Tailwater · Mixed · Colorado, US

South Platte — Cheesman Canyon

Cheesman Canyon
Prime · Brown Trout
RS2 · 18-22
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River steady at a fishable height. On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.98 mLast reading 4h ago
  • Water temp9.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
RS2
RS218-22
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.98 m
Last reading 4h ago
Water temp9.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather2°C
WindSW 12 km/h
Pressure1029 hPa
Rain · recent0.2 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°

We have not characterised this dam's release, so this is a general cold-release figure and could be several degrees out in either direction. Treat it as a hint, not a reading, and check locally before you fish.

How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Excellent — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11 Uhr

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2
TricoHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Brown Trout
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Colorado licence
  • Gold Medal, flies/lures-only, catch-and-release
  • Verify CPW regulations.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 3
South Platte — Deckers
8.0 km
82
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
South Platte — Eleven Mile Canyon
37 km
84
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
South Platte — Dream Stream (Spinney to Eleven Mile)
40 km
67
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Cheesman Canyon
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Supporting
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'South Platte River, all tributaries.' (COSPUS02a_E), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · COSPUS02a_E

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 80 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature84 × 28%23.5
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity76 × 12%9.1
Conditions total= 80
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts