Yellowstone River Fly Fishing in Montana

Yellowstone River is renowned among fly fishing trout anglers – with high fish numbers, size, and magnificent scenery, it’s easy to see why Yellowstone River Fly Fishing reigns supreme.

Flowing unobstructed 671 miles, Yellowstone River is the longest free flowing river in the lower 48 states, averaging a width of 150 to 300 feet wide. Originating in the Tetons of northwest Wyoming off the Continental Divide, the Yellowstone River offers amazing fishing, flowing through Yellowstone National Park, Gardiner, Paradise Valley, Livingston, and through Big Timber and Columbus, all near Bozeman, Montana - a stretch of over 240 trout-fishable miles of water.

Local guides, suppliers, and outfitters listed here are experienced and can greatly enhance a Yellowstone River Fishing experience.

Best Place to Fish

Yellowstone River Headwaters Region
Hiking and horseback are the only way to get to this area, located about thirty miles above Yellowstone Lake. Native Yellowstone Cutthroat average 14-16 inches in size but summer migrations from Yellowstone Lake provide anglers with more trophy opportunities.

Upper Yellowstone
From Yellowstone Lake until it reaches the park boundary, the Yellowstone River offers great fishing opportunities. Below Yellowstone Lake and Fishing Bridge (not an approved fishing location), the river is flat for miles, perfect to cast for trout. The Hayden Valley area is closed to fishing, but the area above the upper falls allows wading access. After the falls, the Yellowstone flows through two canyons with 1200 foot-high walls. The river is fishable after hiking into the canyons, and anglers have a great chance to catch sizable cutthroat and rainbow trout.

Middle Yellowstone
The best fly fishing section of Yellowstone River starts as it leaves the park at Gardiner and continues through Paradise Valley and Livingston, Big Timber and Columbus, Montana, for about 130 miles.

Through this middle stretch, many anglers fish from a drift boat. Fish in these sections average 13-18", with many exceeding the 20 " mark. Spring caddis, Salmonflies and hoppers, Fall mayflies and streamers, and even winter midges, provide year-round fishing for native cutthroat, rainbows, and brown trout.

Best Time to Fish

Late spring and summer Yellowstone River fly fishing is touted as “the romanticized western fly fishing experience come to life."