Shawnee Meadows on the North Fork of the South Platte
As the popularity of private water fly fishing continues to grow, we wanted to give you an in-depth look at some of our favorite private water fly fishing leases. A couple months ago we touched on Rawhide Ranch. Just a few river miles upstream, you will find its sister property, Shawnee Meadows.
Similar to Rawhide Ranch, Shawnee Meadows had extensive streamwork done by Clint Packo and the talented team at Freestone Aquatics. The major source of water for the North Fork of the South Platte is the Roberts Tunnel. Denver Water installed Roberts Tunnel to transport water as quick as possible downstream to the Strontia Springs water treatment plant. This caused a channelization of the riverbed and volatile flows based on downstream water demand. The streamwork that the team as Freestone Aquatics did entirely restored the riparian habitat and created a world class fishery, regardless of the flows out of Roberts Tunnel.
The property is a full mile long. It is broken into 2 beats, an upper and lower stretch. Each beat has a lunch area, restroom, and access to a 3 acre pond filled with giant trout and incredible bug life. Only an hour from Denver and Colorado Springs, this is one of the best private water fisheries in the state.
Fishing Shawnee Meadows
Our favorite way to target the trout of Shawnee Meadows is to sight fish. The water is often crystal clear, allowing your guide to see the large fish that inhabit the many riffles, runs and pools that the property boasts. The fish will feed readily on a variety of flies. For guests with more experience, we can have great fishing using a dry dropper setup or streamers. The pond also has fish that will readily rise to a grasshopper or other terrestrial dry flies.
The fish in Shawnee average 2-4 lbs but fish up to 10 lbs are landed here every month! While the North Fork of the South Platte is mostly rainbow trout, our guides have also landed brown trout, cutthroat trout, cutbows, and even tiger trout in this stretch. With how much fishable water there is, this is a great property to book large group fly fishing trips or bachelor parties.
With how popular this property is, bookings are at a premium. The months of June, July, August, and September especially, book many months or even years out. Do you want to plan your dream private water fly fishing trip near Denver or Colorado Springs? Call (303) 325-5515 to get on the calendar!
