Gallatin River Fishing Report
Date: 07/06/2026
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Gallatin River is fishing about as good as it gets, and should only continue to improve as we move farther into July.
Dry-dropper fishing has been the most consistent way to catch fish throughout the canyon. Between Bozeman and Big Sky, caddis, yellow sallies, and golden stones are making up most of the hatch activity, and trout are willing to move a long way to eat a well-presented dry fly.
A smaller purple or royal chubby chernobyl has been a great lead fly, with a PMD-style perdigon suspended about two feet below. It's a simple rig that covers a lot of water and keeps fish coming to both the dry and the dropper.
As the day cools off, switching over to a single dry has been worthwhile. Fish have been looking up well into the evening, and golden stone, caddis, and attractor patterns have all been producing surface eats.
Addtional Gallatin River Fly Fishing Resources:
- The Best Bozeman Fly Fishing in July
Stream Flows
View stream flow graph on USGS
Recommended Flies
Chubby Chernobyl Pteronarcys
X caddis
Rainbow Spanish Bullet
Black Pat's Rubberleg
Brown Pat's Rubberleg
Purple Psycho Prince
Pheasant Tail
Purple Lite Brite Perdigon
Gallatin River Fishing
Read our "Gallatin River Fishing Guide" to learn more about fly fishing in Montana on the Gallatin River. It is a great resource for anglers fishing near Bozeman Montana and details the various river stretches and seasonal hatches with tips from our Bozeman fly fishing guides.
Additional Gallatin River Fly Fishing Resources
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Montana fly fishing trips on the Gallatin River with the team at Fins and Feathers Guide Service includes wading the canyon sections south of Bozeman and floating the lower river...
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