Big TImber Montana Fly Fishing
Big Timber Montana Fly Fishing
In some circles in Montana, Livingston is a small city and Bozeman is basically a metropolis. The least populous county only has 500 residents after all. For those seeking to leave the major amenities behind and exchange them for uninterrupted views and a true small town vibe, Big Timber is the place to base a Montana fly fishing trip.
Nestled in the Yellowstone River Valley at base of the Crazy and Beartooth Mountains, Big Timber is long on scenery. Big Timber was named for the immense cottonwood trees that line the Boulder River, Yellowstone River, and Big Timber Creek. The Boulder River and Big Timber Creek join the Yellowstone River right in Big Timber, providing unique angling opportunities close to town.
Without a doubt July is the prime time to fly fish Big Timber. The area waters are running full and clear allowing us to float the Boulder River in rafts and capitalize on what is the best freestone fishery in the Yellowstone River drainage.
Planning Your Trip To Big Timber
A true agricultural town, it is not uncommon to see the areas cowboys and ranches pull into town with horses to stop for an afterwork beer following a day spent on the areas massive cattle ranches. Yes, Big Timber is like taking a step back in time and seeing rural Montana as its been for the last 140 years. Despite the largest population segment being Angus cattle, Big Timber still provides comforts that may not be associated with rural Montana. This includes riverside accommodations, a great brewery, and one of Montana’s favorite restaurants.
For the post fishing cocktail, Big Timber is home to 3 bars and one brewery. Each bar provides good eats, with a little grease of course. Sometimes its hard to beat a PBR and burger at the renowned Timber Bar. Beer aficionados will appreciate the local brewery, Crazy Peak Brewing, and its endemic naming schemes – I recommend the Crazy Heifer!
For a more sophisticated dinner the Grand Hotel has long offered some of Montana’s favorite food. It is not uncommon to see couples and families travel an hour from Billings and Bozeman to eat dinner. While it’s hard to go wrong with a beef dish, the Fettuccini Alfredo is divine. Moreover, it’s a family recipe that originated in Italy and now graces Montana!
Fly fishing Big Timber, Montana is extraordinary when timed appropriately. Without a doubt July is the prime time to fly fish Big Timber. The area waters are running full and clear allowing us to float the Boulder River in rafts and capitalize on what is the best freestone fishery in the Yellowstone River drainage. The Boulder is primarily a brown trout fishery and rife with salmon flies, golden stones, and nocturnal stoneflies ensuring there are always big bugs around to keep the fish interested in our big flies. Big Timber fly fishing is not limited to only the Boulder River and the Yellowstone River. It also places traveling anglers close to the Stillwater River and a myriad of small streams like Sweetgrass Creek and Big Timber Creek. The months of April, August and September also provide great fishing for anglers seeking to stay in Big Timber.
While lodging is understandably limited in comparison to Livingston, we have a number of partners that service this region and offer up something to fit anyones needs.
Needless to say, for the angler truly looking to get away – fishing, eating, and staying in Big Timber is hard to beat.
Planning Your Trip To Big Timber
Getting to Big Timber – Anglers seeking to fly fish and stay in Big Timber can fly into Bozeman (BZN – Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport) or Billings (BIL – Billings Logan International Airport). The Bozeman airport services a number of daily direct flights from most major hubs including Atlanta, San Fransisco, Minneapolis, Newark, Boston, Dallas, Huston, Nashville, Los Angeles, and many others! While Billings offers a number of direct flights to major hubs, their offering is limited in comparison to Bozeman. For anglers staying in Big Timber it is recommend that you rent a car allowing you to drive from your accommodations to town for dinner.
Our Rivers
Read through detailed reports of the rivers we typically fish with our Wet Net Outfitter clients. Whether you’re looking for big river float trips, iconic spring creek wade trips, or secluded small creek trips, we can help facilitate your bucket list fly fishing adventure.
