Cheesman Canyon
14 Day Forecast: Look for reliable hatches of midge and blue-winged olives.
Effective Patterns: #20-22 Jujubaetis, #20-22 Top Secret Baetis, #22-24 Bling Midges, #20-22 Chocolate Foam Wing Emerger, #20-22 Mercury Blood Midge, #18 Micro Egg, #20 Mercury Midge, #20 Miracle Nymph, #20 Buckskin, #22 Brassie, #22-24 Black Beauty, #22-24 Medallion Midge, #22-24 Top Secret Midge, #20-24 Parachute Adams, #20 Mathew's Sparkle Dun, #20 Parachute Blue-Winged Olive, #20 High Vis Baetis, #20-22 Pat's Midge, #22-24 Mole Midge, and #22 Griffith Gnats.
Measurements
Stream Conditions & Tips from Pat Dorsey for Fly Fishing Cheesman Canyon in Colorado
The picturesque boulder-filled Cheesman Canyon portion of the South Platte River is considered by many one of the most pristine fisheries in the world. This area, often times simply referred to, as “the Canyon” is an experience you’ll never forget. It’s the perfect scenario, magnificent beauty in combination with great fly fishing.
The South Platte River carves its way through a granite canyon lined with ponderosa pines, willows, fallen tree trunks, and various other assorted ground foliages. Boulders as big as Volkswagens Beetles create structure for the super-selective trout residing in the river. Mule Deer, Black Bear, Raccoons, Mountain Lyons, and Bald Eagles all add to the experience. Anglers can expect to catch mostly large rainbows supplemented with a few nice brown trout. The aforementioned “canyon” is as technical as they get, and if you can catch trout here, you can catch them anywhere in the world. This three-mile section is primarily a nymphing fishery requiring tiny midge and mayfly imitations with fine 5 and 6X tippets. Ideal flows for Cheesman Canyon are between 250 and 400 cfs. The regulations are flies and lures only. All fish must be returned to the water immediately.
Cheesman Canyon is one of the best tailwaters in the country. There's a common belief among "canyon regulars" that if you can catch fish on the South Platte River, you can fool fish anywhere in the world. There's no substitution for good technique in Cheesman Canyon.
Tips & Other Information:
Flash Flood Update:
No news is good news as they say! Not much new to report on the substrate damage that occurred from the flash flood on July 31, 2023. Many of the deep holes and classic riffle, run, and pool-tailouts are clogged with decomposed granite and other debris, reducing the trout’s habit. The biggest concern is the insect choking sediments that are effecting the hatches. Only time will tell on the long term effects pertaining to this horrible act of nature. What we need is a huge snow pack to help clear out the decomposed granite that filled in so many of the famous holes.
The good news is the fish seem to be doing just fine. The rainbows look great and they are chunky and feisty. The brown on the other hand, are very skinny, but that is not uncommon during the early spring months. The brown trout should put on some weight as soon as the blue-winged olives start hatching. If the hatches come off like “like normal” I will feel better about things. But, there is still such a huge loss of habitat and the river is changed forever. I think it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. Once the river levels rise, the leading edges of the sediment slides will be shave off and get swept in the drift. But for now, things are stable with the exception of the holes being filled in…
Current Conditions:
Cheesman Reservoir is at 89 percent capacity which is great news. Currently the outflow from Cheesman Dam is 120 cfs. Plan on reliable hatches of midges throughout the day. Once a hatch becomes evident, look for the trout to move into the transitional zones to feed. Fishing pupae imitations mid-column has been bringing several nice fish to hand lately. We are also seeing lots of the big spring midge. The afternoon is bringing some excellent blue-winged olive hatches which is a sure sign that spring has arrived. Revised 4/7/24