Madison River Fishing Reports

AUGUST 2024 UPDATED 8/22/2024  I hope everyone is having a great start to the school year just as we are having a great start to the hopper season. The hopper bite has been progressively getting better all over the river. I’ve...

AUGUST 2024 UPDATED 8/08/2024  The dog days of summer are closing out on us, but there is still plenty of fishing to be had on the Madison River. Much needed rain and cooler weather is making its way through the valley...

JULY 2024 UPDATED 7/25/2024  The heat wave rolls on here in the Valley with daytime highs  reaching 90-95 degrees for the better part of the last few weeks. Although generous flows from Hebgen Dam have kept most of the river nice...

JULY 2024  UPDATED 7/11/2024  We're in the heart of summer in the Madison Valley. July’s been offering us tons of great fun and scorching temperatures. The river is sitting at 1,290 CFS at Kirby and 1,570 CFS at Cameron. Heat...

JUNE 2024 UPDATED 6/27/2024  We’re in the heat of the salmonfly hatch on the Upper Madison. Big bugs can be found throughout the river and are making their way farther up by the day. Golden Stones, Caddis, and Yellow Sally’s are...

JUNE 2024UPDATED 6/20/2024 Summer has arrived in Ennis, Montana! Main Street is seeing an increased jump in bipedalism and excitement of the new season is beginning to fill the air. All the brutally cold days of January and February seem...

JUNE 2024 UPDATED 6/13/2024  Well it’s June 13th here in Ennis and things are starting to ramp up. Town itself is getting busier by the day. We are seeing more people in the shop, the grocery store, and the restaurants. It...

JUNE 2024 UPDATED 6/06/2024 Rising flows and muddy water continue to meander through the Madison Valley. Flows have jumped up substantially over the past few days. The river is currently sitting at 3050 CFS at Cameron, 1860 CFS at Kirby...

MAY 2024 UPDATED 5/30/2024  We’re only a few weeks out from the fly fishing world descending upon Ennis, Montana as runoff rescinds itself into the back of our minds. Plan on seeing plenty of mud and water make its way through...

AUGUST 2023 UPDATED 8/03/2023  Fishing on the Upper remains solid, if somewhat unpredictable. Rainy cool weather this week has given us and the fish a reprieve from the full sun and 90 degree days we’ve faced for most of July. The...

JULY 2023 UPDATED 7/27/2023  We’re entering the final days of July and there’s mixed reports left, right, upside-down and sideways. As Robert wrote much finer than I could, “Heard some say better run away - others say you better stand still”....

JULY 2023UPDATED 7/13/2023 Summer is in full swing, and July is bringing clear skies and a break from the rain. The Lower Madison River has recently been subjected to hoot owl restrictions, beginning on July 12th. This is three days...

JUNE 2023 UPDATED 6/22/2023 It’s almost game-on here in the Madison valley as runoff is slowly coming to an end. Recent rain storms have made water clarity slightly murkier but conditions should clear up by this weekend. Your best bet...

JUNE 2023UPDATED 6/08/2023 Runoff on the Madison peaked May 30th at around 4800 cfs at the Varney Bridge gauge. We are currently in the later stages of runoff. The dam has been dropping 10% a day for the last 10...

September 2022UPDATED 9/02/2022 Montana FWP will be conducting their Fall shocking of the Upper Madison on the following dates: Pine Butte: September 8th, 9th, 12th and Septemper 19th - 21st. Varney: September 14th - 16th and September 22nd, 23rd and...

August 2022UPDATED 8/22/2022 Hoot Owl Restrictions are being implemented on the Lower Madison from the confluence of the Jefferson River up to the Ennis Lake Dam. This week on the Madison River has been hot and sunny, we’ve experienced very...

August 2022 UPDATED 8/15/2022  Hoot Owl Restrictions are being implemented on the Lower Madison from the confluence of the Jefferson River up to the Ennis Lake Dam. The Upper Madison is on Hoot Owl restrictions from Eight Mile Ford down to...

August 2022 UPDATED 8/5/2022  With the past week being extremely warm, Eight Mile ford fishing access to Ennis Lake has been put on Hoot Owl restrictions, meaning that section of river is closest to all angling at 2:00 P.M. Due to the...

July 2022   UPDATED 7/22/2022  NOTICE - Hoot Owl has been implemented on the Lower Madison River today. No fishing after 2PM on the entire river below Ennis Dam. It’s shaping up to be another lovely week here in the Madison Valley. Nighttime...

July 2022  UPDATED 7/09/2022   Salmonflies are coming off in full force from palisades up to quake lake, and have come and gone through the lower sections of the river. Even without the big bugs, the fishing on the lower portions of...

June 2022UPDATED 6/20/2022* *Monday Morning Update* The Madison is still blown out and colored brown. Both the town takeout and Valley Garden are currently closed. UPDATED 6/17/2022 It’s an incredibly special day for not only Trout Stalkers, but all residents...