Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cheesman Dam Denver Water · head of the tailwater | Dam / hazard | 39.20824, -105.27224 | Top of the tailwater. The Cheesman Canyon reach immediately below the dam is walk-in only — there is no road and no mapped facility in it. |
| 2 | Lone Rock Campground Pike National Forest · Hwy 67 | Campsite | 39.25226, -105.23582 | Forest Service campground on the river between the foot of Cheesman Canyon and Deckers. |
| 3 | USGS gauge 06701900 · South Platte River below Brush Creek near Trumbull Live flow on the water page | USGS gauge | 39.25999, -105.22194 | The reference gauge for this tailwater; it sits on the Deckers–Trumbull stretch. |
| 4 | Bridge Crossing Picnic Area Pike National Forest · Hwy 67 | Park / conservation area | 39.29185, -105.20613 | Riverside day-use ground and walk-in access on the Deckers stretch. |
| 5 | Ouzel Campground Pike National Forest · Hwy 67 | Campsite | 39.31948, -105.18848 | One of the small riverside Forest Service campgrounds strung along Hwy 67 below Deckers. |
| 6 | Scraggy View Picnic Area Pike National Forest · Hwy 67 | Park / conservation area | 39.32779, -105.18770 | Day-use ground and river access on the Hwy 67 stretch. |
| 7 | Willow Bend Picnic Area Pike National Forest · Hwy 67 | Park / conservation area | 39.34293, -105.17923 | Day-use ground and river access on the Hwy 67 stretch. |
| 8 | Osprey Campground Pike National Forest · Hwy 67 | Campsite | 39.34936, -105.17695 | Lowest of the Hwy 67 Forest Service campgrounds before the road leaves the river. |
| 9 | Strontia Springs Dam Denver Water · head of Waterton Canyon | Dam / hazard | 39.43246, -105.12617 | Diversion dam at the top of Waterton Canyon; the canyon reach runs from here down to Kassler. |
| 10 | Kassler Trailhead Waterton Canyon · foot and bike access | Access / boat ramp | 39.49141, -105.09341 | Trailhead parking at the mouth of Waterton Canyon. The canyon road is closed to vehicles, so the reach above is walk-in or bike-in. |
| 11 | Platte Canyon Dam Diversion dam at the canyon mouth | Dam / hazard | 39.49006, -105.08982 | Small diversion structure where the river leaves Waterton Canyon. |
| 12 | Chatfield State Park Colorado Parks and Wildlife | Park / conservation area | 39.52963, -105.08232 | Downstream end of the tailwater — the river enters Chatfield Reservoir here. The reservoir's own ramps and campground are not on this sheet. |
Gauge: USGS 06701900 — SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BLW BRUSH CRK NEAR TRUMBULL, CO. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brown Trout, Cuttbow, Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout
Regulations: cpw.state.co.us/rules-and-regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Elevenmile Canyon: road access, campgrounds and a long stretch of accessible water.
The Dream Stream: the reach between Spinney Mountain and Elevenmile reservoirs.
Cheesman Canyon: the Gill Trail walk-in from Wigwam Club parking, catch-and-release, flies and lures.
Deckers: roadside access on both banks, the most-fished water on the river.
Nighthawk and Trumbull: access points near the gauge on the upper river.
Waterton Canyon: lower river walk-and-bike access closer to Denver.
Special regulations vary by reach; read the signs at each access.
Year-round on the tailwaters; winter is a real season here.
March through May: blue-winged olives, spring runs on the Dream Stream, moderate flows.
June through August: the busiest months, caddis and terrestrials, early starts.
September through February: fall browns, then technical winter midge fishing with almost no company.