White River
Article 2 White River.
I will doubtless leave out some rivers that are worthy of mention.
I'm sure these aren't actually the ten very best streams around-there are dozens of backcountry Alaskan streams and private trout waters that are probably better than any of these.
These are all well known streams, and they'll be crowded from time to time.
It's no coincidence that Montana is well represented in the list; it is full of long, beautiful trout rivers.
Gallatin River (Yellowstone National Park and Montana)
This will come as a bit of a surprise that I'm listing this as #1.
Most folks spend most of their trip on the really "classy" trout streams, like the Madison, Yellowstone, Firehole, or the Paradise valley spring creeks.
The beautiful mountain meadow water in Yellowstone National Park, and for a few miles below holds several hundred small rainbows and cut throat in it's plentiful riffles.
Access is easy and plentiful.
It's no longer an easy going meadow stream, but the trout numbers, and size of the fish, get steadily better.
Especially below the mouth of the East Gallatin, big browns begin to show up in good numbers under the undercut banks.
Finally, the Gallitin finds it's way to Three Forks where the it helps form the mighty Missouri.
2.
From the river's headwaters downstream to Holter dam, the river flows slowly, both as a free-flowing river and as reservoirs.
The fish here are almost all browns, although a few rainbows come up from the lakes that are located on the river.
Browns can still be caught, but they mostly become sluggish, or even move to the deep waters of the lakes.
This is where most people go to fish the Missouri.
Rainbows are much more common than further upstream, but browns are also present.
3.
The reason it is so odd is that it is fed by both cold and hot springs that make their way into it's two feeder streams, the Firehole and Gibbon.
During the summer, the water often grows too warm to allow the trout to feed, because of the hot springs.
In the fall, large browns, also from Hebgen, do the same.
The migratory rainbows and browns prefer gaudy streamers and wet flies fished deep.
There is a resident trout population in this stretch which is augmented by spawning runs from Quake Lake during the spring and fall.
Below Quake Lake, the Madison becomes a beautiful freestone trout river.
This is all fast water, but serious rapids are rare.
The scenery is breathtaking, with the lush Madison valley in the foreground, and the towering mountains of Yellowstone in the background.
It can be floated or waded.
The canyon is full of big rainbows and browns, but it's a long hike to get to the river.
Below the canyon, the river drops into an arid valley, where it meanders from one undercut bank to another.
Spring and fall are good times to target the good numbers of browns here.
Yellowstone River (Yellowstone National Park and Montana)
4 Yes, this is the fourth Montana stream on the list.
The fishing begins deep in the Thoroughfare region of Wyoming.
It take's a long hike and a dedication of a week or so to fish this water the way it should be fished.
This is as deep in the wildnerness as you can get in the lower 48, and you must be sure you can be totally self-sufficient.
Also, Grizzlies, black bear, moose, and other dangerous creatures are common.
You decide for yourself.
Although it flows through country that has been left in it's natural state by Yellowstone National Park, it's far from wild.
Cutthroat trout fishing isn't as glorious as it used to be, but it's still quite good.
Those stretches are essentially unfishable.
It is a very readable mountain stream just below the park, with many pools and riffles that hold both rainbows and cutthroat.
The canyon is hard to hike into, but the pocket water holds some rainbows, and they aren't fished very often.
It flows through a beautiful valley (although you can see the beautiful Absaroka Mountains most of the time), and the river has a steady, but not rapid current.
The water around Livingston is most famous, but the fishing is very good for many miles up and downstream from that popular western trout town.
Below there, it is a massive prairie river home to pike, smallmouth bass, and catfish, but few trout.
Green River (Wyoming and Utah)
The Green River is a stream with many faces.
This is western ranchland country, and all through the summer trout hug the undercut banks in search of hoppers.
The access isn't great here, but there are places where visiting anglers can get on productive water for free.
The reservoir is home to big rainbow, brown, and lake trout, but it's deep waters are hard to handle with conventional tackle, especially if you prefer to fly fish.
Some estimates show nearly 20,000 trout per mile in the first 7 miles below the dam.
This river flows through a beautiful desert canyon.
Further down, there are a few less trout, but the browns and rainbows can grow much larger.
You'll find wilderness fishing on one of the most productive trout streams in the country.
Just watch out for Rattlesnakes! There are also formal accesses where you can fish, including one right below the dam.
Most people who are new to the Green float it in a drift boat with a guide.
Just don't expect it to be cheap.
White River-Bull Shoals Tail water (Arkansas)
Arkansas's White River is the only Southern stream on our list, and it's also the only one that's mostly put and take.
The cold plume from the bottom of Bull Shoals Lake, combined with the cold flows of the North Fork River allow trout to survive for nearly 100 miles below the dam.
It can be waded at low flows, but bank and boat fishing are the only options when there the dam is releasing a lot of water.
There are about 5000 trout per mile on the river, and the majority are rainbows.
Rainbows swarm almost all parts of the river, and they never seem to be difficult to catch.
Still, the browns are what draw many anglers to the White.
A new 24" minimum insures larger browns, and there are also several catch and release areas on the river.
To give you a frame of reference, on our last trip to the White, a fly shop owner showed us a picture of an honest, weighed and measured brown that he had just caught that weighed 29 pounds.
