Gallatin National Forest

Fishing
The Gallatin contains one of the most outstanding trout fisheries in the United States. The Forest provides much of the water supply for the nationally recognized blue ribbon trout streams—the Madison, the Gallatin, and the Yellowstone. These rivers contain eight kinds of game fish, including cutthroat, rainbow, brown, brookies, rainbow-cutthroat hybrids, graylings, and whitefish. The Paradise Valley stretch of the Yellowstone River is a favorite trout fishery.

The forest contains over 4,000 miles of streams of which 1,740 miles are deemed as fishable streams and rivers. The forest also includes 18,800 acres of reservoir and lake habitat. The fishery resources also include the high lakes in the Lee Metcalf and Absaroka Beartooth Wildernesses and major reservoirs, such as Hebgen and Hyaike.

Paddling
The Yellowstone, Gallatin, and Madison rivers offer excellent opportunities for the whitewater enthusiast. The characters of these waterways change significantly with the seasons, becoming much colder and wilder during the early summer runoff. The Gallatin is at its best during May and June, while the Madison is runnable throughout spring and summer. The Yellowstone can be run year-round, except when it's too cold. Check with local outfitters for conditions before taking to the water.

Wildlife
The Gallatin is home to over 300 wildlife species, including several Threatened and Endangered species—the Grizzly Bear and the Bald Eagle. The Forest is used for many wildlife-related activities, including hunting, trapping, viewing, and photography. Watchable wildlife viewing areas are accessible from roadways and are denoted by highway signs sporting a pair of binoculars. Interpretive signs at these viewing areas describe the habitat, and wildlife species likely to be seen there. The Gallatin supports some of the largest wintering ungulate herds in North America. Species using this winter range include elk, white-tailed and mule deer, bison, moose, bighorn sheep, and antelope. Many predatory species live here, including mountain lion, bobcat, black and grizzly bear, coyotes, eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls.