Gallatin River Fishing Report

Date: 07/23/2026

Posted by: Toby Swank

Current Conditions

The Gallatin River changed overnight after yesterday's rain and has come up quite a bit. The river is high, off-color, and not in great shape for fly fishing.

For now, there are better options around Bozeman. If you're set on fishing the Gallatin, leave the dry flies at home. A beadhead pat's rubberlegs with a wire worm underneath is your best bet. Fish them deep, add plenty of weight, and focus on slower water where fish can get out of the heavy current.

If you'd rather throw streamers, this is one of the few times it's worth it. Big black or olive patterns fished slow along the banks and softer water will move the fish that are willing to eat.

The good news is the Gallatin usually recovers quickly. If the weather stays dry, the river should start dropping and clearing over the weekend, and it shouldn't take long before the dry-dropper fishing is right back where it was.

Addtional Gallatin River Fly Fishing Resources:

- The Best Bozeman Fly Fishing in July

Stream Flows

View stream flow graph on USGS

Recommended Flies