The Gallatin River is going to be a great option for this weekend. But be safe as upstream ice jams coudl break free and could send some waves of water and slush downstream. Always best to inquire locally if you are heading to the Gallatin River. It is still winter mode of fishing right now on the Gallatin. You may see some hatching midges but they will be sporadic at best. If you go fishing on the Gallatin River near Big Sky and Bozeman right now, focus on the deeper runs and holes. If you fish a deep run or hole and catch a few fish, consider moving up to the next run or hole.
Fishing subsurface is the best way to get into fish at the moment. The fish are starting to stack up in the slower slicks and runs with some depth and slow to medium speed currents. Nymphing has been most productive most of the day with smaller midge and mayfly patterns offering the most productivity. When nymphing it pays to skip a lot of water and jump from one deep run to another. Look for steady currents that aren’t too strong but still enough to bring food to trout. Slow water that is 3-6 feet deep and located just below a riffle is always a good bet. Nymphing stone fly nymphs trailed by a baetis nymph or midge larva is a good bet but egg patterns and worms are also good flies to try. Winter fly fishing in the Big Sky and Bozeman area on the Gallatin River is as consistent as any winter fishery as any in the area.
The Month Ahead:
Choose tandem nymph rigs with flies in the size 18-22 range. See the list of flies below for the best choices. You man need to drop down in tippet sizes so you are getting a better drift. Many anglers are going to 9 foot 5X leaders with 5X fluorocarbon for their tippets. Trout are being found in the 5-6 feet deep medium fast runs during most of the day. Be sure to read one of our latest blog posts on choosing the best leader for fishing. 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 Gallatin River near Big Sky and Bozeman fishes well all winter. Don’t mess with the fast water as the fish will have moved into the slower and deeper runs. There are several springs near the Big Sky junction that keep the upper canyon waters ice free and this is a great place to fish in the colder months. During cold snaps the valley waters develop slush and big ice shelves. If you find icy conditions just keep driving upstream towards Big Sky. Upstream of Big Sky ice is also a problem so the 15-20 miles from Big Sky down is the best on the coldest days. Nymphing smaller patterns and eggs is the big producer.
Flies for the Gallatin River for the Next Month:
Lightening Bugs in sizes 16-18
Juju baetis in black or olive in sizes 18-20
Firebhead or hotbead SJ worms in sizes 12-16
Sawyer PTs in sizes 18-22
Zebra Midges in black, red, or olive in sizes 18-22
Pheasant Tails in sizes 16-20
Little Spankers in sizes 18-20
Pat's Rubberlegs in sizes 12-14
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
The info above will be the forecast for most of the winter. Once March hits, the Gallatin River will produce a little more variety as the baeits mayflies become active again.