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Gallatin River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The wade-fisher's river: 90 canyon-and-meadow miles from Yellowstone to Three Forks, no boats allowed on the best of it.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
416 cfs
Air / High
79 / 80 F
Wind
W 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06052500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Tap a marker for today's tip
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Gallatin River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 416 cfs, on the rise. Today brings a mixed sky, wind W around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 80. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 81 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Gallatin River at Logan MT.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06052500.

352395437416 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp79 F
High / Low80 / 54 F
WindW 5-21 mph
Pressure1005.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain59% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:51 / 19:58
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 80/54 F, wind 19 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 19 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Gallatin River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Gallatin River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Gallatin River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 76 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 25 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 85 F, wind to 25 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 85 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Montana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Montana license + AIS pass. No float fishing from the park boundary through the canyon. Yellowstone Park water upstream requires the separate park permit. Check FWP for reach limits.

Access

US-191 parallels the river with constant pullouts; formal sites at Storm Castle, Greek Creek, Moose Creek Flat. Bozeman and Big Sky shops cover flies and reports.

About this water

Freestone trout river, ~90 fishable miles from Yellowstone NP to the Missouri headwaters at Three Forks, MT. Wade-only through the canyon by regulation.

Fishing Gallatin River: the full guide

A River Runs Through It

The Gallatin is Montana's great walk-and-wade river: floating is banned from Yellowstone Park down through the canyon, so every angler meets it on foot, rock to rock. It tumbles out of the park past Big Sky through a boulder canyon (the film location for A River Runs Through It), then relaxes into the valley meadows toward Three Forks: pocket water above, hopper banks below.

Fishing on foot

Canyon fish (browns, rainbows, the odd cutthroat) hold in every pocket: high-stick nymphs through the slots, attractor dries in the soft edges, no cast longer than thirty feet. The valley reach below Gallatin Gateway adds sweepers and undercut banks: bigger browns, hopper-dropper territory. Runoff blows it out May to mid-June; it drops into shape fast and fishes wonderfully all summer at dawn before the rafts (whitewater, not fishing) wake the canyon.

Seasons and sense

Salmonflies rumble through the canyon in late June behind the Madison's hatch; August is hopper time in the valley; October streamers move the big migratory browns. Much of the canyon runs beside US-191: pullout access every mile, and grizzly country upstream: fish with awareness near the park.

Common questions

Why is floating banned on the Gallatin?

A long-standing Montana rule to preserve the wade experience (and manage a narrow, busy canyon). The result is a river where anglers on foot get first-class water no drift boat can beat them to.

When does runoff end?

The river typically clears from mid-June, earliest of the area freestones in some years. The canyon fishes through summer; afternoon glare and rafts make dawn the pro move.

Is the Yellowstone Park section worth it?

Yes: the upper meadows inside the park (permit required) offer solitude and eager fish a short walk from 191: a different, quieter Gallatin.

Is fishing good at Gallatin River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Jefferson River4 miCanyon Ferry Lake34 miEnnis Lake36 miMadison River42 miYellowstone River49 miBig Hole River61 mi
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