South Platte River
🥇 Gold Medal
Park / Jefferson Co. · 439 mi · Class II–III
179CFS/ 3.56 ft
Below Optimal
Stable
Optimal: 300–1500 CFS · USGS #06701900
Flow data is live from USGS·Rapid classifications and CFS ranges need community verification·Know this river?
439 mi
Length
Class II–III
Difficulty
300–1500 cfs
Optimal
510 cfs
Avg Flow
460 cfs
Hist. Median
#06701900
USGS Gauge
Colorado Gold Medal Trout Water (sections) · Waterton Canyon SWA

The South Platte is Denver's home river and one of the most important trout fisheries on the Front Range. Cheesman Canyon (below Cheesman Reservoir) holds some of the most technical trophy trout fishing in the country, while the Waterton Canyon and Deckers reaches offer accessible Class II–III paddling. The river is an essential Colorado urban waterway from the mountains to the plains.

Trip sections
Cheesman Canyon — below Cheesman Reservoir, 3 mi, trophy fly fishing
Deckers — Class II–III whitewater, tailwater trout
Waterton Canyon — below Strontia Springs, Class II, access from Denver
Outfitters
Trouts Fly Fishing (Denver)
South Platte guide service and fly shop
72-Hour Flow Forecast
NOAA NWPS
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10-Year Flow Patterns
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Data Quality

River conditions are community-verified. CFS ranges, difficulty ratings, and trip sections may not reflect every flow level or seasonal change. Always check current conditions, scout unfamiliar rapids, and paddle within your skill level. If you spot an error, use the Improve This River button at the top of the page — your local knowledge is what makes this atlas accurate.