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All Colorado reports
South Platte River 11-Mile Canyon
Generated artwork: BlueStreamFly · Regional illustration; not the exact location.
Should I go fishing?
Check before you go.
If you go: Wading. Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Check first: No structured live flow
Fishing rating56
Rating updatedRiver local time:
Why this recommendation?
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Available live dataMediumHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Confidence in this recommendationLowNo structured live flow
Sources checked often
If you go
- Check first
- Use RiverReports and the Colorado DWR PLAGEOCO station for current flow context.
- Try
- Arrive with a backup parking plan because canyon pullouts fill quickly.
- Leave when
- Skip the canyon when fee-area access, parking, or current rules are unclear, when flows make safe wading unrealistic, when ice or storms make the canyon hazardous, or when crowding would force you into poor etiquette or unsafe water.
Flow and weather
Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
- Flow
- —
- Live flow is not available here.
- Air forecast
- 52°F
- Next 24h high
- 78.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 1%
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
Mostly Clear
- Wind
- 3 mph
- Weather checked
More forecast and source details
Mostly Clear
National Weather Service
Eleven Mile Canyon forecast point
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: South Platte River at Eleven Mile Canyon
Flies for this time of year
Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.
- Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO dryView fly guide ↗
- Zebra MidgeView fly guide ↗
- Trout Streamer Patternssmall streamerView fly guide ↗
See flies for every season
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
Winter
What to look forMidges and tiny olives
Flies to try
Also try black beauty, top secret midge
Spring
What to look forBWOs, midges, caddis
Flies to try
Also try juju baetis, mercury midge
Summer
What to look forPMDs, tricos, caddis, terrestrials
Flies to try
Also try trico spinner
FallThis season
What to look forBWOs, midges, October caddis
Flies to try
Also try October caddis
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
More fishing tips
Methods, fish species and trip notes
How to fish South Platte River 11-Mile Canyon today.
Eleven Mile fishes best when releases are stable and the canyon road and weather are manageable. Slow down, fish small flies well, and respect the tight access area.
Low clear release
Use fine tippet, small flies, and long leaders. Approach pools carefully.
Stable medium release
Nymph riffles, pockets, and seams. Watch for short dry windows.
Higher release
Add weight, fish soft edges, and avoid crossing where the canyon current is pushy.
Winter
Midges can fish, but ice, narrow roads, and cold canyon shade raise the safety bar.
Wading, bank fishing or floating?
Lowest-risk access methodWading
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Wading · Lowest risk44/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Bank fishingNot recommended
This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.
FloatingNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Full river report
Is South Platte River 11-Mile Canyon worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Colorado before you go.
Eleven Mile Canyon is a distinct South Platte plan below Eleven Mile Reservoir. The river is accessible, productive, and heavily used, so current flow, rules, and etiquette matter.
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.
- Technical fishing
- Technical fishing means the fish are hard to fool, so careful casts and natural drifts matter.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Presentation
- Presentation means how you cast and move the fly so it looks natural to a fish.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Tailout
- A tailout is the shallow, slower water at the lower end of a pool.
- 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.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
Why this call
Why this score
Best mode nowHurts
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
FlowUse caution
RiverReports is linked for the flow chart, but this page does not have a structured live flow value the score can read automatically. Treat the rating as conservative and open the chart before committing.
SeasonHelps
Fall: BWOs, midges, and small streamers can make strong canyon fishing.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 52F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 78F. Mostly Clear.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use the RiverReports Eleven Mile chart and Colorado DWR Lake George station together. Stable releases are the most useful signal for small flies and sight fishing. Sharp release changes or pushy water should keep you on edges or send you to another South Platte option.
Skip the canyon when fee-area access, parking, or current rules are unclear, when flows make safe wading unrealistic, when ice or storms make the canyon hazardous, or when crowding would force you into poor etiquette or unsafe water.
Choose the canyon plan before tying on flies: lower pullouts for quick technical checks, quieter mid-canyon water when parking allows, or a pivot to nearby South Park water if flows, weather, or people stack against the day.
If Eleven Mile Canyon is too crowded, icy, or release-sensitive, compare the broader South Platte River, Middle Fork of the South Platte, or Tarryall Creek after checking current flow, access, and rule details.
South Platte River 11-Mile Canyon access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter.
Before you go
Check current Colorado special fishing rules for the reach from Eleven Mile Dam through the canyon. CPW lists artificial flies and lures only with all trout returned immediately for key canyon water.
Where to access the river
Eleven Mile Canyon entrance
USFS fee-area access via County Road 96 with narrow canyon driving and designated use rules.
Wagon Tongue and Springer Gulch area
Important rule-boundary and access context for the below-dam tailwater.
Cove, Spillway, and canyon pullouts
Common named canyon access areas where parking, pressure, and posted rules matter.
- USFS lists an Eleven Mile Canyon vehicle day-use fee and no dispersed camping in the canyon.
- Dogs must be leashed under USFS recreation guidance.
- CPW identifies named access points such as Spillway, Cove, Springer Gulch, and Wagon Tongue Gulch.
- Winter ice and narrow canyon roads can complicate access even when the river is open.
Sources and report details
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
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 6 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 river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
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.
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.
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.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This Eleven Mile Canyon South Platte report is maintained from RiverReports and Colorado DWR flow data, USFS access information, Colorado regulation sources, CPW river context, weather checks, and technical-tailwater planning guidance.
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.
Quick questions
Is Eleven Mile Canyon the same as Deckers?
No. It is a separate South Platte tailwater below Eleven Mile Reservoir near Lake George.
What flow should I check?
Use RiverReports and the Colorado DWR PLAGEOCO station for canyon release context.
Are there fees?
USFS lists a vehicle day-use fee for Eleven Mile Canyon. Check current fee and pass details before entering.
What flies should I bring?
Bring midges, RS2s, BWOs, PMDs, tricos, caddis, small terrestrials, and small streamers.