Shoshone Lake
Encyclopedia
Shoshone Lake is a backcountry lake with the area of 8050 acres (32.6 km²) elevated at 7795 feet (2,375.9 m) in the southwest section of Yellowstone National Park
, Wyoming
, US. It lies at the headwaters of the Lewis River
a tributary of the Snake River
. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes that Shoshone Lake is the largest backcountry lake in the lower 48 states that cannot be reached by a road.
may have visited the lake in 1833, but certainly visited it in 1846. Trapper Osborne Russell
visited the lake in 1839. During this period the lake was called Snake Lake. A map created by Father Pierre-Jean De Smet
in 1851 showed the lake as DeSmet's Lake. Walter DeLacy, the Montana map maker named the lake DeLacy's Lake when he passed through the area in 1863.
During the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition, the party camped at the north end of the lake on September 29, 1869 but did not refer to it by name in their journals. They did however incorrectly believe at the time that Shoshone Lake was the source of the Firehole
and Madison River
s. The belief that Shoshone Lake was the headwater lake for the Madison drainage continued during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition
in 1871. They viewed the lake to the south as they crossed the Continental Divide
on September 17, 1870. Cornelius Hedges, a member of the Washburn expedition named the lake Washburn Lake to honor the expedition leader Henry D. Washburn
, but that name was short-lived
A. C. Peale of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871
visited Shoshone Lake in August 1871 but referred to it as Madison Lake.
During the Hayden Geologic Survey of 1872, Frank Bradley, a member of the survey confirmed the lake was in the Snake River
drainage and named the lake Shoshone Lake based on the Indian name of the Snake River.
on the Lewis River was a barrier to upstream migration. In 1890, fisheries personnel planted Lake
and Brown trout
and created a popular fishery, especially for large Brown trout in the fall.. The lake also contains the Utah chub
which was probably inadvertently introduced by bait anglers in the 1950s. Brook Trout
were planted in several tributary streams and are occasionally found in the lake. Angling is restricted to fly fishing
or artificial lures. Boating on Shoshone Lake is restricted to hand-powered craft only, which means Float tube
s, Kayaks or Canoes
. The lake is accessible by water via Lewis Lake
and the Lewis River channel. Several trails provide access to the western, northern and eastern shoreline of the lake. The Shoshone Lake trail connects the Upper Geyser Basin and the Lewis River channel while passing through the Shoshone Geyser Basin at the southwest end of the lake. The DeLacy Creek trail provides access to the northern and eastern shoreline via the Grand Loop Road
near Craig Pass
. The Dogshead trail and Lewis River Channel trail provide access from the south entrance road near Lewis Lake
. There are 20 backcountry campsites on Shoshone Lake.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, US. It lies at the headwaters of the Lewis River
Lewis River (Wyoming)
The Lewis River is an tributary of the Snake River. The entire course of the river is located within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The river is named for Meriwether Lewis, commander of the Lewis and Clark Expedition....
a tributary of the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes that Shoshone Lake is the largest backcountry lake in the lower 48 states that cannot be reached by a road.
History
Shoshone Lake has had many names since it was first viewed by fur trappers in the early 19th century. Jim BridgerJim Bridger
James Felix "Jim" Bridger was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites...
may have visited the lake in 1833, but certainly visited it in 1846. Trapper Osborne Russell
Osborne Russell
Osborne Russell was a mountain man and politician who helped form the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. He was born in Maine....
visited the lake in 1839. During this period the lake was called Snake Lake. A map created by Father Pierre-Jean De Smet
Pierre-Jean De Smet
Pierre-Jean De Smet , also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus , active in missionary work among the Native Americans of the Midwestern United States in the mid-19th century.His extensive travels as a missionary were said to total...
in 1851 showed the lake as DeSmet's Lake. Walter DeLacy, the Montana map maker named the lake DeLacy's Lake when he passed through the area in 1863.
