tailwater · trout

South Platte (Cheesman Canyon)

Live conditions for South Platte (Cheesman Canyon): the gauge, the water temperature, the trend, and what the water is doing today — read the way a guide reads it.

Right now

99cfs→ lowfishable

Inside the wade band, stable low · -1.9% over the last 6 hours.

Water temp—

Engine callGO 99 cfs in the wade band

Gauge read 1:00 AM CDT · USGS 06701500. Readings refresh every few minutes.

The water

South Platte (Cheesman Canyon) is a tailwater in Denver, fished for trout — rainbow, brown, cutbow, cutthroat. On free-flowing water the trajectory is the story: falling and clearing after a bump is the window, rising water pushes fish to the banks and brings colour.

troutrainbow troutbrown troutcutbow troutcutthroat troutWade only

Wade and float bands in cfs, the safety notes and the 14-day trend are on the signed-in river page.

Access

Upper Cheesman Canyon Trailhead (Cheesman Reservoir/Dam access, via FS Road 211)walk in
Cheesman Canyon Trailhead (Gill Trail #610 / Lower Trailhead)walk in

Directions to the put-in or wade access ride on every briefing.

The briefing

Know before you drive to South Platte.

Every morning OUTFISH reads this gauge, the dam schedule, the water temperature, the sky and the tips library, and writes one plain-language call for the waters you track: go or stay home, wade or float, when to be on the water, where to put in, what to tie on — with directions.

Start free — 7 days of Guide

Signed in: the wade and float bands, the full hatch calendar, safety notes, the 14-day trend, shop reports and today's briefing for this water.

This month

Active in September:

Blue-winged olive (BWO)MidgesTricosSowbug scud

The full calendar by month, with notes, is on the signed-in river page.

Verify it yourself

The same sources the engine reads, straight from the agency:

More water in Denver

Arkansas River (Cañon City)Cache la Poudre River (Fort Collins)Bear Creek (Evergreen/Morrison)Big Thompson (Estes Tailwater)Boulder Creek (Canyon)Clear Creek (Golden)North Fork South Platte (Bailey)South Platte — Eleven Mile Canyon South Platte (Deckers)South Platte (Denver Urban)South Platte (Dream Stream)South Platte River — Cheesman Canyon (Deckers)St. Vrain Creek (Lyons)