South Fork Arm Fishing in Gallatin County, Montana

• Overview

  You will find South Fork Arm in Gallatin County, Montana. The land about it is lake country bush. The closest town, West Yellowstone, is 7.3 miles away. Beyond it, Big Sky at 39 miles and Ashton at 47 miles. Others close at hand: Hebgen Lake 3.9 miles away, Coffin Lake within 7.1 miles, Upper Coffin Lake 7.5 miles away, Whits Lakes within 7.6 miles and Johnson Lake 7.8 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on South Fork Arm

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Tide runs this water, so time the session to the flow. Oyster and old piling give the only hard structure in sight. Public occurrence data for Gallatin County names rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, mountain whitefish and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. South Fork Arm responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 12°F and July at about 59°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On South Fork Arm the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Hebgen Lake is 3.9 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at South Fork Arm for certain.