WILDERNESS ADVENTURE PRESS MAPS: COLORADO UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER

WILDERNESS ADVENTURE PRESS MAPS: COLORADO UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER Offering more water per angler than the well-known sections of the North Platte River, the upper section fishes well for good-sized browns and rainbows, with occasional brook and cutthroat trout. The trout average around 14 inches, and 20-plus-inchers are possible. From the Colorado border to Sage Creek (downstream of the mapped area), the North Platte is considered Wyoming blue ribbon water.Access is plentiful in this section, as much of the river runs through public land. Most of the North Platte here is boulder-strewn pocket water and, as such, gets good stonefly hatches (although runoff can thwart the biggest bugs).This is an undammed freestone stream, so big stonefly nymphs, gaudy streamers, and bushy dries work great. There will rarely be a need to go smaller than size 18 or 4X tippet (unless you see tricos).Small boats or rafts can be launched at Sixmile Gap, but they have to be portaged about a quarter mile to the river (drift boats are not ideal). Pickaroon is a better launch site for drift boats, but the road to get there requires four-wheel-drive, is slow going, and can be impassable in the shoulder seasons. Furthermore, the takeout for Pickaroon is about 20 miles downstream at Bennett Peak Recreation Area, so it is usually a two-day float (be aware that much of that section flows through private land). Some anglers park a shuttle vehicle where they want to take out (down rugged roads on public land, without a ramp), or hire a fly shop shuttle to drive their trailer to your takeout. Many anglers choose to launch at Bennett Peak Recreation Area and take out at Treasure Island about 12 miles downstream instead. Pay attention to water flows as they can dramatically change float times. That said, wade fishing can certainly be a productive means of approaching this section.Douglas Creek, Big Creek and French Creek also offer good fishing. ISBN: 0-WAP-60013-3 publish date: 06/17/2010