38283 Hwy 24
Lake George, Colorado
(719) 748-1089
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OPEN 7-5 DAILY
Tumbling Trout
Certified Professional
Fishing Guides of
South Park, Colorado
"A weird little fly shop nestled half-way between the Dream Stream and Reality."
10% discounts for Veterans, Fire Fighters, Police, public school teachers, students, Project Healing Waters and probable pathetic souls with circumstancial issues..
South Park Grand Slam: Rainbow
Monday, Oct. 7th, 2024.
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​WEATHER: Hot week, lil cloud cover, breezy.
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FLOWS: First off, the browns are spawning. So avoid crossing the river or standing in shallow slow water on submerged islands.
The region's freestone waters are low, meaning Badger Basin, Tomahawk, and definitely Tarryall are way low. That said, Tomahawk has deep pools, undercut banks and is not too warm.
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Kokanee are in the Dream Stream! USs Debbie Shipman's Kokee Kandy.
Eleven Mile Canyon and Happy Meadows are flowing nicely, as are our high alpine creeks and beaver ponds on the west side of South Park. Arkansas River has also been fishing well but if you are below Salida, there has been afternoon muddy water due to construction upstream.
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RIVER FLIES SURFACE: Mornings are tiny stuff (daily midge hatch), then PMD and then Trico with spinner fall around 11 am. If you use Phil Iwane No Mercy Midge as an emerger suspended and a black sparkle wing RS2 you will do well. Noon = BWO and Caddis (i love swinging a wet fly). Late day = anything bushy, hoppers, ants, Parachute Adams, Purple stuff...
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RIVER FLIES SUB-SURFACE: Got to use a sparkly silver of white streamer chasing an egg on a tag. That's the ticket to get a rainbow and leave the spawning browns alone.
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RESERVOIRS: Callibaetis better than chironomids, damsel flies and crawdads and leeches. WET FLIES! Chubbies, too.
South Park Grand Slam: Brown
South Park Grand Slam: Brookie
South Park Grand Slam: Cutthroat
Cam got a Kokanee in Dream Stream! Whoot Whoot!!
DREAM STREAM
Located 14 miles from Tumbling Trout fly shop.
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This is the South Platte River Tailwater that flows out of the bottom of Spinney Reservoir Dam. It is one of 3 GOLD MEDAL WATERS in South Park. It never freezes and can be fished all year around. Access is free.
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DIRECTIONS:
From Lake George, head west on Hwy 24 for about 14 miles. You will be driving through wide open South Park.
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Turn left on CR-23 (Look for a large sign that says, "Eleven Mile Spinney State Park", this intersection is also marked "San Juan".)
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CR-23 ends at CR-59. Take a left.
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In about 1/4 mile, you will see a dirt road on your right. Take that right. This road leads to the DREAM STREAM portion of the South Platte River.
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You can park on the right, or cross the river and take a right to go upstream to access 2 other parking
areas.
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BTW - you can also access the upper part of the Dream Stream from inside Spinney Reservoir for a fee.
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ELEVEN MILE CANYON
Located 1,000 FEET from Tumbling Trout fly shop.
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This gorgeous granite canyon is open year round. The South Platte River Tailwater flows out of the bottom of Eleven Mile Reservoir Dam and through this 7.5 mile canyon. It never freezes. This is one of 3 GOLD MEDAL WATERS in South Park. The road is one way in and one way out. One access.
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DIRECTIONS:
In Lake George, across the street from Tumbling Trout fly shop, next to Granite Canyon General Store is unmarked CR-96. The entrance to Eleven Mile Canyon will be in about 1,000 feet on your right. It costs $7 to go in.
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There are campgrounds and day use areas. Reservations are required. Use this link:
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This is US Forest, not State Park.
HAPPY MEADOWS
Located 2 miles downstream from Tumbling Trout fly shop.
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Two miles of free streamside public access to the South Platte River. This section is between two private fishing resorts and is well stocked.
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DIRECTIONS:
From Lake George head west on Hwy 24, cross the river and take the next right onto CR-77, which is the road to Tarryall. In 2 miles, take a right onto CR-112 and follow that to the river. Public access starts where CR-112 reaches the river and continues downstream for 2 miles, where it ends at the gated fishing community of Sportsman's Paradise.
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The Happy Meadows campground requires reservations. Use this link:
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This is US Forest, not State Park. There are no toilets or trash resources.
BADGER BASIN
MIDDLE FORK
ABOVE HARTSEL
Located 17 miles from Tumbling Trout fly shop.
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Four miles of free streamside public access to the Middle Fork of the South Platte River in the vicinity of Hartsel.
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DIRECTIONS:
From Lake George head west on Hwy 24 to Hartsel. Turn right at the gas station in Hartsel onto Mariposa Street. Take the first left onto CR 439 (at an old green shack - this looks like a private driveway but it is a county road). Of the 3 access areas, the last one is wheelchair accessible.
This is public access to water on private ranching property by means of a conservation easement agreement between the land owners and the state of Colorado.
TOMAHAWK SWA
Located 34 miles from Tumbling Trout fly shop.
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Tomahawk is a State Wildlife Area (SWA) for access to the Middle Fork of the South Platte. It’s known for braided meanders, oxbows, riffles, and deep pools.
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DIRECTIONS:
From Lake George head west on Hwy 24 to Hartsel. Go through Hartsel to get on Hwy 9 headed north toward Fairplay.
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ACCESS #1 UPPER RIDGE PARKING LOT: About 5 miles on Hwy 9 look for a “Colorado State Parks and Wildlife” sign on the right up the hill face just after an electrical sub-station. This dirt road leads to a parking area on a ridge overlooking the river.
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ACCESS #2 STREAMSIDE PARKING: Pass the first access and continue on Hwy 9 to Garo (a junction with an old mercantile building on the left and a large, 2-story wooden compound on the right). Just past these buildings is a right turn through a fence that follows the Middle Fork to two parking areas on the lower plain of Tomahawk SWA.
This is public access to water on private ranching property by means of a conservation easement agreement between the land owners and the state of Colorado.
