Waters We Fish
The
Yellowstone Angler is situated on the Yellowstone River
and a short drive from premier spring creek and private lake fishing.
Below you'll find pictures of our favorite spots and links to pages with
detailed info.
In the Livingston area, you
can fish everything from tiny mountain creeks to medium-sized freestone
streams to big Western rivers all in one day. If you are looking to fish
off the beaten path, a hike or a horseback ride will take you to secluded
high mountain lakes. We do our best to keep tabs on conditions on all
of the local waters. Be sure to come by our store and get the latest scoop.
 The
Yellowstone River is our "home water" and one of the great trout
streams of the world. The Yellowstone is the longest undammed river in
the lower 48 states, and there is excellent trout water from its tributaries
high inside Yellowstone Park, downstream through Gardiner, the Paradise
Valley, Livingston, and on to well below Big Timber, a stretch of nearly
two hundred river miles. Guides float many different stretches of the
prime water between Gardiner and Big Timber, depending on fishing conditions
and water levels. The Yellowstone.... more
Paradise
Valley Spring Creeks
The Paradise Valley spring creeks—Armstrong's,
Nelson's, and Depuy's—are located
six to eight miles south of Livingston and are easily accessible by car.
The spring creeks are small, crystal clear meadow streams loaded with
beautiful, wild fish. These streams bubble up from underground aquifers,
and are unaffected by runoff like our other rivers and streams. Their
rich waters, flowing at a constant 55-60 degrees, produce depend- able,
and often heavy hatches, all season long. The clear water and slow moving
currents demand a careful approach and good presentation of the fly to
be successful, but this "technical" fishing offers a nice contrast
to the float fishing on a big freestone river like the Yellowstone. Because
so much of the fishing is visual, the spring creeks are also an ideal
classroom for beginners and experts alike. This is challenging fishing,
but the experienced guides we utilize can take complete beginners out
on the spring creeks and have them catching some very nice fish in short
order. These guys can show even expert anglers some new tricks or
help them work on specific techniques.
Armstrong
Spring Creek
 Perhaps
the most famous of our three spring creeks, Armstrong's gushes out of
the ground at a constant 50-55 degrees year 'round. A little more than
one mile of water exists on the O'Hair Ranch before it flows down into
DePuy's.... more
DePuy's
Spring Creek
 DePuy's
is one of the world's finest small stream fisheries. Located
only five miles south of the store, it's been a favorite of the guides
for years. This is the lower portion of Armstrong Spring Creek, after
it leaves the O'Hair Ranch....more
Nelson's
Spring Creek
 Although
Nelson's lies across the Yellowstone from Armstrong's and DePuy's, it
is quite similar in character. If anything, the fishing is more challenging
but the payoff is often larger fish.... more
 Two
of the finest private spring creeks in the Gallatin valley are found on
the Milesnick's MZ Ranch. Benhart Spring Creek and Thompson Spring Creek
had been fished by the public in the past with permission from the Milesnick
family but local anglers kept these streams a secret... more
 McCoy's Spring Creek is one of the best managed spring creeks in Montana. They rest the fish, plus they limit fisherman (2 rods per beat). You can choose between Big Meadow and Fox Island, both which hold 20-25 inch trout. McCoy's is located just north of Dillon, road trip fisherman can also spend a day or two on the Beaverhead, upper Jefferson, and Poindexter Slough. Please give us a call ahead of time as these rods are very hard to get. Guided required. more
Located near Big Timber, this 25 acre lake lies below the beautiful backdrop of the Crazy Mountains. Fish cruise around the edges looking for damsel nymphs, Callibaetis, beetles, and scuds. Fish can be caught from land, (especially along the deep dam edge), but it seems most effective to fish from either a float tube or boat. There are a few cattail bays where big rainbows patrol the reeds. However, if your going for the big browns-go to the deeper end, near the logs. We like to call it "The Lions Den". There are a few monster rainbows who hang along the deeper damned side as well... more
A trip to Buckingham starts with a scenic drive through Montana's "Big Sky" country on HWY 89 North. This is the Montana that people often think about, with vast open land and several surrounding mountain chains. Although Buckingham Lake is smaller in size than Burn's Lake, it is very deep. Massive rainbows, (weighed on a scale up to 10 pounds) share the water with monster size, hunchback Brook Trout. Angler's interested in hooking up with a big Brookie, should fish along the wooded bank jigging multi-colored wooly buggers, olive scuds, and small bead heads... more
Located about an hour from Bozeman, this famous Cattle Ranch has several thousand acres, four lakes, and huge fish. One lake is over 125 acres and is 65 feet deep at the center. The other three lakes, (two 15 acre, and one 10 acre) are chuck full of big browns, rainbows, and Brookies. They allow 6 rods on the property, which leaves plenty of room between all the lakes. Most days you'll have the whole place to yourself! We discovered the smaller lakes are easily fished from the shore, so you won't even need float tubes or a boat! Rods are $75.00 and can be booked through the shop... more
