A creek full of crawdads
It is not a gimmick and it is not stocked — the creek that runs the length of this canyon is genuinely full of them.
The canyon is named after them for a reason. The creek runs the entire length of the property, and once you start looking under rocks in the shallows you will find crawdads everywhere. Kids who arrive uninterested in a creek tend to disappear into it for three hours.
You do not need much: a net, a bucket, and some patience. Bacon or hot dog on a string works about as well as anything sophisticated. If you did not bring gear, the front desk sells a Crawdad Catching Kit with a bucket, net, bait and pole for $16.
Catch and release — that is the rule here, and it is the whole game. A riverside picnic site makes a natural basecamp on the water, bookable 11am to 4pm. There are no fires anywhere in the canyon, so no boils and no cooking down there; the crawdads go back in the creek for the next kid to find.
Questions we get asked
Do you need a fishing license to catch crawdads?
For crawdad catching here in the canyon, no license is required — it is on private property. If you plan to fish elsewhere in Utah, check current state regulations.
What do you use for bait?
Bacon or a piece of hot dog tied to a string is the classic. Our Crawdad Catching Kit comes with bait included.
Can you eat the crawdads you catch?
No — Veyo Pool is catch and release. The crawdads go back in the creek. There are also no fires anywhere in the canyon, so there is no cooking down there either.
Is it included with a day pass?
Yes. The $18 Canyon Access Pass covers crawdad catching along with swimming, climbing and the game courts.