Slough Creek

Slough Creek has been written about as much as any trout stream we know of. Over the years it has almost become the symbol of Western Rocky Mountain trout fishing.

Click here for More Information on Slough Creek

Slough Creek begins about 4 miles outside the park where a series of small streams flow together. The portion of Slough Creek, inside the park, is a series of 4 meadows. Most of the stream in the meadow sections is from 20 to 30 feet wide. The Second and Third Meadows are separated by a short section of fast water flowing through timber. The First Meadow is separated from the Second Meadow by a mile long stretch of faster water flowing through timber. The First Meadow is separated from the Lower Meadow by a section of fast, steep gradient water that flows through a canyon for a mile and a half.

Species:
The fish are cutthroat trout. The Lower Meadow holds some cutbows and rainbow trout. The fish average 14 to 18 inches with some going over 20 inches. The fish in the riffle and run sections are usually quite a bit smaller.

Access:
Access to Slough Creek is via the Slough Creek Road that starts 6 miles east on the Northeast Entrance Road from Tower Junction. It is two and one-half miles to the Slough Creek Campground located at the end of the road.

Upper Three Meadows:
The Slough Creek Trailhead that accesses the upper 3 meadows is about 2 miles from the Northeast Entrance Road before you get to the campground. It is 11 miles from the trailhead to the park boundary. It is about 2 miles to the first Meadow, 4 miles to the Second Meadow and 8 miles to the Third Meadow. The First Meadow is the toughest one to reach because you must hike uphill about 400 feet. It is the only upper meadow that you can reasonably access on a day trip. The two uppermost meadows would require an overnight trip to fully enjoy the trip.

Lower Meadow:
Access to the Lower Meadow and the fast water sections of the lower part of the stream is from parking areas along the Slough Creek Road. Access to the confluence of Slough Creek with the Lamar River and an area called the VIP Pool, is from the parking area at the intersection of the Northeast Entrance Road and Slough Creek Road. It is one-half mile west down the trail formed by an old roadbed to Slough Creek.

Buffalo Creek:
Buffalo Creek is the only major tributary stream of Slough Creek. It flows into Slough Creek at the Campground. It is about 5 miles from the campground to where the stream enters the park. Buffalo Creek is a tough stream to fish due to the ruggedness of the terrain it flows through. The fish are rainbow trout that are small averaging about 8 to 12 inches.

Comments:
Fishing Slough Creek requires some careful thought and planning. The First and Lower Meadows are the only ones that you can feasibly fish during a day trip. The upper two meadows require an overnight trip. The entire stream is usually crowded during the prime season.

Click here for More Information on Slough Creek

Copyright 2012 James Marsh