The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is about fifteen miles long. The upper part is mostly closed for safety reasons. Just below Chittenden Bridge is the upper falls. Just below that is the lower 300 foot plus falls.
The fish in this section are cutthroat trout that average 12 to 16 inches long. They are usually relatively easy to catch, so the action is usually fast and furious once you get there.
Reaching the canyon below the falls to fish and returning the same day is a major task. It’s about 1300 feet below the point it can be accessed and requires a five mile hike even though the only access to this portion of the river is called the Seven Mile Hole. The Seven Mile Hole Trail is located on Inspiration Point Road at the Glacial Boulder Trailhead. Backcountry permits can be obtained for those interested in spending the night in the canyon.
The middle of the canyon cannot be fished due to the steep canyon walls. The lower part of the Grand Canyon section can be accessed from the bridge where the Northeast Entrance road crosses the Yellowstone River about a half mile from Tower Junction. You can only fish a short section up or down on either side of the river. Fast water and huge boulders provide pocket water at its best.
Broad Creek:
Broad Creek is the first major tributary of the Yellowstone River below Yellowstone Lake. Broad Creek is a fifteen mile long stream that starts at White Lake and enters the Yellowstone River about the center of the Grand Canyon. It flows from the Mirror Plateau. Two other small tributary streams, Wrong and Shallow Creek join it before it flows into the Yellowstone River. The fish in Broad Creek average 10 to 14 inches long.
The stream can be accessed from Wapiti Lake Trail. The trailhead is just across the Chittenden Bridge. It’s only a mere fourteen miles to Broad Creek.
Agate Creek:
Agate Creek flows into the Yellowstone River about 6 miles above the Lamar Rivers entrance to the Yellowstone. Agate Trail can be accessed from the Specimen Trail that’s about two miles from Tower Junction on the Northeast Entrance Road. It’s about a three mile hike on Specimen Trail and another three miles on Agate Trail to the stream. Accessing Agate Creek allows you the opportunity fish about a mile of the Yellowstone River.
Sulphur Beds Access:
The Sulphur Beds Trail allows you the opportunity to fish almost three miles of the East bank of the Yellowstone River. It can be accessed by hiking just over a mile on the Specimen Trail until you see an unimproved trail heading down to the river. You can fish about two miles up stream and just over a half mile downstream.
Tower Creek:
Tower Creek is a tributary stream of the Yellowstone River that flows into the Grand Canyon. It has a 130 foot high water fall, Tower Falls, located just a short distance upstream from the Yellowstone River. Below the falls the fish are cutthroat from the river and above the falls, the fish are all small brook trout. The lower part is only about 100 yards long and can be accessed from the Tower Falls Overlook Trail. The upper section of the stream can be accessed from the Tower Falls Campground Loop Road.
Lamar River:
The Lamar River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River. See the Lamar River page.
Comments:
Those that go to the effort to visit the river below the falls using the Seven Mile Hole will be rewarded. Not many anglers will go to the trouble and effort required for this hike.
Copyright 2012 James Marsh