The following links are organized by category. If there’s a link you think should be here, let me know. No commercial inquiries, please.
General Livingston, Montana, and Yellowstone Links
General Information
- Livingston Chamber of Commerce
- Yellowstone National Park’s Official Website
- Visit Montana
- Yellowstone Forever, Yellowstone Park’s official nonprofit and educational partner.
- Livingston on Wikipedia
- Livingston weather forecast from the National Weather Service
- Gardiner weather forecast from the National Weather Service
- Bozeman weather forecast from the National Weather Service
- Craig (on the Missouri) weather forecast from the National Weather Service
- Mcleod (on the Boulder) weather forecast from the National Weather Service
- Absarokee (on the Stillwater) weather forecast from the National Weather Service
- Yellowstone National Park Road Conditions
Lodging
- Reviews of Livingston Lodging at Trip Advisor.
- Reviews of Bozeman Lodging at Trip Advisor.
- Reviews of Gardiner Lodging at Trip Advisor.
- Yellowstone National Park Lodges, operated by Xanterra, the concessionaire responsible for all motels, hotels, and cabins within Yellowstone Park
- Yellowstone National Park Campgrounds and Camping Information
Dining
- Reviews of Livingston Restaurants at Trip Advisor.
- Reviews of Bozeman Restaurants at Trip Advisor.
- Reviews of Gardiner Restaurants at Trip Advisor.
- Dining Options in Yellowstone Park (with Yellowstone National Park Lodges)
Conservation Links
Organizations
- Bear Creek Council: Grassroots organization protecting the upper Yellowstone watershed.
- Trout Unlimited
- Federation of Fly Fishers
- Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Protecting Your Fisheries
- Protect Your Waters: information on cleaning and disinfecting wading gear to prevent the transport of aquatic hitchhikers.
Area Fly Fishing Links
Licensing and Regulations
- Yellowstone Park’s Fishing Pages: Note that you must purchase YNP licenses in person. Boating regulations are also discussed on these pages.<
- Purchase Montana Fishing Licenses Online
- Montana Fishing & Boating Regulations: We are located in the Central District.
- Montana Area and Waterbody Closures: These closures mostly occur during late summer due to high water temperatures or wildfires. Closures seldom impact the Yellowstone River or its tributaries, but are common on lower-elevation rivers further north and west, particularly those lacking deep-draw dams to cool the water.
Local Private Fisheries
Note that many local private fisheries (especially ranch lakes) lack websites and must be booked through a fly shop or outfitter.
Streamflow, Snowpack, and Water Clarity Links
- Montana Streamflow Gauges: of particular note are the Upper Missouri and Upper Yellowstone drainages. E-mail us if you need to know how to read these tables. Generally speaking, sudden spikes mean dirty water. On the Yellowstone, flows over about 10,000cfs in May, June, or early July mean the spring runoff is underway and the river is and will be unfishable for a while. On the Missouri at Hauser or Holter Dam, flows over about 6,000cfs make fishing on foot nearly impossible, though you can always fish from a boat.
- Montana Snowpack Information: Use this map (and the next) to keep track of winter snowpack, which is the primary driver of our water year. Higher-than-average snowpack generally means higher, colder streamflows in the core summer season (good), but can make for a long spring runoff on waters impacted by the spring melt (bad). Lower-than-average numbers mean an early start to the summer season (good) but low, challenging water levels and potentially warm water temperatures in mid-late summer (bad). Our drainage basins are the Upper Yellowstone, Gallatin, Madison, and Missouri Mainstem basins.
- Wyoming Snowpack Information: River basins in Wyoming that impact our summer water (by flowing north into Montana) are the Yellowstone and Madison-Gallatin basins in the far northwest corner of the state.
General Fly Fishing Links
Fly Shops We Recommend
- Yellowstone Angler: in Livingston.
- Angler’s West: in Emigrant.
- Parks’ Fly Shop: in Gardiner.
- Troutfitters: in Bozeman.
- Gallatin River Guides: in Big Sky.
- Blue Ribbon Flies: in West Yellowstone
- Crosscurrents: in Helena and Craig.
Guides from Other States
- Jack Uxa: My cousin, a conventional tackle guide on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks.
- Curtis-Wright Outfitters: in Western NC. Ask for Josh.
- Hopper Juan: Tyer and guide Juan Ramirez, in Colorado.