The East Gallatin River flowing near Bozeman, Montana is in full-on winter mode. This small freestone in winter fishes more like a spring creek than a freestone stream. Even with the cold of winter, the East Gallatin River has numerous spring creeks and springs that feed the river in the lower valley keep ice shelves at bay and this is a decent winter fishery for locals. It is not talked about much by folks who go fly fishing in Bozeman or Big Sky much. The biggest reason is that public access to the river is limited and fish counts are not as high as you would expect. But, the river is close to town and has a local, die-hard following. If you plan to go fishing on this river near Bozeman, expect a little trial and error before you feel fully dialed in. There are several place to access the river, but sometimes parking is tough to find. If you do fish the East Gallatin be sure to know Montana's Stream Access Law.
Definitely focus on the bigger and deeper runs that will be holding all of the fish. Nymphing is usually the best option but slow stripping a streamer can sometimes produce as well. Read some of our recent blog posts featuring: 5 Tips for Winter Fly Fishing, Winter Fly Fishing Tips that Go Beyond Just Dressing Warm, 5 Tips to Improve Your Fly Fishing with Streamers or Winter Fly Fishing Options Near Bozeman. Our tailwater fisheries of the Upper Madison and Missouri Rivers are good bets right now while a freestone river like the Yellowstone River may soon have shelf ice and where you can fish safely will be limited to certain sections.
The East Gallatin River is also home to some great undercut banks so if you are looking to fish streamers and target some of the river's larger trout, now is a good time work on your double-haul and fire a streamer into a dark and deep spot in hopes of finding a predacious brown trout.
Considering a fly fishing trip to the Bozeman, Montana area? Read one of more recent blog posts: Five of the Best Rivers to Fish Near Bozeman, Montana.
Flies for the East Gallatin River Right Now
Zebra Midge in black or red in sizes 18-22
Beadhead Pheasant Tails in size 14-22
Beadhead Little Green Machines in size 14-22
Beadhead Lightening Bugs in size 14-22
Beadhead King Princes in size 16-22
Sculpzilla in black, olilve, or white in sizes 6-10
Sparkle Minnow in gold/olive in size 6 and 8
Beadhead worms in size 10