-Blue River State Wildlife Area
-Dream Stream
-Eleven Mile Canyon
-Fairplay Beach (South Park)
-Happy Meadows Campground – South Platte River
-Lake George Cabins and RV Park
-Tomahawk State Wildlife Area
-Tumbling Trout Fly Shop
Blue River State Wildlife Area
Along Hwy 9 between Kremmling and Silverthorne sits the Blue River State Wildlife Area. From the website, camping, discharging firearms, overnight parking, firewood cutting and fires are prohibited. Not all is lost though. Fishing and wildlife viewing is still offered.
I passed through here in October of 2021 after leaving Wyoming. I was headed south to Lake George and found some gorgeous views and the Blue River looked like it held some fish. I stopped at one of the roadside pullouts to take a look and quickly realized I needed to head back to this area sometime for a better look. I found an angler giving it a go. It was his first time on the river and was unsure what flies to use. Being new myself, I offered him a few midges in the size 24 range, so small that I was unsure if the fish could even see them! I recommended those flies to him since a friend of mine who guides in the area said small was the way to go. I hope he caught some. Check out some pictures below and some aerial footage of the beauty found in the Blue River State Wildlife Area.
Dream Stream
Love it. Hate it. Don’t care for it. Whatever floats your boat, the “Dream Stream” holds fish. But…they can be very hard to catch. Hard must be defined. Some will say they fished the “Dream Stream” and caught a boatload of fish – every other cast. Me? I didn’t catch anything, but I was only there for about 2 hours. I take that back. I caught one of the most beautiful sunrises – EVER! If I didn’t believe in God, I would’ve started that day. Check these sunrise pictures out below. Some don’t like it because the wind howls through the area making a tough time of casting a fly rod. Others don’t like it because the water is so clear that you have trouble sneaking up on the fish. Another is that the fish have been pressured so much that a near perfect fly and presentation must be made or they won’t even bat an eye. The fish will probably slap your flies with their tails in disgust (which might end badly for the fish). A positive note there aren’t any (I didn’t see any) trees to get your flies stuck in. Only high grass.
I arrived at the “Dream Stream” early. I was the first one, which is what I like. I strapped on me gear and before leaving the parking lot, another angler pulled up. I chatted with him for a few minutes before I began my ¼ mile hike to the stream. He was actually a guide who had some clients that morning and he recommended some flies and locations. He seemed like a pretty good dude, but where he recommended, I didn’t have time to visit. Turns out, I should have made the time. Regardless, I made my way to the river and realized that I left my rod back at the truck. At least I had my net. Sometimes fish are so curious that they will literally swim into your net if you put it out for them. I later had this experience with some stockers at Lake Taneycomo in Branson. Realizing that the net-only method probably wasn’t going to work, I headed back to retrieve my fly rod. Of course, as I depart the river, I hear fish surfacing! I ran back to the truck, grabbed my rod (thankful no one took it) and finally was able to wet some hooks (and flies). Michele at Trout Tumbler told me that the “Dream Stream” holds Kokanee (landlocked Sockeye Salmon) and sure enough, that’s what I heard and saw surfacing. I didn’t buy any new flies for the Kokanee, but I still had some Russian River flies in my pouch I used in Alaska a few months earlier. Sockeye in Colorado surely eat what Sockeye in Alaska eat, right? Right? I’m not sure why I try to convince myself that’s true, but I tried it anyway. After my arm nearly fell off casting the Russian River flies (and a few dry fly patterns), I finally gave up the streamer game and opted for something new – nymphing.
At this point, it was light enough to actually see what was surfacing. There was around 6 six Kokanee and a few Rainbows in a deep pool that, like the others, didn’t want anything to do with my offerings. I decided to move and walk the river to look for any fish. The water was extremely clear, but the underwater vegetation was thick. Real thick. So thick that the fish were well hidden and not interested in playing that day. Despite the skunk, I would definitely give the stream another try – in a different area and WITH A GUIDE that knows the fish better.