I will doubtless leave out some rivers that are worthy of mention.
I'm sure these aren't actually the ten very best streams around-there are dozens of backcountry Alaskan streams and private trout waters that are probably better than any of these.
These are all well known streams, and they'll be crowded from time to time.
It's no coincidence that Montana is well represented in the list; it is full of long, beautiful trout rivers.
Gallatin River (Yellowstone National Park and Montana)
This will come as a bit of a surprise that I'm listing this as #1.
Most folks spend most of their trip on the really "classy" trout streams, like the Madison, Yellowstone, Firehole, or the Paradise valley spring creeks.
The beautiful mountain meadow water in Yellowstone National Park, and for a few miles below holds several hundred small rainbows and cut throat in it's plentiful riffles.
Access is easy and plentiful.
It's no longer an easy going meadow stream, but the trout numbers, and size of the fish, get steadily better.
Especially below the mouth of the East Gallatin, big browns begin to show up in good numbers under the undercut banks.
Finally, the Gallitin finds it's way to Three Forks where the it helps form the mighty Missouri.
2.
From the river's headwaters downstream to Holter dam, the river flows slowly, both as a free-flowing river and as reservoirs.
The fish here are almost all browns, although a few rainbows come up from the lakes that are located on the river.
Browns can still be caught, but they mostly become sluggish, or even move to the deep waters of the lakes.
This is where most people go to fish the Missouri.
Rainbows are much more common than further upstream, but browns are also present.
3.
The reason it is so odd is that it is fed by both cold and hot springs that make their way into it's two feeder streams, the Firehole and Gibbon.
During the summer, the water often grows too warm to allow the trout to feed, because of the hot springs.
In the fall, large browns, also from Hebgen, do the same.
The migratory rainbows and browns prefer gaudy streamers and wet flies fished deep.
There is a resident trout population in this stretch which is augmented by spawning runs from Quake Lake during the spring and fall.
Below Quake Lake, the Madison becomes a beautiful freestone trout river.
This is all fast water, but serious rapids are rare.
The scenery is breathtaking, with the lush Madison valley in the foreground, and the towering mountains of Yellowstone in the background.
It can be floated or waded.
The canyon is full of big rainbows and browns, but it's a long hike to get to the river.
Below the canyon, the river drops into an arid valley, where it meanders from one undercut bank to another.
Spring and fall are good times to target the good numbers of browns here.
Yellowstone River (Yellowstone National Park and Montana)
4 Yes, this is the fourth Montana stream on the list.
The fishing begins deep in the Thoroughfare region of Wyoming.
It take's a long hike and a dedication of a week or so to fish this water the way it should be fished.
This is as deep in the wildnerness as you can get in the lower 48, and you must be sure you can be totally self-sufficient.
Also, Grizzlies, black bear, moose, and other dangerous creatures are common.
You decide for yourself.
Although it flows through country that has been left in it's natural state by Yellowstone National Park, it's far from wild.
Cutthroat trout fishing isn't as glorious as it used to be, but it's still quite good.
Those stretches are essentially unfishable.
It is a very readable mountain stream just below the park, with many pools and riffles that hold both rainbows and cutthroat.
The canyon is hard to hike into, but the pocket water holds some rainbows, and they aren't fished very often.
It flows through a beautiful valley (although you can see the beautiful Absaroka Mountains most of the time), and the river has a steady, but not rapid current.
The water around Livingston is most famous, but the fishing is very good for many miles up and downstream from that popular western trout town.
Below there, it is a massive prairie river home to pike, smallmouth bass, and catfish, but few trout.
Green River (Wyoming and Utah)
The Green River is a stream with many faces.
This is western ranchland country, and all through the summer trout hug the undercut banks in search of hoppers.
The access isn't great here, but there are places where visiting anglers can get on productive water for free.
The reservoir is home to big rainbow, brown, and lake trout, but it's deep waters are hard to handle with conventional tackle, especially if you prefer to fly fish.
Some estimates show nearly 20,000 trout per mile in the first 7 miles below the dam.
This river flows through a beautiful desert canyon.
Further down, there are a few less trout, but the browns and rainbows can grow much larger.
You'll find wilderness fishing on one of the most productive trout streams in the country.
Just watch out for Rattlesnakes! There are also formal accesses where you can fish, including one right below the dam.
Most people who are new to the Green float it in a drift boat with a guide.
Just don't expect it to be cheap.
White River-Bull Shoals Tail water (Arkansas)
Arkansas's White River is the only Southern stream on our list, and it's also the only one that's mostly put and take.
The cold plume from the bottom of Bull Shoals Lake, combined with the cold flows of the North Fork River allow trout to survive for nearly 100 miles below the dam.
It can be waded at low flows, but bank and boat fishing are the only options when there the dam is releasing a lot of water.
There are about 5000 trout per mile on the river, and the majority are rainbows.
Rainbows swarm almost all parts of the river, and they never seem to be difficult to catch.
Still, the browns are what draw many anglers to the White.
A new 24" minimum insures larger browns, and there are also several catch and release areas on the river.
To give you a frame of reference, on our last trip to the White, a fly shop owner showed us a picture of an honest, weighed and measured brown that he had just caught that weighed 29 pounds.