Fly Fishing South Platte River - Dream Stream

Overview

The Dream Stream is the South Platte between Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile reservoirs in South Park. Its meadow channel winds through the Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area, with gentle riffles, slick tailouts and undercut banks. Resident trout and fish moving from the reservoirs give this tailwater its distinctive character.

A Subtle Meadow Channel

The open landscape leaves little cover for an approaching angler. Watch a pool before moving into casting position and keep a low profile beside clear water. A quiet seam or bank edge can hold a useful feeding lane within an otherwise open-looking run.

Reservoir releases change the channel’s depth and current. Fish the structure in front of you, adjusting leader length and nymph weight to the chosen lie. Wind also affects presentation across the exposed meadow, so a shorter, controlled cast may help place a fly along a bank.

Small Patterns and Careful Observation

Midge, blue-winged olive and trico imitations provide small-fly choices. A dry-dropper or a small emerger can cover a fish feeding in a slow slick, while midge larvae and soft hackles offer subsurface options. Select the pattern from observed insects and feeding behavior.

Brown and rainbow trout move between this river and the reservoirs, and kokanee are also part of the system. Give spawning fish and their redds space. The interest here is the combination of a subtle meadow channel and tailwater presentation, with individual feeding lanes rewarding attention.