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Slough Creek Facts

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Location:

Slough Creek is born in the Beartooth Mountains near Cooke City, Montana.  It flows south, entering Yellowstone National Park and joining the Lamar River 16 miles later.  Slough Creek flows through three meadows called First Meadow, Second Meadow and Third Meadow.  The meadows are accessed from Slough Creek campground.  The crowds thin the higher you go.  Few people even visit the Third Meadow. 

Features:

Slough Creek offers a great opportunity to do some wilderness fishing.  The best fishing is in the meadow sections, and it gets better the higher up you go.  A permit is required if you plan to camp in the backcountry. 

The average cutthroat trout caught on Slough Creek is around 12-13 inches.  Rainbows are slightly smaller.  Slough Creek is a very fertile stream, offering a wide array of hatches and insects.  The meadows are well known for their mosquitoes and deerflies, so bring some good bug spray.

Seasonal Strategies:

Runoff dies down by late June in most years.  Stoneflies and Golden Stones arrive in June.  If the water is clear enough, these hatches provide great action.  Look for midges, Blue-Winged Olives, caddis and PMDs throughout the season.  These insects get smaller and smaller as the season progresses. 

Drakes, both Gray and Green, provide action into September.  Terrestrials work well through the summer and fall.  Trout can be very picky on Slough Creek, with its slow water and smooth runs.  Low profile flies tend to work best on all accounts.  Later in the season, when the water drops a little, it is often necessary to hide your profile to catch these selective trout.

Special Regulations:

Catch and release all cutthroat trout.  Check the Yellowstone fishing regulations for more information regarding Slough Creek.

Access:

Access to lower Slough Creek is fairly easy, with hikes of less than one hour.  To reach the meadows, longer hikes are required.  The Third Meadow requires an overnight trip.

Special Cautions:

Moose are common around the First Meadow.  Be careful when moving through willows and brushy areas.  Grizzly sightings are very common around Slough Creek.  Get back to your car by dusk if you are on a day hike, and keep a clean camp in the campgrounds.  Exercise all the normal procedures for hiking and camping in bear country.