SUMMER HOURS 6 am to 6 pm Daily

Report Date: 8/4/2026

Conditions:

Cheesman Canyon is one of the colder fisheries across the South Platte River right now, thanks to the tailwater bottom release and Cheesman Canyon at 71% of capacity. This is a great option for your summertime trout fishing. Flows have been steady and holding close to 200 cfs for some time now. The water is clear and cool.  Overall, the fish are happy and feeding well throughout the cooler portions of the day. Make sure you have what you need before making the trek into the canyon.

Guide Reports:

Hopper Juan Ramirez - 7-27-2026

Flow-200cfs. No bugs. Not much fish activity. Pretty dead.

Shop Report:

Dillon West - 7/21/2026

Bug activity was great in the morning. Midges were coming off strong. In the afternoon, Caddis and Midge larvae suited best. Buckskins and Midge larvae were working well. Gray Black Beauties and Mercury Midges.

Weather:

Short term -

The rain from last week has held out and is still spraying us a bit today. The fires also have created some low "Cloud" style cover that helps make the fish more eager. 73 degrees and cloudy with the rain moving through midday make it an excellent day to be fly fishing!

Long term - 

This week turns over. We don't have the rains in store for this coming week. It is mostly sunny with some cloud cover. Temperatures are scheduled to push into close to 90 degrees but are forecasted to fall just short. No real chances for rain this week, but we can always hope! The days will start to get shorter as we head into the fall.

Hatches:

We have Tricos and Caddis in the system right now. These are our summertime favs, but the good old standbys are still there as well. Midges will always be around in the canyon. Expect to see them earlier in the day when the temps are cooler, and the light is low. This will also be true for any BWO activity you might come across. Also keep an eye out for PMD activity mid-day!

Tactics:

Not a day goes by that the Cheesman Canyon fish do not see an angler. Because of this, presentation is key! When fishing dry flies, consider long light leaders (12', 5x or 6x) and ensure you are allowing for enough slack in your presentation to keep the fly from dragging when it hits. When nymphing, a dead drift is the most important thing. Followed by profile, color, and then finally specific pattern. Sometimes in Cheesman you have to hit them all just right.

Tips:

These fish can turn off when they see anglers coming around. Stay stealthy and keep a low profile when you approach. Fishing faster water can mitigate this need. If they see you, they will not spook, but they can get lockjaw.

This is an area where we offer guided fly fishing trips. We are one of two outfitters permitted to operate in Cheesman. There is no better way to learn an area like Cheesman Canyon than hiring one of our Orvis-endorsed professional guides!