The Yellowstone River is one of the greatest trout streams in the world and holds the title for the longest undammed, known as a ‘freestone’ river in the lower 48 states. There is outstanding trout water from its tributaries high inside Yellowstone Park, downstream through Gardiner, the Paradise Valley, Livingston, and down below Big Timber, Montana… A total of almost two hundred river miles. Explore the legendary river with our Yellowstone fly fishing guides for a fun, guided fly fishing day trip in Montana.

The quality of the fly fishing on the Yellowstone River is excellent.

They float fish in several different sections of the prime trout water between Gardiner and Big Timber, depending on the time of year, water conditions, and water levels. Highway 89 takes you through the Paradise Valley to the town of Gardiner, the Gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Explore and catch cutthroat trout, large whitefish, rainbow trout, and brown trout with our Yellowstone fly fishing guide.

The Yellowstone is a large river varying from 75 to 300 feet in width.

It is wadable later in the summer when flows drop but there is no question it is best fished from a drift boat. You’ll see much more water to present your fly which increases your opportunities to catch fish. The section through “Paradise Valley” is the most scenic and this is also some of the best Montana fly fishing. The sections closer to Livingston holds the highest numbers of trout. Here you’ll find a healthy mix of browns, rainbows, and our native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, and Rocky Mountain Whitefish.

The Yellowstone offers diverse types of holding water.

From the fast pocket water at Tom Miner Bridge to Point Of Rocks where the gradient lessens and the river changes to more long, deep pools with wide riffles and wide, flat tailouts.

Downstream past Mallards rest through Paradise Valley is where the spring creeks join the river. This section is one of the most popular with breathtaking views of the Absaroka to the east and Gallatin mountains to the west.

The section through Livingston known as the “town run” is a local favorite and offers some great wade fishing opportunities once the flows have dropped later in the summer.

The Madison River offers an amazing diversity of water and can vary significantly in its character as it travels on its course from Yellowstone National Park to the Missouri River.

Different sections of the river offer different habitat, scenery, hatches and fishing techniques.

In many ways the Madison feels like a completely different river from one location to the next. The variety along this legendary fishery is one of the many factors that makes it one of the most consistent rivers in Montana.

Although different sections of the river have their own peak fishing times, there is almost always a location on the Madison that is fishing well nearly every month of the year.

The Madison truly offers some of the most diverse and consistent fly fishing in Montana. The Madison flows through one of the most scenic valleys in Montana and is flanked by the towering Madison, Gravelly and Tobacco Root ranges. The impressive scenery, high trout counts, potential for trophy fish and proximity to Yellowstone make this a must fish river for every serious fly fisherman.

The Ruby River is another dry fly fishers purists paradise, perhaps more so than any other of our rivers due to its fantastic wade fishing for wild, dry fly eating wild brown trout! Its perfect riffle, corner pool characteristic afford the dry fly purist the classic up-stream approach to it’s endless trout filled pools and solitude and no boat ramps means no boats rowing through your water. Book one of our Ruby River fly fishing trips and experience the fantastic fishing, solitude and incredible beauty for yourself!

Along with the incredible fishing, you’ll also enjoy the incredible scenery. A truly beautiful Montana alpine valley view surrounds the upper river.

Originating in the Gravelly Range, the upper Ruby is a freestone river before it settles and flows into  the Ruby Reservoir. Characterized by short riffled corners, plunge pools and boulder runs, the upper Ruby has more pocket water than downriver. Abundant hatches of PMD’s, Yellow Sallies, and Caddis are standard but the Ruby’s hottest action would be mid to late summer when the river larger browns are really looking for ‘hoppers; explosive strikes make for truly exciting fly fishing!

The lower Ruby is a western tailwater.

She has prolific and predictable hatches of caddis, mayflies, and stoneflies all providing food for its healthy trout population. Near the dam, you will catch more rainbows than browns on small Beatis and Caddis nymphs, while the lower stretches are home to mostly brown trout. The lower Ruby is home to larger trout than the upper river that also love to eat dry flies!

The Ruby below the dam has a short canyon section that has more large rocks and boulders and good pocket water. 

As The Ruby flows through the valley floor it enters more cattle ranching country with curvy grassy banks. In many pools it fishes like a spring creek with lots of overhanging willows and cut banks. Its easily-waded gravel bottom is perfect for the wade angler. These trout make aggressive surface strikes and are hard fighting all the way to the net.

The Big Hole River grassy meadows, mountainous horizon, wide-open spaces, braids and islands in between classic riffles littered with hanging cottonwoods are gorgeous to first-time explorers. Our Big Hole River fly fishing trips are fun filled and relaxing.

With its blue-ribbon trout streams, slow-moving pools, sharp turns overlooking thick forests and lush green agricultural fields, and rich wildlife, the river is a favorite spot for fishing with guides and clients. Once it leaves the mountains, the river spills into a valley and merges with the Beaverhead River.

Big Hole River is the ultimate spot for blue-ribbon trout fishing.

The river is home to a variety of trout, including wild trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout. Strict fishing regulations maintain fly fishing quality and keep the fishing pressure tolerable.

So, if you’re up for the fishing trip of your life, take our fly fishing guide and explore the prettiest river in all of Montana.

