20 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
constricted, at tlie upper end. According to Mr. Gannett, topographer of the U. S. 
Geological Survey, the greatest length of Shoshone Lake is 61 miles, the greatest 
width U miles, while the constricted portion is but half a mile across, and its area 
is about 12 square miles. There are but few' streams flowing into this lake, and 
they are all small. At the western end is Shoshone Creek, a small stream running 
through the Shoshone Geyser Basin, a cluster of hot springs and geysers discovered 
in 1872 by Dr. C. Hart Merriam and others of the IT. S. Geological Survey. At the 
north end there is a small stream called Heron Creek, which drains a considerable 
area on the south slope of the u Divide,” lying immediately north from this part of the 
lake. At the time of our visit, August 11, this stream was very small, not over 3 feet 
wide and 3 foot deep at the outlet, but back a little distance it widens out a good deal, 
and there is scarcely any current. This creek runs for the last few miles of its course 
through low, somewhat marshy meadow land. The water is clear, but not very cold, 
the temperature at 3 p. m., August 11, being 63.5°. 
From the mouth of Heron Creek we traveled down the east shore of the lake 
(i. e., across the top of the T) to the outlet. The distance is about 5 miles through 
the heavy evergreen forest which covers the bold, in places precipitous, shores to 
the water’s edge. The view of the lake from this trail is a most charming one, for 
Shoshone Lake is certainly one of the gems of the Rocky Mountains, and the setting 
could scarcely be improved. (See PI. vi.) Its shores, nearly everywhere bold and 
commanding, are densely wooded; the beach is of very clean gravel, and the water is 
clear and pure. The temperature at the surface near .shore was 06°, at 3 p. m. 
The outlet of Shoshone Lake is called Lake Fork or Lewis River. This is a very 
pretty stream of clear, pure water flowing with a rather rapid current for 3 miles in a 
direction a little east of south, and then expanding into Lewis Lake. 
Lewis Lake . — This is another beautiful sheet of water, 20 feet lower than Shoshone 
Lake. It is, however, much smaller, its length being but 3 miles and its width not 
greater than 2 miles. It is essentially the same kind of lake as Shoshone, and, like it, 
was totally without fish life of any kind until stocked by the IT. S. Fish Commission 
in 1890 with Loch Leven and lake trout. We camped the night of August 11 at the 
outlet of Shoshone Lake, where we seined the lake and the river repeatedly, but found 
no fish, though plenty were found at the upper end of the lake, as stated elsewhere in 
this report. The river at its beginning is about 50 feet wide, If feet in average depth, 
and has a 2-foot current. Temperature at 8 a. m. was 59.5°; air, 56°. 
From our camp at the foot of Shoshone Lake we rode through the heavy woods 
around the east shore of Lewis Lake, to a point on Lewis River just below the mouth 
of Aster Creek, where we camped again. Just above our camp are the Lewis Falls. 
These falls are very beautiful. There is first a vertical descent of about 20 feet, then 
a very steep rapid or cascade of 50 or 60 feet. It does not seem possible that fish 
could ever get up these falls. Lewis River here is about 75 feet wide, averages 1J 
feet deep, and flows with a 2-foot current. Its temperature at 8 a. m., August 13, was 
65.5°, the air being 66°. 
Aster Crcelc is but a small stream, 12 feet wide, f foot deep, and having a current 
of nearly 2 feet per second. It rises in the Red Mountains west of Heart Lake and 
flows nearly due west. Its temperature was 58°. 
We seined Lewis River from the falls downstream for some distance, but found 
no fish of any kind. Mr. Hofer whipped the stream very thoroughly for a mile or 
