Deckers – South Platte
14 Day Forecast: Look for good hatches of midges and blue-winged olives
Effective Patterns: #20-22 Jujubaetis, #18-20 Top Secret Baetis, #20-24 Top Secret Midge, #22-24 Black Beauty, #22 Zebra Midge, #22-24 Bling Midge, #18-20 Pale Olive Midge Larva, #20-22 Chocolate Foam Wing Emerger, #20-22 Mercury Midge, #20 Sparkle Dun, #18 Mole Fly, #20 Parachute BWO, #20 Hi-Vis Baetis, 20-22 Parachute Adams, #22 Pat's Midge, Matt's Midge, #22 Hi Vis Griffith Gnat.
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 normal for this time of year. Cheesman Reservoir is at 89% capacity which is good news considering our snowpack is 100%. I would expect the outflows to remain about the same for a while as Denver Water needs to fill the lake. Fishing has been pretty good in the Deckers area as of late. Plan for a good midge hatch in the morning, followed by a mid-day lull, then some blue-winged olives in the afternoon. Overcast days are producing the best hatches. Size 22-24 Mercury Midges, Black Beauties, and Top Secret Midges have been the flies of choice lately for the midge-bite. Top Secret Baetis, and Chocolate Foam Wing Emergers are a good choice when you start to see some Baetis moving. When the BWO hatch becomes evident, it’s hard to go wrong with a Sparkle Dun, Para BWO, Hi-Vis Baetis, Mole Fly, Blue Quill, Blue Dun, or Para Adams in sizes 18-20. Revised 4/11/25