South and Middle Forks

This stretch is a 50-mile tributary to the South Platte River. Both the South and Middle Forks of the Platte are small streams that primarily flow through lush, mountain meadows. This area is a great choice for novice anglers looking to hone their casting and fish fighting skills to wade and walk about. The trout tend to be small, averaging ten to twelve inches, but the catches are usually pristine specimens. The diminutive trout hold near undercut banks and drop-offs, and are usually eager to eat a well place attractor dry fly or bead head nymph.

The Dream Stream

Below Spinney, the river is known as the Dream Stream, and it is part of the Spinney Mountain Recreation Area. The Dream Stream quietly meanders through a massive meadow for just over two miles until it forms Eleven Mile Reservoir. This tailwater section holds large trout and boasts fantastic hatches. The Tricos can be so thick that they literally form clouds above the river.

In spring and fall, the Dream Stream sees a major migration of monster trout. Rainbows in the spring and browns in the fall run out of Eleven Mile Reservoir. This annual spawning run offers anglers a chance at a leviathan trout. Double-digit weight trout are a strong possibility. Nymphing with tiny scud patterns and midge larva is usually the technique of choice; however, the BWO and Trico hatches are not to be missed.

Antero Reservoir

Antero Reservoir is located in South Park, Colorado near the Gold Medal Spinney Reservoir, and it has the right environmental conditions to produce trophy trout. Shallower-than-average water depth allows sunlight to boost plant, and invertebrate life, which supply trout with food. This shallow late covers 2,500 acres surface area, offering flats-like sight fishing from a boat and great bug life. Enjoy a float or fishing by foot from the shore. You’ll find rainbow trout, brown trout and tiger musky — some of which grow to very large sizes. Fish can be caught via static nymphing, dry flies or streamers. Nymphing will be primary approach to catching fish. Best of all, there’s no fee to enter it.

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

Spinney Mountain Reservoir is arguably the best still water fishery in the state. But we promise that’s not why we’re burying that information at the bottom of the page intentionally…

Formed by the South Platte River, Spinney Mountain is full of monster trout that pull like freight trains. Pound for pound, Spinney’s trout pull harder than any. With trout frequently reaching over 20-inches, anglers have the opportunity to land numerous trout with leviathan potential. Spinney offers numerous bays, drop-offs, and weed beds. During calm days, anglers can stalk trout on the flats like a saltwater angler targeting bonefish. You can stealthily hunt sipping trout as they cruise the flats for dry flies. Besides fishing the flats, we like to target trout near weed lines and drop-offs with both nymph rigs and dry flies depending on the feeding patterns.