East Gallatin River

East Gallatin River
East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Montana
Location of mouth
Location
Country	United States
State	Montana
County	Gallatin
Physical characteristics
Source
• coordinates	45°39′51″N 110°57′10″W
Mouth
• location	Nixon Gap
• coordinates	45°53′30″N 111°20′01″W[1]
• elevation	4,157 feet (1,267 m)[1]
Length	42 miles (68 km)
Basin size	148 square miles (380 km^2)[2] (Gallatin Range, Bridger Range)
Discharge
• location	Belgrade
• average	137 cu/ft. per sec.[3]
Basin features
River system	Missouri River

The East Gallatin River flows 42 miles (68 km) in a northwesterly direction through the Gallatin valley, Gallatin County, Montana. Rising from the confluence of Rocky Creek and several other small streams, the East Gallatin begins about one mile (1.6 km) east of downtown Bozeman, Montana. The river joins the main stem of the Gallatin River 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north of Manhattan, Montana. Throughout its course, the river traverses mostly valley floor ranch and farm land with typical summer flows of approximately 50 cu ft/s (1.4 m^3/s).[4]

Angling the East Gallatin

The East Gallatin river is a popular trout fishing stream and holds good populations of rainbow and brown trout as well as mountain whitefish. Access is limited to country road crossings and two public assess sites maintained by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department.[5] Numerous spring creeks, most notably Ben Hart and Thompson, feed the East Gallatin throughout its course and provide excellent trout fishing as well.

• 
  East Gallatin River near Bozeman, Montana in Winter
• 
  Typical East Gallatin River rainbow trout (Released)
• 
  Typical East Gallatin River brown trout (Released)
• 
  Ben Hart Spring Creek on the MZ Ranch near Belgrade, MT
• 
  Thompson Spring Creek on the MZ Ranch near Belgrade, MT
• 
  Kayak fishing on the East Gallatin
• 
  East Gallatin River near Swamp Road, September 2008
• 
  President Barack Obama and local fishing guide Dan Vermillion fish the East Gallatin River August 14, 2009

See also

• List of rivers of Montana
• Montana Stream Access Law
• Fly fishing

References

• Holt, John (1996). Montana Fly-Fishing Guide-East. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-529-4.

Notes

1. "East Gallatin River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. "USGS Streamgage statistics-East Gallatin River". USGS. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
3. "USGS Surface Water data for Montana: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics".
4. USGS Montana Streamflow Data
5. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks—E. Gallatin River