Bozeman Fishing Reports

The fishing around Bozeman, MT has been good, some options are better than others right now with certain areas experiencing change of flows and decreased visibility. The Gallatin was fairly off-color the last couple days, the Yellowstone has been good but expect some color to ensue after the last couple of water days. The forecast for the week is overcast, cool, and some rain. Expect this weather to reset the rivers back to prime conditions as this will force flows to drop and water to clear.

The Madison River fishing has been solid near Three Dollar Bridge and Raynolds Bridge FAS, about 40 minutes south of Ennis, MT. Using nymphs like Pat's Rubberlegs, San Juan Worms, Spanish Bullets, and Zebra Midges have been hot sub-surface. The dry fly fishing is getting better each day with the emergence of the Mother's Day Caddis hatch.

Missouri River fishing has been really good near Holter Dam, near Craig, MT. This area provides a healthy population of Rainbow and Brown trout that feed on sowbugs, scuds, midges, and small mayflies. Our Bozeman fly fishing guides say that pink and red are the best colors.

The Gallatin River fly fishing has been good through the Canyon, north of Big Sky, MT. This national forest area provides a lot of access to deep holes and slow-moving runs where trout will hold. Stoneflies, worms, and Midges are the golden ticket when fishing the Gallatin River. The river had some sediment turning the river off color but this plug could clear by the end of the week.

Yellowstone River fishing is getting better every day as temperatures warm. The flows spiked up a bit after some snow and rain this last week but the river looks to be on the drop and the fishing could be good. Find a day with low wind and head over to the Yellowstone River near Livingston, MT. Fishing with nymphs that imitate Stoneflies, Midge Larvae, and Caddis are effective. This is a good time to fish with streamers as well, smaller sculpin imitations can catch some larger trout.