Gallatin River Fishing Report
Gallatin River Fishing Report
6/6/2025
Flows have steply dropped the last few days and the water is starting to clear up quite a bit. We might see the warm sunny afternoons cause a spike in the flows and a little bit more murkiness come back, but the fishing is great right now.
Cooler overnight time temps in the Big Sky are have slowed the speed our snow is melting at and put a bit of a pause on the hardcore runoff conditions we saw last week. The river is looking prime right now, with flows on the drop and water clarity increasing everyday. The West Fork of the Gallatin is adding a little bit of sediment, the Taylor's Fork is where the majority of the sediment is coming from. Choosing to fish above these tributaries will get you to the cleaner water and lower flows than what the conditions are like further to the North in Bozeman.
Make sure you focus all of your fishing efforts on water that is protected from strong, fast current and has structure in it. The trout will seek refuge in slower moving water and will feed pretty high in the column. You don't need to throw super heavy nymph rigs out into the deep, fast moving water. Trout are lazy, and are going to be in the water that is easy for them to hangout in. For nymphing, try to use relatively large, dark colored patterns. Big Stoneflies, Caddis, and Mayfly imitations will do the trick. Think Rubber Legs, Pheasant Tails, Mop flies, Worms, and Leeches.
Keep an eye out for hatching caddis, while the water might seem cloudy or murky, the bugs and fish don't care. They only care about water temp, and water temp has been increasing and with more warm weather in the forecast it will likely continue to rise. If you check water temps while you are out and see 52 degrees or warmer, focus on nymphing some caddis larvae or pupae and keep an eye out for risers.
Slow stripping or dead drifting dark colored streamers like Olive, Black, or Brown can also be effective during runoff. With the water color getting murky really try and focus on using patterns that are dark and will push some water. At current water temps we do not see very much hatch activity, but be ready for midges and BWOs if you get out.
No matter what method you decide to try and fish, be sure to stay pretty close to the bank, don't go wading out into the river trying to explore, during runoff it is important to make safe wading a priority, especially on the Gallatin during the month of June.
Unsure of what you should be using on the river today? Check out our pattern suggestions below or swing by our shop in Big Sky for some advice!
Dries: Parachute Adams #16-20, Royal Wulff #16-18, Carlson's Olive Haze #14-18, Chubby Chernobyl (Royal, Black/Purple) #16, Galloup's Butch Caddis (Tan) #14-16, Bloom's Parachute Caddis (Tan, Dark Olive) #14-16
Nymphs:Pat's Rubberlegs (Black, Coffee, Brown) #8-12, BH Pheasant Tail CDC #14-16, Squirminator Jig (Red, Pink) #12, San Juan Worm (Pink, Wine, Purple) #10-12, BH Mop Fly (Chartreuse) #14, Speculator (Brown) #6-8, Slick Chick Stone(Black) #6-10,
Streamers: Boogieman (Rootbeer) #4, Galloup's Two Tone Dungeon #4-8, Double Screamer (Olive, Black, Gold) #6, Wooly Bugger (olive, black)#10, Sparring Partner (Black/Purple) #6
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Updated reports for the Gallatin River coming to you from our backyard in beautiful Big Sky, Montana. We know this river like the back of our hands.