 We
fish the lower Madison River from the Bear Trap Canyon to its confluence
with the Missouri River near Three Forks. The river here is wide (100-200')
and fairly shallow in much of this section, making for easier wading than
on the upper Madison, above Ennis. This is a tail water fishery and another
good option for a float trip.... more
 From
the grassy meadows inside Yellowstone Park to its confluence with the
Missouri, the Gallatin River provides a variety of water and excellent
public access. The upper portion of the Gallatin, from the water inside
Yellowstone Park down to Big Sky, is a small meadow stream. This water
makes for a pleasant day—easy wading, beautiful scenery, and uncomplicated
fishing in the riffles, drop offs, and undercut banks. Downstream, in
the canyon section, the river increases in volume and speed, changing
to pocket water with a few larger pools. Wading can be challenging, but
the deeper pockets will reward the angler with some very nice fish.... more
 The
Main Boulder is a medium-sized freestone stream 50 to 100 feet in width
(similar in size to the Gallatin) that drains out of the high country
in the Beartooth-Absaroka Wilderness and flows into the Yellowstone near
the town of Big Timber. The upper end of the Boulder flows through public
Forest Service land, and there is plenty of access (with several campgrounds
and picnic areas) and beautiful scenery, but this section holds mostly
smaller rainbows and a few brook trout.... more
 The
largest tributary of the Boulder, the West Boulder, flows into the main
river just above the little town of McLeod. The lower and middle reaches
of the river run through several large private ranches and access is tough.
At the upper end, though, there is a nice Forest Service campground and
trail head. A nice day hike puts you into the West Boulder meadows (at
the very upper end of the stream) where you'll find some spectacular scenery.... more
 Mill
Creek is one of the largest tributaries of the Yellowstone, flowing from
the Absaroka Mountains and entering the Yellowstone in Paradise Valley,
about 15 miles south of Livingston. Mill Creek, like many of our other
small freestone streams, offers some excellent fly fishing. The easiest
access to this stream is on public land, above the Forest Service boundary
near Snowbank campground. Like most small mountain streams, Mill Creek
can be challenging to wade, but its hungry cutthroats will attack almost
any attractor dry fly.... more
 The
Missouri River rivals the Yellowstone for size and variety of fishing
opportunities. Though fishable through most of its length, we like a couple
of key spots where the fishing is not only reliable, but produces some
very large trout in challenging circumstances. Although the upper Missouri
near Three Forks holds some decent fish, the really exceptional fishing
is below Holter Dam, about 40 miles east of Helena and a 3 hour drive
from Livingston.... more
 The
Bighorn is another rich tail water fishery, located about 70 miles from
Billings in the southeast corner of the state. Many knowledgeable anglers
consider the Bighorn to be the best dry fly and nymph fishing in America.
This river produces numbers and sizes of fish that have to be experienced
to be believed.... more
 Within
a 2 hour drive of Livingston, there are many Forest Service trailheads
that give an angler access to hundreds of remote, high country lakes.
Most of our high lakes are filled with native cutthroats, but many lakes
have populations of rainbows and rainbow/cutthroat hybrids. A few have
brook trout, and there are even some lakes in the Beartooth/Absaroka wilderness
that hold golden trout. Exploring our high lakes is a great way to combine
hiking and camping with fly fishing, in some of the most spectacular wilderness
in America.... more
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page
 The
Firehole has been called the "strangest trout stream on Earth."
This spring-fed river flows through the most active geyser basins in Yellowstone
Park, so the angler is often fishing against a backdrop of steam rising
from a gurgling hot spring. From opening day in the Park (the Saturday
of Memorial Day weekend) until about the end of June, the Firehole provides
superb dry fly fishing during hatches of Baetis and Pale Morning Dun mayflies
and several kinds of caddis. The slow moving (but very tricky) currents... more
 Slough
Creek is one of the most popular fishing areas in Yellowstone Park—and
for good reason. The scenery is gorgeous, access is relatively easy, and
the cutthroat fishing is some of the best in the world. The lower meadows
of Slough Creek, below the campground, are easily accessible from parking
areas between the campground and the Cooke City road... more
 The
Lamar is another favorite Yellowstone Park destination of our guides.
The Lamar valley is one of the most scenic areas in the Park. The river
meanders through a grassy meadow, with gentle riffles, boulders, and undercut
banks providing some great cover for trout. Expect to see mostly Yellowstone
cutthroat trout, although there are some rainbows in the lower stretch
of the river. There are good hatches of Pale Morning Duns, Green and Gray
Drakes as well as... more
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