SEASON: No matter the time of the year, world class fishing can be found along the Big Hole’s 160 gracefully winding miles, where trophy browns and rainbows, and Fluvial Arctic Grayling lie in wait.

From early season pre run-off action that’s fast and furious on streamers and nymphs, to picture perfect summer-time dry flies. And of course, radiant September and October, when solitude and ravenous kype-jawed browns await you!

UPPER BIG HOLE RIVER: The upper Big Hole meanders its way through several grassy meadows brimming with brook trout, rainbows and the last wild population of Arctic fluvial grayling in the US – all eager risers to your favorite dry fly. We’ve heard from more than one grinning client, “This is exactly what I imagined a Montana trout river would be like.”

THE CANYON STRETCH: As the Big Hole enters the canyon stretches, it changes drastically in surroundings and gradient. Here, grassy meadows give way to house-size boulders hiding some 1500 to 2000 browns and rainbows per mile and some of our favorite ‘pocket water’. The hatch list, too long to cover it all, includes Mother’s Day Caddis, Salmon flies and Hoppers.

Wildlife is abundant along its entire length. It is not uncommon to see Golden eagles, White-tailed deer, and moose all in the same day. Further down, the river begins to slow.

The Big Hole eventually merges with the Beaverhead River just north of the town of Twin Bridges, forming the Jefferson River. Bluebird days and Hoppers; or clouds and streamers, the Big Hole is a river that everyone enjoys!

Arguably one of the most productive wild trout fisheries in the country. The Beaverhead River touts some very impressive stats: 3800+ wild rainbows, cutbows and, browns per mile averaging 16 to 18 inches, and our favorite, a fish of four pounds, or better, for every 20 feet of the bank.

On the Beaverhead River, you’re never more than a cast away from that trophy trout!

The Beaverhead River’s consistent, clear flows and reliable hatches of Pale Morning Duns, Caddis, and Yellow Sally stoneflies have made it a trout factory and world-class fly fishing destination. In terms of the numbers of trout and bio-mass per square yard, the Beaverhead is off the charts. Our Beaverhead River Fly Fishing trips will not disappoint.

The ‘Beav’ as the locals call it, does not give up its secrets easily though, especially if you’re new to this river.

Tight quarters, strong currents and hard fighting wild trout require short accurate casts and disciplined line management. But, for those eager and focused, the rewards can be remarkable.

The Beaverhead is surprisingly small compared to some of our other Southwest Montana rivers and is characterized by a fast-riffled corner and pool configuration with lots of overhanging willows. We typically drift fish from the boat, stopping along the way to fish the corners and buckets. This is where your guide will teach you the importance of fishing short, accurate casts and good line management and mending.

Meandering through hayfields and cow pastures, its endless oxbows and grassy cut banks provide the perfect habitat for true trophy size wild brown trout. The guides know what it takes to deliver a memorable experience on the Beaverhead, and they deliver!

The Jefferson offers some of the best trophy brown trout fishing anywhere. The browns and rainbows encountered here are the type you’re likely to find on the cover of popular fishing magazines – burly, vibrant, awe-inspiring. The best part; You’ll never find fly fishing to be a crowded experience at the Jefferson.

You’ll find solitude, serenity and big brown trout on the Jefferson River.

The river runs through the picturesque and serene Jefferson Valley flanked by the jagged peaked Tobacco Root and Highland Mountains. The Jefferson can be a fickle river and we suggest you fly fish The Jefferson River with one of our experienced guides to find the productive zones. You’ll find the solitude and, serenity of this river infectious as it doesn’t draw the crowds some of our other rivers do.

The Blackfoot River is a fishing paradise that belongs on every fisherman’s bucket list. It’s a true classic western freestone river with impressive hatches like the Giant Salmon Fly, Golden Stones, PMDs, terrestrials, and more. Approaching the Blackfoot River, you’ll be greeted by huge boulders, steep ledges, and ripping, swirling water that seems to scream that an abundance of trout lives here.

If you want some excellent brown trout and rainbow trout, this is the spot to fish.

The pleasant fishing environment along with relaxing scenic views will make your fishing experience exceptional. Since the Blackfoot river has good water access and is very long, it keeps the fly fishing pressure down to manageable levels.

If you’re new to this or want to experience fishing as a tour, you should book your trip to come to fish the Blackfoot River today. Our Blackfoot river fishing guide will provide you with an adventure that’ll make you come back every year.

The Blackfoot River or as it’s sometimes called the Big Blackfoot to distinguish it from the Little Blackfoot in western Montana near Missoula is a truly special place.

The Nez Perce of Idaho found this route as the way to the Upper Missouri Basin to hunt buffalo. The Nez Perce name for the Blackfoot is Cokahahalishkit which means river of the road to buffalo. A diverse and dynamic fishery fed by snowpack and springs with all of the main trout species present. Depending on the time of year, you have a shot at a Blackfoot “Grand Slam” catching a rainbow, cutthroat, brown, brook, cut-bow.

The Blackfoot is characterized by large boulders and pocket water that’s stuffed with wild trout.

It offers an exciting float trip with outstanding hopper/dropper fishing throughout the summer. Many reaches of the Blackfoot River offer a beautiful wilderness setting with little development on its banks, plenty of wildlife, great trout fishing, and gorgeous scenery to add to the experience!

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