Deckers – South Platte
14 Day Forecast: Look for hatches of midges, PMD's, Tricos, blue-winged olives, and caddis.
Effective Patterns: #8 Pat's Rubber Legs, #20-22 Jujubaetis, #18-20 Top Secret Baetis, #20-22 Top Secret Midge, #20-22 Black Beauty, #18-20 Pale Olive Midge Larva, #20-22 Chocolate Foam Wing Emerger, #20-22 Mercury Midge, #20 Sparkle Dun, #22-24 Trico Spinner, #14 Yellow Sally, #18 Barr Emerger, PMD, #18 Mole Fly, #20 Parachute BWO, #20 Hi-Vis Baetis, 20-22 Parachute Adams, #16 Elk Caddis
Measurements
Colorado Fly Fishing Report for Deckers on the South Platte by Pat Dorsey
The mileage below Cheesman Canyon is the renowned Deckers area, a world-class fishery with easy access and lots of opportunity. The best fishing is from Bridge Crossing to the lower boundary of the Tee Pee Club. Like Cheesman Canyon, the fish are challenging to catch, and there is no substitution for a good dead drift. Deckers can offer good dry fly fishing at times but like upstream in the “The Canyon” a good nympher will catch the majority of fish. Anglers can expect to catch assortment of browns and rainbows with some exceeding 20 inches. The river is made up of riffles, runs, shelves and gravel bars, and nice pocket water. The ideal flow for Deckers is between 150 and 400 cfs. The regulations are two trout over 16 inches in length and flies and lures only. Please consider catch and release on all fish caught in the area.
Deckers is a world-renowned stretch of the South Platte River. There are miles of public water to fish in and around the hamlet of Deckers.
Tips & Other Information:
Outflows were bumped again to 320 cfs which is great news. Cheesman Reservoir is at 88% capacity as of this morning. This is a bit concerning as we will need a huge snowpack to compensate for this years drought. In the meantime, plan for a good midge hatch in the morning, followed by a mid-day lull, then some blue-winged olives and pale morning duns in the afternoon. Size 20-22 Mercury Midges, Black Beauties, and Top Secret Midges have been the flies of choice lately for the midge-bite. Top Secret Baetis, Stalcup’s Baetis, Barr Emerger PMD, and Chocolate Foam Wing Emergers are a good choice when you start to see some mayflies coming off. If you are fortunate enough to find a few risers, it’s hard to go wrong with a Sparkle Dun, Para BWO (PMD), Hi-Vis Baetis (PMD), Mole Fly, or Para Adams in sizes 18-20. Overcast days and inclement weather are producing the best hatches. Caddis still are a factor in fly selection so make sure you do not overlook them, especially larva. Revised 8/20/25