Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USGS gauge 06043500 — Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway Real-time flow and stage | USGS gauge | 45.49730, -111.27071 | Check it before you launch. Station is in the lower canyon above Gallatin Gateway. |
| 2 | Kirk Wildlife Refuge Fishing Access Site Montana FWP · walk-in | Access / boat ramp | 45.51036, -111.26106 | 5 miles south of Gallatin Gateway on Hwy 191, just north of the Spanish Creek Road turnoff. A riverfront strip, fishing access only. |
| 3 | Axtell Bridge Fishing Access Site Montana FWP · hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 45.62339, -111.20486 | 4.3 miles south of Four Corners on Hwy 191 to Axtell Bridge Road. |
| 4 | Shed's Bridge Fishing Access Site Montana FWP | Access / boat ramp | 45.67378, -111.20919 | 7 miles west of Bozeman on Hwy 84. |
| 5 | Cameron Bridge Fishing Access Site Montana FWP | Access / boat ramp | 45.73773, -111.22012 | 2 miles south of Belgrade on Hwy 85 at mile marker 5, then 2 miles west on West Cameron Bridge Road. |
| 6 | Erwin Bridge Fishing Access Site Montana FWP · walk-in | Access / boat ramp | 45.76922, -111.23904 | 4 miles west of Belgrade on Amsterdam Road (Route 347). Toilet, no ramp. |
Gauge: USGS 06043500 — Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway, MT. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout
Regulations: fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Yellowstone National Park: the headwaters and the meadow reaches, park regulations apply.
Taylor Fork and Sage Creek: upper canyon access along Highway 191.
Big Sky and the Storm Castle area: mid-canyon pullouts and popular water.
House Rock and the Mad Mile: canyon whitewater reaches with good pocket fishing.
Gallatin Gateway: access near the gauge where the canyon opens.
Axtell Bridge and Cameron Bridge: valley access below the canyon.
Fishing from a boat is prohibited on most of the river; plan to wade.
Year-round on the lower river; the park section follows park season dates.
April and May: pre-runoff fishing, then high, off-color water.
Late June and July: salmonflies as the river drops, the best weeks of the season.
August through October: terrestrials, low clear water, then brown trout on streamers in the fall.