Where to Go South Platte River – Deckers
Current Reports
Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Report Date: 10/9/2026
Conditions:
The Deckers section of the South Platte is running low and clear at approximately 99 CFS, creating classic shallow-water conditions across its broad meadow runs and gravel bars. Water temperatures are sitting in the upper 40s to low 50s. High clarity combined with low volume means trout are skittish and tucked tightly into the main channel slots, deep drop-offs behind bridge pillars, and shaded bank cutouts. The heavy foot traffic this stretch receives makes these fish ultra-wary of wading waves and bank silhouettes.
Guide Reports:
Mike Haycock - 10/5/2026
Great midge hatch 8:30-11. Slower fishing after that. Fish willing to eat in deeper runs and tailouts during hatch. No egg eaters yet. All fish on light colored midge emergers size 22 and 24.
Josh Heney - 10-4-2026
Fished really slow only one fish to the net.
Weather:
Short-Term
Early mornings in the valley are crisp and frosty, with temperatures dipping into the high 20s and low 30s along the dirt roads. Sun hits the wide open Deckers corridor by mid-morning, rapidly warming the area into the mid-60s. Gentle afternoon breezes sweep along the open banks, knocking late-fall leaves into the river and creating light surface chop that helps mask leader shadows.
Long-Term
As late autumn approaches, cold fronts will sweep over the Front Range foothills with greater frequency, dropping daily air temperatures and pushing water temps into the low 40s. With shorter daylight hours, the fish will shift out of shallow summer riffles and pool up in the deepest winter holes along the main channel. Expect low tailwater flows to remain steady, requiring anglers to rely on ultra-fine tippets and stealthy line control into the winter months.
Hatches:
Morning hours bring consistent hatches of tiny black midges, which drift along the quiet eddies and slow tailouts. As the sun moves higher, Blue-Winged Olives (BWOs) become the star of the show, especially on overcast afternoons when size #20-24 Baetis emerge in steady numbers. On warmer days, terrestrial insects like small terrestrial ants, beetles, and small hoppers lingering on the tall valley grasses still draw occasional surface strikes along the grassy bank edges.
Tactics:
Finesse is mandatory on these wide, shallow stretches. Use a 9-to-12-foot leader tapered down to 6X fluorocarbon to avoid detection in the glass-like currents. Target the deeper buckets and gravel transitions using a subtle two-fly nymph rig—lead with a non-flashy pattern like a small Scud, Juan Worm, or Pine Squirrel leech, and trail a micro-midge pattern or Baetis emerger in size #22-24. When Baetis are popping, switch to a delicate dry-dropper or a single parachute BWO along the foam lines.
Tips:
Avoid heavy wading altogether. Fish from the dry gravel bars and cast into the deeper channels to keep from pushing pressure waves across shallow water. Ditch heavy plastic bobbers for soft yarn, wool, or strike putty to prevent loud splashes that clear out whole pools. Focus on long, dead-drifts through complex current seams, as Deckers trout see dozens of flies daily and will reject anything with subtle drag. Finally, watch your step around shallow gravel tailouts where brown trout are active on autumn spawning redds
This is an area where we offer guided fly fishing trips. There is no better way to learn an area like the Deckers than hiring one of our Orvis-endorsed professional guides!
Recommended Fly Patterns:
Dry Fly Patterns
- Mole Fly, brown, sizes 20-22
- Extended Body BWO, sizes #18-22
- Griffith's Gnat, sizes #18-22
- Parachute Ant, Black, sizes #18-20
- Bionic Ant, size 14
Nymph Patterns
- RS2, grey, size 20
- Juju Baetis, Black, Olive, or Purple, sizes #18-22
- CDC RS2, Grey or Black, sizes #20-24
- Bling Midge, size 20-24
- Buckskin, size 18-20
- San Juan Worm, Natural Brown, sizes #12-16
Streamer Patterns
- Mini Dungeon, Yellow or Brown, sizes #6-8
- Slump Buster, Olive or Black, sizes #8-10
- Thin Mint Bugger, sizes #8-10
Anglers Covey Bug Of The MOnth:
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River Details:
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 to make 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 who 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.
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