Fishing Locations

The Gallatin from Gateway to Big Sky is the place to be! Flows are down and the fishing has been solid. If you head this way you can get them on streamers, nymphs, and dries. Pick your poison! However its certainly dry dropper season on the Gallatin and this is a tough rig to beat this time of year. Chubbies, ants, and hoppers are great dries for this rig as they can hold up a fairly heavy nymph. For a dropper, fish are eating attractor mayflies, caddis, PMD's, stones and soft hackles. Nocturnal stones have been hatching throughout the river and spruce moths are hatching in the canyon in big numbers. Fishing a smaller chubby with a spruce moth dry has produced some fantastic dry fly action. If you're not getting fish on the dead drift try twitching and skating those dries! You may see quite an abundance of Green Algae right below Big Sky, if you do find yourself in this area, above Big Sky, or lower in the Canyon may be a better option for fishing. 

***Avoid fishing from Shed's Bridge down to the Gallatins confluence as water temps are beyond what is considered safe for trout. The FWP Region 3 press release reads: "A hoot-owl restriction prohibiting fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day will go into effect on Aug. 6 to rthe following waterbodies: -The lower Gallatin River from the Highway 84 bridge near Four Corners to the Missouri River." Best to avoid this stretch all together and focus on fishing higher up for some better cooler water temps.*** 

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Fly Pattern Suggestions

Dries: Griffiths Gnat: 16-20, Purple Haze: 12-18, Matts midge: 18, Adams Para Wulff: 14-18, Brook Sprout BWO; 20-22, C-UM Spinner PMD; 16-20, Water Walkers; 10-16, Triple Decker Hoppers; 12-16, CFO Ant; 12-16, Hi-Vis PMD; 14-16, Twisted Sprucie; 12-14

Nymphs: Delektable Hurless: 4-6, Mega Prince: 4-6, Mega Hare's Ear: 6-8, Pats Rubber Legs Tan: 6-10, Pheasant Tail: 14-18, Copper John Blue, Black: 14-18, Lightning Bug Silver, Original, Gold: 12-14-16, El Diablo: 14-16-18, Tungsten Purple Burger: 12-14, Wire Worm Pink: 4, Military Mayfly: 18-20-22, Little Green Machine: 18-20-22, Little Spanker: 12-18, Hares ear: 12-18, Zebra Midge: 18-22

Streamers: BH Black Bugger: 2-4-6, Black Krystal Bugger: 6-8, Sex Dungeon Black, Olive,: 2, Home Invader Black, Yellow: 2, Black/Copper Zonker: 4-6, Sculpzilla Black, Olive, White: 2, Micro Zonker Grey, Brown, Black: 8, Bellyache Minnow Tan: 1-1/0, JJ Special: 6-8, Yellow/Brown: 4, Cheech Leech, Halloween: 1

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More USGS Water Data