Share your catch

Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

South Park’s trophy stillwater: Elevenmile grows big cutbows, browns and pike in wind-swept water at 8,600 feet.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
78 / 78 F
Wind
WSW 16 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings cloud cover, wind WSW around 16 mph, rising pressure near 1003 hPa and a high of 78. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 80 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low78 / 45 F
WindWSW 16-19 mph
Pressure1002.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 14%
Sunrise / Sunset06:34 / 19:28
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 78/45 F, wind 17 mph, rain 14%

Fair or better. A 17 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 17 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 75 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Colorado requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Colorado license plus state park pass. Gear and bag restrictions apply to some areas: check current CPW rules, including pike harvest guidance.

Access

Elevenmile State Park ramps and shoreline; below the dam, Elevenmile Canyon for the South Platte tailwater.

About this water

A 3,400-acre state park reservoir on the South Platte River in South Park, Park County, Colorado, at 8,600 feet.

Fishing Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir: the full guide

The high plains reservoir

Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir sits at 8,600 feet in the wide, treeless expanse of South Park, storing the South Platte behind a dam that also created the famous canyon tailwater below it. The lake fishes as a trophy stillwater: rainbows and cutbows that grow long on abundant invertebrates, brown trout past ten pounds, kokanee in cycles, and a northern pike population that adds an unusual predator to Colorado high country.

Big trout tactics

Ice-out through June is the premier window: cruising trout in the shallows take leeches, buggers and small streamers stripped along the drop-offs, while bait anglers do well from the bank. Summer sends fish deeper: troll spoons and cowbells or fish chironomids under indicators at 15-25 feet. Fall brings big browns close to shore ahead of the spawn, and the state park’s shoreline access makes them reachable without a boat.

Pike and the wind

Northern pike patrol the weedier bays and shallows: large spoons, jerkbaits and streamers take them, and Colorado encourages harvest to protect trout. The defining condition here is wind: South Park is famously exposed, and afternoon gales can make the lake unfishable and unsafe for small craft. Morning is the fishing window, and a wind forecast is as important as the fishing report.

Park and canyon logistics

Elevenmile State Park manages the reservoir with ramps, campgrounds and extensive shoreline access. Ice fishing is a serious tradition here from December through March, with big trout and pike through the hard water. Below the dam, Elevenmile Canyon offers gold-medal South Platte trout water: a completely different fishery within a few miles. Lake George and Hartsel supply basics; Colorado Springs is 90 minutes.

Common questions

How big do the trout get?

Cutbows and rainbows past five pounds are realistic, and brown trout reach double digits: the invertebrate-rich water grows fish fast.

When is the best fishing?

Right after ice-out (typically April-May) and again in October when browns move shallow. Ice season is excellent too.

How bad is the wind?

Legendary: afternoon winds regularly whitecap the reservoir. Fish early, keep a small boat close to shore and check the forecast honestly.

Is fishing good at Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Spinney Mountain Reservoir8 miTarryall Reservoir21 miAntero Reservoir22 miSouth Platte River (Deckers)27 miArkansas River40 miTwin Lakes46 mi
Share your catch