Deckers – South Platte
14 Day Forecast: Look for sporadic hatches of midges.
Effective Patterns: #20-22 Top Secret Midge, #20-22 Manhattan Midge, #20-22 Jujubaetis, #20-22 Top Secret Baetis, #20-24 Chocolate Foam Wing Emerger, #18 Micro Egg, #20-22 Red Larva, #20 Mercurry Blood Midge, #20 Flashback Mercury Black Beauty, #20 Buckskin, #20-22 Pat's Midge, #20-24 Griffith Gnat, #22 Mole Fly, and #22-24 Parachute Adams.
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 are currently 114 cfs below Cheesman Reservoir. The feeder creeks (Wig Wam, Four Mile, and Horse Creeks) are adding a few cfs to the Deckers area boosting it up to 123 cfs. Cheesman Reservoir is at 86% capacity as of this morning. Considering all things, and the drought we’re experiencing, it could be much worse. I expect Denver Water to keep the outflows between 50 and 100 cfs range for the majority of the winter in an effort to keep the lake as full as possible. Nothing is coming easy right now with the cold water temps, but anglers willing to work hard are bringing a few fish to hand. Target the deeper runs and slower pools with spider web thin tippets and tiny midges. The difference between catching fish and NOT, is fishing with a size 24 midge pupa instead of a 22. It’s to your advantage to cover lots of water as the trout wisen up quick in the slower water with repetitive casting. The best fishing is between 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Revised 1/20/26