Gallatin River Facts

Location:

The Gallatin River flows north from its headwaters in Yellowstone National Park 104 miles to join the Madison River and Jefferson River in forming Missouri River near the town of Three Forks.  The Gallatin has three sections: the upper river, the canyon section and the lower river. 

Scenery will not be lacking on the Gallatin, especially during the fall.  Some say the Gallatin is the prettiest river they have ever seen (I must admit I fall into that category).  The town of Bozeman is about 15 minutes away from the lower river, and twice that to the canyon section.  This easy access means the Gallatin River sees a lot of action during the year.

Features:

The Gallatin River does not hold trophy trout.  From its headwaters to the confluence of the East Gallatin River, most of the trout average between 10-12 inches.  Larger fish are in there, they just aren’t very common.  Don’t let the lack of large fish keep you from the Gallatin, however.  The river is small, more like a large creek in some places than most rivers. 

Float fishing is forbidden until the confluence of the East Gallatin River, only 12 miles from Three Forks.  Be careful when wading the Gallatin, as the myriad rocks are large and slippery.  Access to the upper and canyon stretches of the Gallatin is wonderful, due to US 191 running right beside the river.  Part of the upper river is in Yellowstone National Park, requiring a special Yellowstone fishing permit.  The lower river is harder to access due to private land.  Bridge crossing and fishing access sites allow the only access. 

Beginning with an April Baetis hatch, the Gallatin serves up an impressive array of hatches including Mother’s Day Caddis, Salmonflies and stoneflies, PMDs and Green Drakes.  The lower river is the place to hunt large trout.  True monsters are rare to unknown on the Gallatin, but 16-18 inch fish are routinely caught in this area. 

Seasonal Strategies:

April starts the hatch season with good Baetis hatches.  Mid-May sees the arrival of the Grannom or Mother’s Day Caddis.  The caddis stay all summer long, hatching off and on.  From mid-June to mid-July, Salmonflies and stoneflies are the big attraction.  The Gallatin River is wonderful stonefly habitat, providing hot action during summer and fall. 

Until September or October, regular hatches of PMDs, Green Drakes, caddis and terrestrials give anglers great chance to catch trout on dries.  November is a good month on the Gallatin, as Baetis, caddis and Mahogany Duns raise trout to the surface.  Brown trout fishing is good in the fall with streamers. 

Special Regulations:

The Gallatin River is open all year.  The Gallatin from the Yellowstone Park boundary to the confluence of the East Gallatin River is closed to float fishing. 

Fishing the upper Gallatin in Yellowstone Park requires a Yellowstone fishing permit, available at area fly shops. 

Access and River Mileage:

The Gallatin flows 104 miles from top to bottom.  Float fishing is closed on the first 91 miles of river.  Wade fishing access on the upper and canyon sections of the Gallatin is excellent because US 191 parallels the river, offering many turnouts, campground and official fishing access sites. 

The stretch of river from Big Sky to Squaw Creek is very popular with kayakers and rafters during the summer.  Fish early or fish late to avoid them.  The lower river is mostly privately owned, so access is restricted to bridge crossing and fishing access sites.  Please respect private property when fishing and stay below the mean high water mark. 

Special Cautions:

Bears frequent this area, so please be careful. 

The canyon section is difficult to wade under any conditions, and it can be very dangerous during high water.