South Platte River: Dream Stream

Like all South Platte tailwaters, Dream Stream flows are low and currently sit at 51 cfs. As a result, trout are primarily stacked up in pronounced sections of the river (deep pools, runs and pockets). In addition to those sections, riffles and transitions hold actively feeding trout during the afternoon. When nymphing, get your flies into the deepest water column using tungsten bead nymphs or split shot. As water temps rise and hatches materialize, you may see some trout move up into the middle water column. If that occurs, drop some weight. Bug activity is picking up on this stretch and as a result, surface activity has become more consistent. Midges and caddis are the most prominent right now but we’re also starting to see more PMDs and terrestrial activity. This is our favorite time of year to fish the Dream as trout like to hold tight to undercut grass banks and slurp bugs on the surface. If trout are actively rising, go with a single or double dry fly setup. If surface activity is sporadic, a dry dropper/hopper dropper is the way to go. Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tungstones, Copper John’s, Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ears, Electric Caddis, Flashback Pheasant Tails, JuJu Baetis, RS2s, Barr’s Emergers, Chocolate Foam Back Emergers and Mercury Black Beauties are all getting looks right now. Due to low flows and warm afternoon temperatures, water temps are more of a concern right now. You should be safe during the morning, but keep an eye on water temps after 12 pm (especially in the lower section near Eleven Mile Reservoir) and if water temps hit 67 degrees, please postpone fishing until temps drop.