Check out these sunrise pictures and I wish you better success than I at the “Dream Stream.”
From Troutsflyfishing.com: This section of the South Platte runs through a large meadow between Spinney and 11 Mile Reservoirs. The Dream Stream is roughly 3 miles of public trout water with average fish in the 14-18″ range with fish over 20″ not uncommon. At times of the year, much larger fish enter the system from 11 Mile Reservoir. Due to the location of this stretch, it can take on some nasty winds and quick weather changes, be prepared.
Eleven Mile Canyon
What a place! From Lake George to Eleven Mile Reservoir lies around 8.5 miles of prime trout waters. Rainbow and Brown trout inhabit this stretch, known as the South Platte, and probably a few other species hungry for flies, as well. For $7.00 (as of May 2022), one can gain access to this US Forest Service land and enjoy camping, hiking, rock climbing, picnicking, and…fishing, of course. If none of those float your boat, bring a book and park along the river, and enjoy God’s creation.
We visited the Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation area in October of 2021. I stopped at the local fly ship (Tumbling Trout) and spoke with the owner, Michele White. She recommended a couple of areas along with some flies and her book, Lesser Known Fly Fishing Venues, a book about local areas to fish. With that advice and fly recommendations, I headed to Eleven Mile Canyon for some catching. If I remember correctly, a National Parks and Federal Lands pass holder might even be able to reduce their fee by a few bucks or even get in for free. Bring your Lincolns and Washington’s just in case!
The canyon road had many roadside pullouts one could park and hike upstream (or downstream) in search of their catch. From the reservoir, the river flows downstream and into Lake George; thus, if one enters the park and fished from the entrance to the reservoir, it would be upstream. Like most anglers, I would recommend fishing upstream to avoid spooking the fish. You see, fish can’t see moving objects behind them too well, in case you didn’t know.
I debated my strategy on how I would fish this river. Should I start at the beginning and fish to the end or start in the middle and go from there? Well, the first fishy water I saw wasn’t 100 yards from the entrance, so I stopped there for a shot at greatness. No luck there so I moved on. During the first couple of hours, I managed to catch one Rainbow on a nymph the fly shop recommended and found a few Browns willing to chase some streamers, only to turn away at the last inch. The first part of the day was a lot of casting and little catching. This can be frustrating when your first fish is landed in the first 30 minutes of your fishing outing.
After a quick lunch composed of the Chocolate Chip Cliff Bar and some bottled spring water, I pushed down closer to the second half of the canyon. Maybe that’s WhereTheFishAre! I managed to net another fish on a fly shop nymph combo and decided it was that time – Streamers!
You anglers know how it goes. The fishing day that starts with great anticipation of catching them all only to find yourself an hour from calling it quits with a less than envisioned fishing outing. So, you do what any angler would do, try something else…the Streamer! Michele told me to try some Black Woolly Buggers, which seems to work in anystreamUSA, year round. Black Woolly Bugger with 3X tippet and a small split shot to get it deep. Check.
Many seasoned anglers will tell you that the best time for streamers is in low light conditions. This can be near sunrise and sunset or on cloudy days. Time now was sunset, and the Woolly Bugger was tied in and ready for action. I must’ve found WhereTheFishAre because the Black Woolly Bugger was hot! As the sun was setting, I landed at least 5 Browns and Rainbows from the same hole in 30 minutes – a total turnaround from the previous 8 hours of fishing. I left them biting as I exited that hole and headed back towards the entrance and back to the RV Park. It was dark enough that I could barely see, but it didn’t matter. I still had the Black Woolly Bugger tied on, ready for another go if the opportunity presented itself on the way back.
I still had a couple of miles of opportunity left before the park exit and found another spot that looked fishy. I parked the truck (still running) and jogged about 30 yards to the river to see if it was the Bugger or the location that was bringing me luck. Bang! Another two trout on the streamer! I guess it was the Woolly Bugger after all!
If you are ever in this area, this is a great area to check out, year-round, pending snow conditions. See below for details from the website.
Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area is located below the dam of the Eleven Mile Reservoir near Lake George in the southeast corner of South Park. The narrow, dirt road traversing the canyon used to be the old Colorado Midland Railroad bed before the dam and reservoir were constructed. Unlike the reservoir area, which has an open basin and rangeland type topography, the canyon itself is forested, lush, and rocky.
Eleven Mile Canyon cuts through the plain holding the South Platte River in its rocky bottom. As the river is unleashed from the dam above, its twists and crashes against huge boulders lining the canyon floor. A canopy of large trees provides a screen of shade that floats across the canyon with the moving sun. Eleven Mile Canyon is an unexpected paradise.
Eleven Mile Canyon is generally accessible year-round; however, service is reduced during the winter months.
Fairplay Beach (South Park)
Michele, the owner of the Tumbling Trout fly shop, made a subtle comment about Fairplay Beach when I visited her store in October of 2021. She gave me a few recommendations on where to fish and added “Fairplay Beach” at the end of the conversation by saying that if I didn’t have any luck at the other locations, Fairplay Beach would ensure that I didn’t leave Colorado with a skunk. After fishing Happy Meadows and Eleven Mile Canyon, I headed over to the Dream Stream on the 3rd day of my visit to Lake George, CO. The Dream Stream was less than dreamy (other than the spectacular views of the sunrise) and I needed some line tugs badly. I ended the previous day at the Eleven Mile canyon with Browns and Bows attacking my Black Bugger, one after another. I went to sleep happy and woke up with a bigger appetite to catch more fish, only to be let down at the Dream Stream and the Tomahawk State Wildlife Area, which was on the way to Fairplay Beach. The river that runs through Tomahawk is the Middle Fork of the South Platte River, which is the same river that runs through Fairplay Beach.
From the website Uncovercolorado.com: The development of Fairplay Beach in the town of Fairplay originally began in 1922. A dam was constructed to counteract the water’s muddiness, which ended up becoming a pond. Later, in 1990, Gary Nichols, the Park County Director of Tourism and Community Development, examined the site. Seeing as Fairplay did not have many parks or other recreational facilities, this area seemed like the perfect option. Funds from Fairplay, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Denver Water Board, and other organizations helped bring life to this pond. They added public restrooms, paved trails, and other amenities to attract visitors.
Visitors can camp, picnic, pan for gold or…fish. I chose to fish that day. I arrived at the Beach around 3pm. I found a few guides and their clients already fishing in what looked like the best area to fish so I gave them some room and headed to the NW section of the pond. Excitement was an understatement as I watched them net fish after fish. I wasn’t sure what they were using nor did I want to wade over near them, but there were so many fish that I could see them underwater…and close. I tied on a streamer to see if they would chase. A few did, but none interested enough to eat. Only sniff. Next was a dry grasshopper. Nothing. Nada. Instead of moving, I tried another dry fly. Nothing. Nada. At this point, if you are an angler reading this, you know what I’m feeling. Everyone is catching except for me. What if I try everything and never get a take while they are 40 yards away pulling them in left and right. I tried a few more dry flies with no luck and then decided to add a “dropper.” A dropper is anything that is attached to your dry fly that sinks and sits in a lower column of the water. The dry sits on top, the wet sits just below the surface, and the nymph can be mid-column or at the bottom, depending on the current and how much weight is on the nymph. I added a beaded zebra midge to the dry fly with a 4X or 5X tippet dropper attachment and sent them off to the fish. YES! Success! Those trout wanted some of my offerings, too! After landing a few, I changed the dry fly a couple more times and eventually persuaded the trout to surface and take some dries, too. The water was very clear – clear enough to see how many trout were in that damned pond. There were a lot. Fairplay Beach was a great success and I highly recommend this place for beginning anglers and anyone needing some confidence. Check out some of the pictures below and a video of a trout surfacing for my dry fly.
After fishing, I headed into town (South Park) and drank and ate with the locals. Yes. South Park. I didn’t see Kenny, Cartman or the gang, but it’s a neat town worth a visit after a good day of fishing. There are some good spots to enjoy a beverage and get some good food. Don’t forget to tip your waitresses!
