Slough Creek

Ask any seasoned Yellowstone angler to name a single stream that captures the magic of the park's backcountry fishing, and the answer is almost always Slough Creek. This relatively small tributary of the Lamar River is legendary not because of its size, but because of what it holds — dense populations of large, wild Yellowstone cutthroat trout that have never been stocked, rarely been pressured, and rise with reckless enthusiasm to almost any dry fly presented with a decent drift.

Slough Creek flows through a series of meadows stair-stepping up into the Beartooth foothills. Each meadow — known locally as the First, Second, and Third Meadows — is separated by a short canyon stretch that screens out casual visitors. The First Meadow lies just a mile from the campground and sees moderate pressure from day hikers. The Second Meadow, reached by a 3-mile trail, holds larger, more wary fish. The Third Meadow, a full 7 miles in, is backcountry Yellowstone at its finest — fish averaging 16 to 20 inches that will rise to a well-presented elk hair caddis in gin-clear water.

The meadow sections are classic spring creek in character. Crystal-clear water flows in precise, spring-fed channels through grassy banks that provide cover for fish the size of which most anglers don't see outside of tailwater fisheries. These fish are sophisticated — they have seen every major pattern and learned to refuse badly presented flies. You must approach low, cast accurately, and achieve a perfect drag-free drift. Weighted nymphs rigged under an indicator are often more productive than dries during the midday hours.

Fishing opens on Slough Creek at the same time as most of Yellowstone — typically July 15 in the campground section. The trail sections open earlier (check current NPS regulations). Peak fishing coincides with late July and August grasshopper season, when large cutthroat cruise the meadow edges looking for hoppers blown from the surrounding grass. September cools quickly and brings BWO hatches and the chance at the largest fish of the year as prespawn browns push up from the Lamar.

Access via the Slough Creek Campground is the starting point for most anglers. The campground (reservation required in peak season) provides an early-morning head start on the trail before the day-hiking crowds arrive. Fishing pressure on the First Meadow is substantial by mid-morning — start at first light or head straight to the Second Meadow. Backcountry camping permits (available from the Yellowstone permit office) allow access to the Upper Meadows.