Located south of Breckenridge in Park County, the South Platte River is world famous for its fly-fishing potential. With year-round fishing access the South Platte River is an ideal fishing destination.
Middle Fork – South Platte
The Middle Fork of the South Platte is one of the most productive and publicly accessible rivers in our area.
In the small stream below Montgomery Reservoir, within Alma State Wildlife Area (SWA), you can catch brookies on dry flies until your heart is content.
Downstream, towards Fairplay, the river widens. With a healthy population of resident browns and rainbows and a summer long run of lake run browns and cutbows (from Spinney Mountain Reservoir), you never know what you might hook into. The best public water is located within Tomahawk SWA and Badger Basin SWA.
The Mountain Angler also has exclusive access for PRIVATE WATER guided fly fishing trips on the Middle Fork of the South Platte at Wooly Bugger Ranch, Maefly Ranch and Spear Ranch. These ranches offer some of the best fly fishing in Colorado.
South Fork – South Platte
The South Fork of the South Platte is essentially a smaller version of the Middle Fork and has become much more productive in recent years since the draining and re-filling of Antero Reservoir in 2016 . The best public water is located within Knight Imler SWA and 63 Ranch SWA. Similar to the Middle Fork, there is a healthy population of resident browns and rainbows and a run of pre-spawn browns (from Antero Reservoir) all summer long.
Below Antero Reservoir, the South Fork is both a tail-water (below Antero Res.) and a “spring creek” fed by numerous ‘seeps’ and a large underground thermal spring near Hartsel. There are several public access points near Hartsel where you’ll find easy, enjoyable fishing.
The Mountain Angler also has exclusive access for guided fly fishing trips on the South Fork of the South Platte at DM Ranch, offering some of the best private fly fishing in Colorado.
South Platte River – Hartsel to Spinney Reservoir
The Middle Fork and the South Fork come together downstream from the Town of Hartsel. Below this confluence the river is a large, meandering meadow stream with deep corner pools and undercut banks that flows for about 6 miles until Spinney Mountain Reservoir. There is public access at Spinney Mountain SWA and Spinney Mountain State Park.
South Platte River – Spinney to 11 Mile Reservoir
“Dream Stream”
The “Dream Stream” is the section of the South Platte River located between Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Eleven Mile Reservoir. The “Dream Stream” provides opportunities for the largest trout you have ever seen and is where anglers from near and far go to test both their skills and patience. As a result of the incredible productivity and resulting intense fishing pressure, the angler needs the perfect combination of the flies, tippet, skill and luck to catch the fish of their dreams.
