Southwest Montana offers Premium Fly Fishing Opportunities

Montana is legendary when it comes to the popular past time of fly fishing. Anglers from all over the world travel to Montana to experience fly fishing on the Blue Ribbon Trout Rivers and pristine mountain lakes. Whether you are seeking a trophy sized rainbow trout or just want to experience the solitude that fly fishing offers, Southwest Montana has many choices for the beginning or expert angler. There is such an abundance of fly fishing opportunity in Southwest Montana that anglers have a difficult time deciding where to begin their fly fishing adventure.

The Bozeman, Montana area is a Fly Fisherman's paradise! Offering cool, sparkling streams, rivers and lakes that come down from the surrounding peaks, the waters surrounding the community of Bozeman are filled with rainbow, brown, brook and native cutthroat trout along with whitefish, perch and walleye. A joint venture between private land owners and public entities like Montana's Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Bureau of Land Management have made for excellent public access to rivers, streams and lakes that offer ideal conditions for all levels of anglers. Anglers can float down most of the larger rivers in Montana, either privately or with a professional guide. Whether you choose a canoe, raft or drift boat, you will experience breathtaking scenery along with world class fishing. Fly Fishing guides can take you to some of the smaller streams and lakes which are a pleasure to explore and fish.

Southwest Montana, specifically the Bozeman and Gallatin National Forest regions offer a variety of ideal fly fishing experiences, for both beginning and experienced anglers.

The Yellowstone River that flows hundreds of miles to meet the Missouri River near North Dakota is the ideal destination for a long float trip. The river is rich with Brown, Rainbow, Cutthroat Trout along with Mt. Whitefish. The Yellowstone is open year-round to anglers with Spring and Fall offering the most consistent hatches of stoneflies, caddis, midges and mayflies such as baetis, drake, and Sulphurs.

The Gallatin River offers over 90 miles of fly fishing opportunities with hundreds of small creeks adding to its flow. The Gallatin flows from springs in Yellowstone National Park to Three Forks, the birthplace of the Missouri River. Rainbow, Brown, Cutthroat Trout and Cuttbow hybrids are abundant in this region of Southwest Montana.

The Madison River, also known as the "fifty mile riffle" is located in Southwestern Montana between Quake Lake and Ennis Lake. The Madison is a great river for the beginning angler as there are no slow pools, boulders, fallen trees, or tumbling runs along the length of this famous river. Brown and Rainbow Trout are the predominant species along with Whitefish and West Slope Cutthroat

There are many famous spring creeks in the Bozeman area including DePuy's, Nelson's, Armstrong's along with a variety small streams, stillwaters and alpine lakes. Most of the spring creeks are on private property and require an access rod fee. Anglers will often find challenging technical fishing on the creeks.

Anglers that are looking for a unique Bozeman fly fishing experience can find a variety of guides that are knowledgeable and friendly. Why not take advantage of a full service fly fishing lodge that offers Jacuzzi suites, fine dining, a full bar and extensive wine list. The Gallatin River Lodge offers complete guide service on the Madison, Gallatin, Yellowstone, Missouri and private spring creeks in the southwest Montana region.