Fly Fishing Bozeman With Streamers
Streamer fly fishing in Bozeman has become the preferred technique to target trophy trout on the world-renowned rivers of Southwest Montana. The best river sections for streamer fishing feature diverse water types and character. Here are three of our Bozeman fly fishing guides' favorite streamer fishing floats near Bozeman.
1. Yellowstone River
Otter to Pelican
This float on the Yellowstone River has a mix of rocky banks and mid-river drop-offs. There’s great structure on both sides of the river, and during spring and fall, the banks are ideal for fishing streamers from a drift boat. Clarity can change quickly following heavy rains to the north, but when the river has a touch of color, this stretch still offers solid streamer fishing.
Why It’s Good for Streamers
The Yellowstone has a healthy population of wild brown trout, and many of them sit tight to the banks in the fall when flows drop. In the spring, bumped flows push fish to make quick decisions from their ambush positions. This section holds plenty of nice brown trout and features a wide array of holding water that varies throughout the season.
What to Expect
Work rip-rap and undercut bank stretches with intention, as big browns on the hunt favor these bank structures, and this section has them in abundance, especially during the few weeks before and after the peak of spring runoff.
2. Upper Madison River
Mcatee to Varney
This is one of the most popular floats for streamer anglers on the Upper Madison River. The water moves fast with plenty of structure: mid-river boulders, riffle corners, pockets, and softer inside seams. Fish can be found along the banks as well as in the middle of the river, so there's always quality water to work while floating.
Why It’s Good for Streamers
Spring and fall are the best times to throw streamers here. In the spring, when flows are higher, the banks are extremely productive and are good places to target. In the fall, it gets a bit trickier with lower water levels, but in the mid-river sections, the larger browns will come up and chase streamers thrown on a floating line or a lighter sink tip
What to Expect
There are long stretches that fish well the entire way, and you rarely run out of targets. This makes the float a fun section of river to fish with streamers without needing to be against a specific bank or section of river. The top and bottom couple of miles on this float are among the best Madison River sections for the streamer angler.
3. Jefferson River
Drouillard to Headwaters
This is a part of the Jefferson River with slower water and sections that don't always hold a lot of fish, but are worth covering with streamers to find a few big fish. Conditions can change quickly depending on weather and irrigation, and while you won’t catch as many fish here as on other rivers, the Jefferson River is known for producing some of the biggest brown trout near Bozeman.
Why It’s Good for Streamers
Spring is the best time to find fish pushing into the clearer back eddies and slower water. The larger browns move from other river systems in the Missouri Headwater complex this time of year to escape spring runoff. It’s not a numbers river, but it’s one of the best places to connect with a true Montana trophy trout.
What to Expect
Streamer fishing the Jefferson is mostly about sticking with it. You may go along all day without an eat, but it's the thrill of searching for the big one that lures anglers fly fishing in Bozeman to this river. Overcast days with slightly off-color water conditions are best.
Streamer Fishing From a Boat
Most of the time, you want to cast your streamer either even with or slightly behind your position in the boat, toward the bank. This keeps you tight to the fly and keeps it moving. It sounds simple, but the angle, speed of the boat, and the structure you’re targeting all dictate the effectiveness of each presentation and retrieve.
Choosing the Right Line and Rod Setup
The proper setup changes with the time of year and the water type you’re on. In the spring, when flows often run higher and faster, a 7-weight paired with a sinking line helps get your fly down quickly.
In the fall, most of our rivers drop in flows, so you can get away with a floating line or a shorter sink tip (10' is ideal) fly line.
Fly Choices Depend on the River
- On the Yellowstone River, heavier patterns like full-size sex dungeons and double gongas are our favorites.
- On the Upper Madison River, lighter patterns like rusty trombones, goldies, and flashy patterns that don't need to get down fast work well.
- The Jefferson River sits somewhere in the middle, and a mix of both styles works depending on flows and clarity.
- More information on fly fishing Bozeman with Streamers
