Dream Stream

The Dream Stream is the section of the South Platte between Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile Reservoirs — roughly 5 miles of wide-open meadow water that looks deceptively easy and fishes demanding.

This is catch-and-release, artificial flies and lures only, and it shows in the fish. Browns and rainbows in the 18–24” range are genuinely common here. The trout are heavily pressured by the time summer arrives but respond well to midge rigs and small dries in fall and winter when the crowds thin.

The wind is a constant factor — the open terrain offers no shelter and it blows upstream almost every afternoon. Build wind-resistant casts and plan for it. The fish have seen everything; go long on your leaders and light on your tippet.

Best access is off CR 59, which parallels the river for most of its length. Spring runoff can make this section unfishable — check flows before making the drive.