During the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition, the party camped at the north end of the lake on September 29, 1869 but did not refer to it by name in their journals. They did however incorrectly believe at the time that Shoshone Lake was the source of the Firehole
Firehole River
The Firehole River is one of two major tributaries of the Madison River. It flows north approximately from its source in Madison Lake on the Continental Divide to join the Gibbon River at Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park...
and Madison River
Madison River
The Madison River is a headwater tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 183 miles long, in Wyoming and Montana. Its confluence with the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers near Three Forks, Montana form the Missouri River....
s. The belief that Shoshone Lake was the headwater lake for the Madison drainage continued during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition
Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition
The Washburn Expedition of 1870, explored the region of northwestern Wyoming that a couple years later became Yellowstone National Park. Led by Henry Washburn, Nathaniel P. Langford and under U.S. Army escort led by Lt. Gustavus C...
in 1871. They viewed the lake to the south as they crossed the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
on September 17, 1870. Cornelius Hedges, a member of the Washburn expedition named the lake Washburn Lake to honor the expedition leader Henry D. Washburn
Henry D. Washburn
Henry Dana Washburn was a U.S. Representative from Indiana and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, but that name was short-lived
A. C. Peale of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871
Hayden Geological Survey of 1871
The Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 explored the region of northwestern Wyoming that later became Yellowstone National Park in 1872. It was led by geologist Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden...
visited Shoshone Lake in August 1871 but referred to it as Madison Lake.
During the Hayden Geologic Survey of 1872, Frank Bradley, a member of the survey confirmed the lake was in the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
drainage and named the lake Shoshone Lake based on the Indian name of the Snake River.
Shoshone Geyser Basin
Located at the southwest end of the lake, The Shoshone Geyser Basin contains one of the highest concentrations of geysers in the world - more than 80 in an area 1,600 by 800 feet (243.8 m). Hot springs and mudpots dot the landscape between the geyser basin and the lake.Angling Shoshone Lake
Prior to 1890, Shoshone Lake was barren of fish as Lewis FallsLewis Falls
The Lewis Falls are located on the Lewis River in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States. The falls drop approximately and are easily seen from the road, approximately halfway between the south entrance to the park and Grant Village....
on the Lewis River was a barrier to upstream migration. In 1890, fisheries personnel planted Lake
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
and Brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and created a popular fishery, especially for large Brown trout in the fall.. The lake also contains the Utah chub
Utah chub
The Utah chub is a cyprinid fish native to western North America, where it is abundant in the upper Snake River and throughout the Lake Bonneville basin....
which was probably inadvertently introduced by bait anglers in the 1950s. Brook Trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
were planted in several tributary streams and are occasionally found in the lake. Angling is restricted to fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
or artificial lures. Boating on Shoshone Lake is restricted to hand-powered craft only, which means Float tube
Float tube
A float tube, also known as a belly boat or kick boat, is a flotation device which anglers use to fish from. They were originally doughnut-shaped boats with an underwater seat in the "hole", but modern designs include a V-shape with pontoons on either side and the seat raised above the water...
s, Kayaks or Canoes
. The lake is accessible by water via Lewis Lake
Lewis Lake
-United States:*Lewis Lake: a lake in Sumter Township, McLeod County, Minnesota*Lewis Lake, Massachusetts: located in Winthrop, Massachusetts*Lewis Lake, Minnesota: an unincorporated community in Kanabec County, Minnesota...
and the Lewis River channel. Several trails provide access to the western, northern and eastern shoreline of the lake. The Shoshone Lake trail connects the Upper Geyser Basin and the Lewis River channel while passing through the Shoshone Geyser Basin at the southwest end of the lake. The DeLacy Creek trail provides access to the northern and eastern shoreline via the Grand Loop Road
Grand Loop Road Historic District
The Grand Loop Road Historic District encompasses the primary road system in Yellowstone National Park. Much of the system was originally planned by Captain Hiram M. Chittenden of the US Army Corps of Engineers in the early days of the park, when it was under military administration...
near Craig Pass
Craig Pass
Craig Pass , is a mountain pass located on the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The Grand Loop Road crosses the pass approximately east of Old Faithful Geyser....
. The Dogshead trail and Lewis River Channel trail provide access from the south entrance road near Lewis Lake
Lewis Lake
-United States:*Lewis Lake: a lake in Sumter Township, McLeod County, Minnesota*Lewis Lake, Massachusetts: located in Winthrop, Massachusetts*Lewis Lake, Minnesota: an unincorporated community in Kanabec County, Minnesota...
. There are 20 backcountry campsites on Shoshone Lake.