Happy Meadows Campground – South Platte River
The Platte River. The South Platte River. The South Fork of the South Platte River. The Middle Fork of the South Platte River. The North…. Confused yet? Happy Meadows Campground is located on the South Platte River. No forks here. Happy Meadows is a campground on federal land in the Pike National Forest that one can reserve via Reservation.gov.
We visited here in late October of 2021. The Platte family of rivers, forks and tributaries are a great place to start your research to find WhereTheFishAre. Since the Happy Meadows Campground is on federal land inside the Pike National Forest, you are free to move about the cabin without penalty. However, if you wonder too far from the campground, there are a few private lands to be aware of. Be sure to look at onX Hunt or other mobile or online resources that show you where the private and public land boundaries are.
Back to fishing. Michele from Tumbling Trout fly shop down the road recommended this area near the Happy Meadows Campground since there are many roadside parking spots to fish. The campground gates were locked and closed for the seasoned (closed Oct 11th) but parking along the road was plenty.
This area holds Brown and Rainbow Trout and I was able to net three 12” + Brownies that day tandem nymphing with an indicator. Michele recommended some Zebra Midge Emergers (can’t remember the actual names) and sure enough, 2 of the 3 were landed with those nymphs (see below photo). Most of this area is pocket water and plunge pools and being new to fly fishing at the time, I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the water. Of course, I tied on some dry flies hoping a monster trout would voraciously surface and attack, attack, attack. Well, that gave me some casting practice and a fly or two in the trees, but no fish. I knew it was time to nymph, so I tied on a tandem nymph setup that included an indicator, Black Stone Fly beaded nymph as the lead and a Zebra Midge Emerger as the trail – both on 4X tippet. Looking back, I probably should have used 5X and done more to get my nymphs closer to the bottom WhereTheFishAre. Also, my drift was terrible and unnatural. I was casting far with long drifts when I should have been casting near with short drifts. I likely would’ve landed a lot more fish – maybe. While there probably wasn’t 5000 fish per mile there, I don’t think there is a shortage of fish in that section. Three of the fish likely felt sorry for me and graced me with their bite that day, I stayed dry and didn’t break my buddy’s fly rod that he loaned me, since I broke mine earlier that month in Wyoming. Success in my book.
Lake George Cabin and RV Park
All it took was an internet search to find The Lake George Cabin and RV Park. My friend recommended that I fish the Eleven Mile Canyon and this RV park was minutes away. I secured a last-minute reservation for my 24’ RV online and was set for arrival. I wasn’t even planning to explore Colorado, but after staying at this juncture, I was glad I did. Stacey and Steve McCoy are the owners and from my few encounters with them, they are what I like to call “good gear.” It’s a military term I learned many years ago and continue to use it, where necessary. They are good people that are useful and keepers. When I told Stacey that I was in town to fish, she loaned me her book called Lesser Known Fly Fishing Venues in South Park, by Michele White, the owner of the local fly shop, The Tumbling Trout. This was huge considering anglers that fish new waters often spend a lot of would-be fishing time researching fishing spots once they arrive on location. The research was all here in one book, and she just loaned it to me! In another instance, Steve helped me figure out why I thought I bought a faulty propane tank, after hours. It was late October, only a few weeks before they closed for the season, and it was getting cold. At my last stop in Wyoming, I bought a new propane tank so I would have some heat for the cold nights. Well, that second night at the Lake George Cabin and RV Park was a chilly one and I woke up in the middle of the night wondering why the heater didn’t work. I headed outside to switch the tank valve and headed back to bed. The heat never came on and I was too tired to figure it out, so I opened the sleeping bag and waited for the morning.
