Gallatin River YNP

The Gallatin River is a beautiful river that starts high in the mountains of the Yellowstone National Park, at Gallatin Lake in the Gallatin Range of the Rocky Mountains. It flows northwest through Gallatin National Forest, then passes by Big Sky, Montana, following U.S. Highway 191 and ultimately makes it way 120 miles to help form the Missouri River at Three Forks.

The Gallatin River starts above 9500 feet keeping it very cold before it is joined by the waters of Fan Creek, Divide Creek and Bacon Rind Creek. At this point it has become a part of the Yellowstone National Park and has become a truly good mountain trout stream. It has a steep gradient for the first 10 to 12 miles before it enters a big broad scenic valley in the northwest portion of the park. The Gallatin follows that valley for another 11 miles before exiting the park at the border of Montana.

The Gallatin River in the valley is made up primarily of runs and riffles with undercut banks and a few pools. It is an excellent stream to wade as it has a gravel bottom and it is not deep. This section is a fly fisherman dream stream with both rainbow and brown trout that average 12-14 inches with some occasionally reaching the 20 inch range.

How to Fish the Gallatin River:

From Fan Creek down to the big valley, there are some mayfly and caddis hatches that present an excellent opportunity to fish the dry flies. The water is very cold and clear so precise delicate presentations are necessary. Stealth will be necessary to avoid spooking the trout. Small wet flies and nymph imitations will work well. Rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout inhabit the water but they tend to be less than 10 inches long, however do not let the size fool you as they are feisty.

As the Gallatin River becomes larger in the valley, the trout tend to become larger as well. Since the meadow in the valley consists of deep grass and brush, it is easily hiked, and the river is ideal for wading, making it a very pleasant as well as scenic river to fish for trout in the 12-14 inch range. Due to the meadow, terrestrial fishing is excellent using hopper and other imitations. What more could you expect from a stream, but it also has less pressure.

Late Spring/Summer:

The early season will be a good time for the mayflies and the caddis imitations especially in the upper regions. In July consider using imitations of the Caddis Flies, Pale Morning Duns, and the Green Drakes in sizes #14 through #18. Use terrestrials like the hopper imitations in sizes #4 through #10 as an alternative.

Fall Season:

As with the other streams in the Yellowstone National Park, the terrestrial imitations will remain good through September and early October. Streamers can be productive near the undercut banks if they are fished in the seams.

Access:

Access to the lower section of the Gallatin River is excellent as U.S. Highway 191 closely follows the Gallatin River as soon as it leaves the Teton Mountains. The Gallatin follows the river through the park and an easy hike from one of the many pulloffs will provide access to the river.

Access to the upper portion of the Gallatin River is from the trailhead of Bighorn Pass Trail about 21 miles from the village of West Yellwstone. From mammoth hot springs drive south toward Old Faithful and the Madison junction. About 6 miles south of Mammoth Park at the warming hut at Indian Creek campground, the trailhead can be seen across the dirt road from the hut. Some beautiful campgrounds are available for overnight camping.

Recommended DVDs, Books, etc.:

Fly Fishing Yellowstone National Park by James Marsh

Trout and Their Habitat

Stoneflies Imitating Aquatic Insects

More DVDs and Classes

Flies

License and Other Information::

Yellowstone National Park Regulations

Fishing License

Stream Flows

Weather

Road Opening and Closings