Wade82/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All Colorado reports
Fly fishing report · West
North Fork South Platte River Fishing Report
Check the Bailey flow, choose a confirmed public reach, and carry a thermometer. This report is for wading and bank fishing, not floating.
See the Bailey flow chart ↓Photo: Jeffrey Beall Opens in a new tab. · CC BY 3.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Good fishing
Yes. Fishing looks good.
82
Good fishing based on the verified flow and weather. No official live water-temperature reading is available. Carry a thermometer during warm weather and stop if the water is stressful for trout.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 10:42 PM MDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade and Bank / edge have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edge82/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Your plan
Today’s North Fork plan.
Fish only when the Bailey graph is fresh and not rising, the water is below 70°F, and your chosen reach is clearly public.
- Check
- Open the Bailey DWR graph and read its timestamp and trend.
- Fish
- Start at a confirmed public reach with a dry-dropper or light nymph rig.
- Leave
- Stop if the flow rises, the water reaches 70°F, or access is unclear.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 329 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 60°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 80.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 15%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Slight Chance Rain Showers
Slight Chance Rain Showers
- Wind
- 6 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
North Fork South Platte near Bailey forecast point
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
Latest stored Colorado DWR gauge: North Fork South Platte at Bailey
How to fish it
Let the Bailey trend choose the water.
Fish close water from a confirmed public bank. Do not cross a rising channel to reach another run.
Steady or falling
Start with a dry-dropper or light nymph rig in soft seams and pocket water.
Low and clear
Use a longer leader, smaller flies, and a quiet bank approach.
Rising or stained
Stay out of the main current. Leave if footing or a safe exit is doubtful.
70°F or warmer
Stop trout fishing and choose cooler water.
Fishing words used on this page
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Confluence
- A confluence is the place where two streams or rivers meet.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
- Pale morning dun (PMD)
- Pale morning duns, or PMDs, are light-colored mayflies that often hatch in warmer months.
Why this call
Why this score
Normal flow comparisonUse caution
The live gauge returned a flow value, but a verified historical comparison for this date is not available. The score cannot rate the flow as excellent from trend alone.
FlowHelps
Colorado DWR shows 329 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. Colorado DWR marks this reading provisional and may revise it. This is the clearest starting signal.
SeasonHelps
Summer · June through August: Caddis, PMDs, Yellow Sallies, and terrestrials lead; check water temperature.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 60F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 80F. Slight Chance Rain Showers.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Four useful trip notes.
PLABAICO reports discharge at Bailey. Use a fresh, steady or falling trend. It does not tell you water temperature, clarity, access, or another reach’s flow.
Leave when flow rises, footing is unsafe, water reaches 70°F, an official restriction applies, or access is unclear.
Choose one of the four reach cards, open its official link, and fish a short section well.
If the North Fork does not fit, check the South Platte, Tarryall Creek, or Clear Creek report from scratch.
Fish on this river
What you can fish for
Brown trout
Primary fishWhen: Cool, open-water periods
Use the small-stream dry, nymph, and streamer advice on this page.
Rainbow trout
Also presentWhen: Cool, open-water periods
Use the same temperature and handling check as brown trout.
Cutthroat and cutbow trout
Check current rulesWhen: Confirm the exact reach
Do not plan the trip around them without current section-by-section evidence.
Brook trout
Check current rulesWhen: Headwater context only
This report does not confirm brook trout in each main-stem reach.
What to try
North Fork flies through the year.
Use the date range first, then change one fly at a time.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
December through March
What to look forMidges and BWOs
April through May
What to look forBWOs, caddis, and small stoneflies
June through AugustCurrent
What to look forCaddis, PMDs, Yellow Sallies, and terrestrials
September through November
What to look forBWOs, midges, and October caddis
All 18 fly names link to a matching Fly Box guide and image.
Access and safety
Four reaches. Four official checks.
Choose one reach and open its link before you park. Check current CPW rules and posted signs for the exact reach. Do not carry rules from Deckers or Eleven Mile Canyon onto the North Fork.
Choose the rules before the water.
Bailey · McGraw Park
The clearest documented public start: several hundred feet, a bridge, and a fishing deck.
Park County McGraw Park access in a new tabGrant · upper river
Use the atlas and posted signs. The Bailey gauge is downstream of this reach.
Colorado Fishing Atlas in a new tabPine · Pine Valley Ranch
Use the county map to separate park land, trails, and marked private property within Pine Valley Ranch.
Pine Valley Ranch boundary map in a new tabFoxton and South Platte confluence
Use the Fishing Atlas and posted signs to confirm the exact public parcel before North Fork guidance gives way to the main South Platte.
Colorado Fishing Atlas in a new tabPrivate frontage breaks up the river. A road, bridge, pullout, or nearby public parcel does not open an unmarked bank.
River sources
Where this report comes from.
DWR flow, CPW rules and maps, county access, weather, and water-quality sources were checked August 21, 2026. No field visit is claimed.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: DWR flow, CPW rules and maps, county access, weather, and water-quality sources were checked. No field visit is claimed.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 10 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Quick answers
A few last checks.
What does the North Fork South Platte Bailey gauge show?
Colorado DWR PLABAICO shows discharge at Bailey and its recent trend. It does not show water temperature, clarity, access, or conditions on every reach.
Where is public access on the North Fork South Platte?
McGraw Park is the clearest documented start. Use the official link on each of the four reach cards for Grant, Pine Valley Ranch, Foxton, and the confluence.
What North Fork South Platte fishing rules apply?
Check current CPW rules and posted signs for the exact reach. Do not copy rules from another South Platte section.
Can I float the North Fork South Platte?
This report does not verify a safe, legal float reach, launch, or takeout. Plan to fish from the bank or wade at confirmed public access.