech patterns right now. While a lot of people equate microscopic bugs to spring fishing, thats not always the case.
Weather:
Short Term- We have seen a good bit of wind up this way recently. Springtime is always the windiest, and this year is no exception. Today we will see some possible precipitation here. Temps will still be pretty warm so that should be in the form of rain or even sleet. Things will quiet down for the remainder of the week until Friday. Temps this week will be in the high 50's low 60's and be quite nice. A large storm system will come through the state on Friday and will be bringing some heavy winds and cooler temperatures. Precipitation should be limited to the front range and the high country, but we could get a few flakes here. Saturday will also be cold with low temps back into the low teens/single digits. Sunday will rebound nicely with less wind and temps in the upper 50's.
Long Term- Next week will start out nice. Temps will be slightly higher than average through about Wednesday. The highs will be in the low 60's and morning lows in the low 30's. Later on Wednesday (4/22), another large scale system will move through. The jury is still out on this system, but it could potentially be a larger and more impactful storm. Precipitation chances are decent and we could see another shot of some snow or rain. Right now it looks like this storm will last through at least Friday. Could this be our last shot at some measurable snow? We will have to wait and see.
Tips:
Strikes are super subtle. Set the hook on everything. We have also seen some pretty great dry fly fishing up here during the BWO hatches (if its not too windy)
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS
For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here!
Our Top 6 Nymphs for Today:
- Stalcups baeitis, olive, sizes 20-22
- Pheasant tail, OG, sizes 20-22
- Foamback emerger, brown, sizes 20-22
- RS2. grey, sizes 20-22
- Slim Shady, olive, sizes 20-22
- Top Secret. brown and purple, sizes 20-24
Our Top Dry Flies for Today:
- Mole Fly, natural. Size 22-26
- Griffiths gnat, sizes 22-24
- Matts Midge, sizes 22-24
- Parachute adams, sizes 22-26
Our Top Streamer Patterns for Today:
Pretty slow on the streamer game right now. If you do try them, keep your patterns on the small side and do very slow strips. Focus on the afternoons when the water temps are at their highest.
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.