The Gallatin River is fishing well, with the best conditions still found through the canyon. A few afternoon thunderstorms have added color to the lower river at times, but most of the upper river has remained clear and fishable. If rain stays limited, conditions should continue to improve heading into the weekend.
A dry-dropper is still the most consistent setup. Fish a tan or royal chubby with a beadhead pat's rubberlegs, flashy perdigon, or pheasant tail underneath. If you're not getting into fish, add weight before changing flies. Most trout are holding in faster pocket water and deeper runs once the sun gets high.
More fish are looking up than they were a week ago. Caddis, PMDs, yellow sallies, and a few spruce moths are bringing fish to the surface, especially during the morning and the last couple hours of daylight. Nymphs are still producing the most consistent action through the middle of the day.
Addtional Gallatin River Fly Fishing Resources:
- The Best Bozeman Fly Fishing in July
View stream flow graph on USGS
Royal Chubby Chernobyl
Yellow Sally Stimi
Rainbow Spanish Bullet
X caddis
Pheasant Tail
Purple Psycho Prince
Brown Pat's Rubberleg
Purple Lite Brite Perdigon
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.
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