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Gallatin River Fishing Report

Date: 07/29/2025
Posted by: Toby Swank

Current Conditions

The Gallatin River is in great summer form. From West Yellowstone through the canyon, water remains cool, clear, and very fishable. The canyon sections continue to deliver consistent action, thanks to cooler temperatures, good shade, and a steady progression of insect activity. This stretch has been our most reliable performer through late July.

Trout have transitioned into classic summer holding water, undercut banks, softer edges, and riffles where they can feed efficiently with minimal effort. A few caddis, PMD's, and yellow sallies remain present during the low-light hours, keeping the dry fly bite alive before the sun hits the water. As the day warms, terrestrial season is gaining momentum. Fish are actively eating ants, beetles, and hoppers.

A hopper or foam attractor, paired with a small flashy perdigon in pink or purple beneath, has been very productive. A 9-foot 4X leader tapered to 5X tippet has been especially effective in maintaining a natural presentation, this time of year when fish are seeing a lot of fly line hitting the water lighter tippet can give anglers a big advantage.

In the lower Gallatin Valley, a different approach is required. With rising afternoon temperatures, fishing is best confined to the morning hours. Hoot Owl restrictions are in place below Amsterdam Road to the Missouri on the Gallatin and below Penwell Bridge on the East Gallatin, meaning anglers must be off the water by 2 p.m. Nonetheless, early sessions are still worthwhile if you fish efficiently and stay attentive to water temperatures.

Evening hours, particularly upstream of Big Sky, are beginning to come back into play. As the sun dips and air temperatures drop, shaded pockets and deeper seams have been seeing solid dry fly fishing.

Overall, the Gallatin is offering a classic Montana summer experience, cold, fishable water in the canyon, rising trout, and enough insect activity to keep things interesting all day for those who fish with intention.

Additional Resources:

- A Guide To Bozeman Fly Fishing in July

- Gallatin River Fly Fishing in July

Stream Flows

Gallatin River Fishing Report Streamflow

Flows

Recommended Flies

				  Foam Beetle Lawson Blk

Black Foam Beetle

				  Deer hair ant

Deer Hair Ant

				  Chubby chernobyl royal

Royal Chubby Chernobyl

				  Tan Spanish Bullet

Spanish Bullet Tan

				  Little Brite Perdigon Pink 105

Pink Lite Brite Perdigon

				  Morrish Hopper Morrish Pink

Pink Morrish Hopper

				  Spruce Almighty Cream

Spruce Moth Almighty

				  Blowtorch UV Purple

Purple Blowtorch

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


Montana River Shuttles

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River shuttle services are an integral part of the Montana fly fishing scene as floating these legendary western rivers is the standard way to fish and experience them. Be sure...

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Montana Fly Fishing Trip Photo Galleries

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Get a glimpse into a day of guided fly fishing in Montana from the viewpoint of the guides and guests with Bozeman fly fishing outfitter, Fins and Feathers Guide Service...

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Gallatin River Guided Fly Fishing Trips

Post Date: 03/29/2025

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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Gallatin River Fly Fishing Area Map



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