South Platte Deckers
Ronald Rizer

South Platte River: Deckers

Difficulty Intermediate/Advanced
Ideal Days To Fish 11/2, 11/3 & 11/4

Weekly Report

Report DateNov. 1, 2023

Note: This will be the last report update that will be provided. We’ve loved every minute of this journey and value the relationships we’ve made and the community that we’ve built but unfortunately, it’s time for us to focus on other priorities. South Platte flows at Deckers have held at 95 cfs since Sunday and while trout are definitely spooky and selective, the trout are starting to get into a rhythm. Surface activity improved this week thanks to reduced flows and warmer air temps. Midges and BWOs are the primary hatches right now. Be on the lookout for midges between 9 am and 5 pm and BWOs during the early afternoon. Tailouts, soft runs, pools and outer seams are ideal sections to target when fishing dry flies. Dry and dry dropper setups are viable options depending on weather conditions. If trout aren’t rising, nymphing will be your best bet. Now that trout have adjusted to reduced flows, we’re seeing more action on larger patterns. Egg and worm patterns will get plenty of attention as we move through the brown trout spawn. Lead your nymph rig with one of those patterns or a classic searcher pattern. Red Copper Johns, Flashback Pheasant Tails and Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ears are some of our go-to searcher patterns. During the morning and late afternoon, trail a Mercury Black Beauty, Mayhem Midge, Top Secret or black Foam Back Emerger. Between 11 am and 3 pm, baetis emergers are the ticket. Think RS2s, Barr’s Emergers, Mercury Baetis and Chocolate Foam Backs. Colder water temps have trout favoring soft water most of the day. Slow riffles, faster runs and pockets are holding trout on warm afternoons, like we have in the forecast. Water clarity is high and these trout are seeing heavy angling pressure 7 days a week. Yarn indicators and a combination of 5x and 6x fluorocarbon tippet will help fool these trout.

Recommended Flies

River Flow

Flow Region

Detailed River Info

Background:

The Deckers stretch of the South Platte River is a heavily sought after and highly productive stretch of river located roughly one hour from Denver. It's proximity to Denver and it's wade friendly features makes for a great destination for anglers of all experience levels. According to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Deckers stretch of the South Platte contains just over 3,000 trout per mile with Rainbows, Browns and Cutthroats making up this healthy population. This portion of the South Platte is a tail water section, so depending on the will of the angler, productive fishing can be enjoyed year round.

Angling:

Fishing the Deckers stretch of the South Platte River is arguably one of the most difficult but rewarding rivers in the state. Aside from the hoards of anglers that flock to this river every weekend, it is one of our favorites to fish. It's close to Denver, incredibly easy to access and can yield trout worth writing home about. Deckers is famous for it's deep holes and runs but can also provide great pocket water fishing. In the summer and fall, anglers can expect some incredible Caddis and Mayfly hatches that result in irresistible dry fly fishing. In the winter and spring, nymphing is the name of the game. Small tail water midges and Baetis patterns that strain your eyes to look at are the ticket for a productive day. 

River Access

The Deckers section of the South Platte river is easy accessed from many locations. Anglers can drive along County Road 126, search for an appealing section of river and find a place on the side of the road to park. If you're not interested in searching for your own stretch of river, the intersection of County Road 126 and County Road 67 is a popular place to park and walk to the river.