Gallatin
River : Fly Fishing & Overview .gif)
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 The
Gallatin River begins at Gallatin Lake, which is located high
in the mountains of the Gallatin Range in Yellowstone
National Park, and flows for 115 miles to its end at the
beginning of the Missouri
River in Three Forks. Throughout its length, the Gallatin
River offers a very wide variety of water, excellent river
access, relatively low fishing pressure and gorgeous scenery.
The Gallatin River
runs for more than twenty-five miles in Yellowstone National
Park. While in the park, floating on the river is not permitted
and special fishing regulations apply. After the river leaves
Yellowstone National Park, it flows predominantly through
public lands for the next forty-miles. Since a highway closely
follows the river this entire distance, access is excellent.
All an angler has to do to fish in the upper section of the
Gallatin (above Spanish Creek) is to pull over to the side
of the road and go.
Once the Gallatin
River leaves Yellowstone National Park, the river flows through
very mountainous country, with steep mountains towering above
the river. Extensive whitewater stretches are found on the
Gallatin River, particularly downstream from the town of Big
Sky. The Gallatin River for much of its length is not a very
large river. As a result, float fishing on the Gallatin River
from Yellowstone National Park downstream to the confluence
with the East Gallatin River is not allowed, a distance of
more than seventy-miles.
Since the bulk
of the Gallatin River is closed to float fishing (but not
recreational floating), the Gallatin is a dream come true
for wade anglers who are frustrated by having to share the
water with lines of rafts. Coupled with the excellent access
found in the upper half, the Gallatin ranks as one of the
finest wade fishing rivers in Montana, perhaps second only
to Rock
Creek.
 After
traveling for more than forty miles through mountainous terrain,
the Gallatin River leaves the mountains behind as it spills
out into a broad, scenic valley, which also contains the town
of Bozeman. Once the Gallatin River leaves the mountains,
it begins to flow primarily through private land. While a
number of access sites do exist, access is significantly more
difficult on this section.
The flows of the
river also slow significantly once the Gallatin River leaves
the mountains. Due to slower flows and heavy irrigation use,
the water in the Gallatin River on its lower stretches frequently
become quite warm, hampering trout reproduction and putting
a lid on feeding activity.
Thirty miles after
leaving the mountains, the Gallatin River meets up with the
East Fork Gallatin River, which adds significantly to its
flows. From this point downstream to the beginning of the
Missouri
River, the Gallatin is open to float fishing. Access is
spotty along this stretch, as the river flows almost exclusively
through private land and access sites are quite scattered.
Next : Fishing
Gallatin River
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