Madison River Fishing Reports

SEPTEMBER 2026UPDATED 9/2/2026 Hoot Owl has been lifted on the Upper and Lower Madison as of 8/31/26. Fishing below 8 Mile in the afternoon into the evening has been pretty slow the past couple of days despite cooler water temperatures....

AUGUST 2026UPDATED 8/3/2026 This past month here on the Madison has been a hot one. With heat waves in the day and thunderstorms in the afternoon, bug activity is increasing and there is a major hopper hatch on the horizon....

July 2026UPDATED 7/1/2026 A week straight of cold weather with on and off showers has left us with a new set of conditions to consider while fishing. The thunderstorms are over for the most part, with around a 50% chance...

April 2026UPDATED 4/23/2026 65° and sunny to 30° and snowing, if that isn’t spring in Ennis I’m not quite sure what is. Snowpack is what is on the forefront of everyone’s minds and there’s a chance you might be tired...

April 2026UPDATED 4/8/2026 Spring has practically arrived here in the Madison Valley, bringing with it a classic mix of Montana weather patterns. After weeks of sunny and mild days, we've finally received some precipitation over the last few days. The...

February 2025UPDATED 2/6/2025 What a crazy year we are all having!! I just read it was colder in Tallahassee Florida than it was in Anchorage Alaska last week. The weather here is just as crazy with temperatures fluctuating between 45-55...

November 2025UPDATED 11/25/2025 It’s the last week of November and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. There aren’t many folks out fishing at the moment with the freezing temps and unfulfilled elk and deer tags in the valley. The upcoming...

SEPTEMBER 2025UPDATED 9/4/2025 Things are beginning to look cooler on the temperature front as we move out of the dog days of summer and enter the fall season. The majority of smoke from the Bivens, McAllister and West Fork fires...

August 2025UPDATED 8/7/2025 The Madison River is exploding with life under the Big Sky sun. We are seeing tons of terrestrials like hoppers and nocturnal stoneflies transforming the river into a feeding frenzy, still giving anglers a chance for plenty...

July 2025UPDATED 7/22/2025 We’re in the heart of our season on the Upper Madison River, and what a few weeks of fishing we’ve been having! We’re swimming in aquatic insect life with terrestrials knocking at the door. Water temperatures are...

June 2025UPDATED 6/26/2025 Salmonflies, golden stones, yellow sallies, and caddis are abundant on the upper Madison right now. The salmonflies are on the upper reaches of the river while the caddis are throughout the system. We’ve been finding fish feeding...

May 2025UPDATED 5/15/2025 As of early last week, the flows on the Upper Madison have started to rise and the initial stages of runoff have begun. However, with the cooler weather we have been having the flows have started to...

APRIL 2025UPDATED 4/14/2025 TIME IS RUNNING OUT ON OUR SPRING SPECIAL! Madison River Guided Trips are $200 off until the end of April. $495 Full Day, $350 Half Day! We’re starting to see lots of action here in town with anglers coming...

March 2025 UPDATED 3/6/2024 Want to go fishing? Madison River Guided Trips are now $200 off until the end of April. $495 Full Day, $350 Half Day! March is here and we have already started to experience some great spring fishing....

DECEMBER 2024 UPDATED 12/6/2024 Happy Holidays from the Madison Valley everyone! We all had a great Thanksgiving and now we are into December. The first week has treated us really well with days in the 40s and 50s with little...

OCTOBER 2024 UPDATED 10/18/2024  It’s beginning to look and feel like fall in the Madison Valley. The first cold wave of weather pushed through last night bringing a mixture of snow, sleet and rain. The river is currently running 1040 CFS...

OCTOBER 2024  UPDATED 10/03/2024  The Madison Valley has been a true rollercoaster lately. Flows have been consistent at 1050 CFS with a few bumps at the Cameron gauge, and Kirby sits at 880 CFS. The mornings have started off crisp...

SEPTEMBER 2024 UPDATED 9/19/2024  We were gifted with our first taste of fall here in the Madison Valley this past week. River flows are currently sitting at 1250 CFS in Cameron and 1070 CFS at the Kirby Ranch gauge. The colder...

SEPTEMBER 2024  UPDATED 9/12/2024  Things have been taking a turn here in Ennis the past few days. We have had a crazy weather pattern strike us this week. We started out by getting engulfed in smoke coming from fires in...

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 8/15/2024  Much needed rainfall has brought cooler temperatures to the Madison Valley. This recent temperature change has caused Montana FWP to lift Hoot Owl restrictions between Ennis FAS to Ennis Lake. As of today, there are no Hoot...