I was sure it was a faulty tank valve, so I asked Steve for a tank exchange. I opened up the valve to show him that no gas was coming out and he told me – this isn’t the 80s anymore. The valves have changed. Hey, give me a break. I use wood and charcoal for grilling. Not propane! Anywho, he brought my “faulty tank” to his outdoor propane stove and – it lit up like a burning bush. After seeing that flame from my “faulty tank,” I was expecting God to whisper through the flame and tell me to quit wasting Steve’s time. Steve disconnected my tank and brought it over to my RV. It turns out that I didn’t tighten the screw-in hose coupling enough. Sheesh! That was embarrassing.
Overall, the Cabin and RV park is at a great location, run by great people and frequented by a friendly house cat. The cabins and RV spots have cool names. Instead of just number 04, I was in the Blue Winged Olive RV spot. You will surely catch fish if you stay in an RV spot named after flies that Trout eat, right?
From their website:
The Lake George Cabin and RV Park has been around in various forms since the late 1940’s as close as we can tell. Originally called El Rocco Lodge, then Rodger’s Cottages. In 1993, it was Platte River Cabins. We don’t know all the history, only that it is rich. Shortly after buying the property, a young man pulled up to tell us his grandfather met his grandmother here. Apparently, Grandpa rode up on his motorcycle after the war, (must’ve been Korea or Vietnam?) and Grandma worked or lived here. Many people have fond memories, and you’ll feel that when you visit.
Welcome to Lake George, CO! In Lake George, you’ll get to sleep under the most incredible stars, breathe fresh mountain air, and explore. There is so much to do here in the Pike National Forest: world class fishing, beautiful hikes and trails for off roading, rock hounding, tubing, etc… Whether you bring your friends or make new ones here, there’s a friendly, relaxed atmosphere that will bring you back again and again.
We look forward to hosting you!
Stacey and Steve McCoy
Tomahawk State Wildlife Area
I was headed to Fairplay Beach to get in on some small pond trout action one October 2021 day and saw a sign for the Tomahawk State Wildlife Area. Since it had a river running through the area, I had to check it out. The steep and winding road up the mountain and into the Wildlife Area was easier in my truck than on my feet. From Hwy 9, getting into the parking area was via vehicle. From the parking area to the river that runs thorough (Middle Fork of the South Platte River) it was quite a hike. Since I needed the exercise and love off-the-beaten path streams, I made the “climb” down the hill and into the area. Luckily it was October and I didn’t see any snakes, but I’ll bet that area during the summer holds a few. I don’t like snakes. But, I do like to fish and the river was really low when I made the plunge down the hill. I did see a few spooked fish that quickly buried themselves in the side of the banks, but with the river so low, I didn’t waste a lot of time. I walked and searched for some good pools for about 10 min and headed back up the hill and on me way to Fairplay Beach.
From the Explore Park County Website: The 1,655-acre Tomahawk State Wildlife Area is located northwest of Hartsel along the Middle Fork of the South Platte River. Fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing are allowed in accordance with state regulations, but no facilities are provided. Please visit the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website for a map of designated parking areas. To reach the State Wildlife Area from Hartsel, drive 5 miles north on Highway 9 to the access road and turn right, then drive half a mile to the parking area.
Tumbling Trout Fly Shop
Michele White of Tumbling Trout Fly Shop runs a good outfit near the entrance of Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area. I stopped in early one October 2021 morning to get some advice on where to fish and what to use. Her recommendations paid off. I caught fish at each of the places she recommended and on the flies she recommended, as well. This is what I wanted from a fly shop and I got it – with a 10% veteran’s discount, too! She offers a variety of guided trips – and they aren’t expensive compared to others I’ve hired. Stop in for some fly gear and a recommendation or two.
From her website:
Certified Professional Fly Fishing Guide – Certified Tenkara guide – Certified Boat Handler, VP Education Pikes Peak Trout Unlimited.
I own Tumbling Trout. I am a retired geologist and a published author.
I’ve been rowing a dory and fly fishing for over 20 years with my husband on the Great Rivers of the West. I learned the Tenkara method of fly fishing from Tim Hill and Mark Cole through the certification program at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville. I am also on the Board of Directors for Pikes Peak Trout Unlimited.
