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The Gallatin River is an amazingly scenic river – winding through high alpine meadows, dropping into the rocky Gallatin Canyon, and flowing out into the Gallatin Valley. It is an exceptionally popular fly fishing destination for rainbow trout, brown trout and mountain whitefish. The Gallatin River is a very productive blue ribbon fly fishery near Three Forks and Big Sky.
The Gallatin originates in Yellowstone National Park and its aquarium like waters attract anglers from around the country. Throughout its length, the Gallatin River offers a very wide variety of water, excellent river access, relatively low fishing pressure and gorgeous scenery. It is smaller than the neighboring Madison River and Yellowstone River making it ideal for wade fishing trips. The Gallatin also has a very high fish count making it the perfect location for newcomers to the sport. The Gallatin River runs for more than twenty-five miles in Yellowstone National Park, though while in the park, floating on the river is not permitted and special fishing regulations apply. However after the river leaves Yellowstone National Park, it flows predominantly through public lands for the next forty-miles. Since a highway closely follows the river this entire distance, access is excellent. All an angler has to do to fish in the upper section of the Gallatin (above Spanish Creek) is to pull over to the side of the road and go. |
| The Madison is an early summer and fall river and offers poor fishing in midsummer because of high temperatures contributed by the Firehole. Fishing in the fall is excellent when significant numbers of brown and rainbow trout enter the river from Hebgen Lake. These are usually taken with large streamer patterns. Many pools and runs on the Madison have angler-given names reminiscent of eastern trout stream and British salmon rivers—The Barns, Beaver Meadows, Grasshopper Bank, Cable Car Run and Baker’s Hole.
After the Madison River takes its leave from Yellowstone Park, it meanders out into the beautiful ranch lands of southwestern Montana. It is here that its true character is revealed and its reputation as a world-class fishery is secured. The Madison rolls majestically through cottonwood lined banks and over riffles and quiet runs that harbor large rainbows and trophy browns. The Madison River flows along Yellowstone’s West Entrance road into Hebgen Lake outside the park. |
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