Title
Date
 - 
Water Clarity
Angler Traffic
Fish Caught
Fishing Water Report
Reporting Outfitter
Reported Trip
Start Access Site
End Access Site
Filter
Showing 1 - 10
 
out of 29
On the left map, we grouped Guide Fishing Reports that are located close to each other into small circles. Now, you can locate all Guide Fishing Reports on the map at the same time. You can also drag & zoom the map.

Circle numbers - Count of Guide Fishing Reports that are located in and around that circle.

Colored circles - Guide Fishing Reports that are displayed in the list below.

Grey circles - Guide Fishing Reports that are displayed on next page(s).

Half colored circles - Some Guide Fishing Reports in that circle appear in the list below and some on next page(s).

Click on circles to zoom in or highlight Guide Fishing Reports .
page 1 out of 3
Madison River Fishing Report for 3/16/21. The Madison spring game is heating up with temperatures in the mid to upper fifties. We’re seeing rainbows heading up-river to do their ... moreannual spawning in the many skinny riffles so watch your step and your anchor out there! Those fry are the future of the river. Nymphing will likely be your best bet but if your patient, there are fish rising to midges. Look for soft, porpoising rises behind rocks and foam lines as the water warms. Sometimes a double dry with a larger visible pattern and the tiny virtually invisible midge eighteen to twenty inches behind it tied of the bend of the hook. A dry/dropper can be effective in these situations as well as adding a tungsten bead nymph will search both feeding columns. They are eating streamers in the afternoon. Look for that green water and you’ll find trout.
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Sunday, 21 Mar, 2021
Fish Caught:
13-19 fish
Fishing is starting to shift gears on the Madison. Dry fly fishing is starting to slow down and the streamer fishing is getting better every day. Hoppers and ants are still playing ... morepretty well in the late afternoon, but they seem to be getting wise to the combo. Lots of false strikes. Yesterday I fed 3 live hoppers to a fat 16 inch brown. Once I put the fake over him. He came up slashes at it twice, never ate it, then went home.

Fish streamers all day, catch a few giants. Or go to dries in the afternoon for action.

PS. The smoke sux
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Tuesday, 5 Sep, 2017
Fish Caught:
4-8 fish
Southwest Montana is experiencing some hot weather right now, which means the fishing on the Madison River is great in the morning and fades toward the afternoon. Most of the bites ... morecome between dawn and noon with a drop off around 3pm. Most sections of the Madison still have PMD’s, Nocturnal Stoneflies, Caddis, and Yellow Sallies. Don’t expect much from dry flies unless you’re willing to get out really early. With the higher water temperatures in the afternoons you should always try to get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible. There’s a lot less fishing pressure on the Madison now that the Yellowstone has opened up, and the fish have taken well to this.
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Monday, 24 Jul, 2017
Fish Caught:
9-12 fish
Water levels have somewhat leveled off the Madison at the Kirby ranch ended up at about 2500 and up coming cool weather ought to send it back down toward normal. About 1150 cfs. I ... moredon't think it will get all the way back to normal, it is going to stay high. But it fall with next week's cold weather. This should offer up some excellent fishing operating ties. Although high, the water is already starting to clear up. We only need about a foot of visibility coupled with falling flows and it should be show time.

This last spike in flow was not it for runoff. There is still lots of snow. There is going to be another spike. It's just a matter of when and how big. If this combination of hot then cool weather continues, it could be a be a very civil runoff. Might even be able to fish right through it. Time will tell. Tight lines
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Friday, 12 May, 2017
The float section of the Madison starts at Lyons bridge and ends at the Ennis bridge. Fishing has been up and down all spring depending mostly on the weather. Get an overcast calm ... moreday with temps at least into the high 40s fishing seems to pretty good. Clear cold and windy, stay home and tie flies. The main show in the float section is still streamers stripped hard off the bank. Black seems to be the most productive for me. Fishing seems to start around noon peaking about 2:00 then dying of around 4:00 or 5:00. Warmest part of the day. Crowds aren't here yet it's nice and lonely out there
Fishing Water Report:
End Access Site:
Date:
Friday, 5 May, 2017
Fish Caught:
9-12 fish
The spawning rainbow thing is going off between quake and hebgan. The rainbows are moving up out of quake lake and stacking up below hebgan dam, but it's no big secret. You will have ... morecompany. It seems to be a race to the first soft water below hebgan. It's a great hole full of fish but angler density is a little to high for me. Down closer to quake lake there are a couple of small channels on the other side of the river that are chalk full of rainbows, if your a strong enough wader to cross the main river. Due to high snow pack they have already started raising flows. As of yesterday it was up to 1400. Which is high for this time of year. Wading caution is called for.

As far as flies. Spaghetti and meat balls "San Juan worm and an egg ball". Have been the best. Although you can still find the bigger fish on a black biggest. Over all fishin is good just expect company.
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Thursday, 4 May, 2017
Fish Caught:
4-8 fish
Here comes fishin season. The Mother's Day cadis hatch has popped on the lower Madison. More and more bugs every day. Fishing is best when the sun is off the water. Yesterday we fished ... morelate and that seemed to do the trick. We put on at warm springs about 4:00 in the afternoon. Hardly any bug activity until almost 6:30, but they finally did show up and the fish were looking up. We ended up with about a dozen fish by the time we got to the damsel fly takeout. We got out about 8:00 and it was still going off and there was still plenty of light. I wished we would have moved a little slower. As far as mid day is concerned the usual nymph streamer combinations. Seem to be the ticket. Bunny fur or rubber with a size 16 prince has been the best for me. Fishing during the day has been ok but the real show seems to be in the evening all the way to dark
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Friday, 5 May, 2017
Fish Caught:
4-8 fish
Spring fly fishing season on the Madison has officially arrived. We have already started leading some guided fishing trips and the ice pack is long gone. The weather is warming up ... morea bit, and overall is nice. Currently, slow nymphing and streamer fishing are getting good activity. Blue Winged Olives should also get some action later in the day. The Madison is living up to its spring potential. It’s also really nice having the entire stretch from Reynolds Pass to Ennis lake open right now—anglers are finding more room to spread out along the river. 

Looking forward to the summer, we should see great water conditions on all our rivers, fewer closures, and less crowding on the Madison due to the great snowpack. All of the major drainages in the area are at or above average snowpack levels. This is good news for surrounding streams, where anglers will be able to find their own space instead of clogging up the Madison. On some years with low water (i.e. the last several years), the Madison becomes the only spot with really good fishing in Southwest Montana. That’s because of the cool water coming from Hebgen dam and the fast-moving oxygenated water of the Madison. This should turn out to be a great year with plenty of options for fly anglers to choose from!

We’ll have to wait and see how bad the runoff is this year, and that will all depend on the weather. With temperatures in the 80s for extended periods of time (around late May or early June), the river will become jammed with dirt and the runoff will be extreme, but short. On the other hand, if things start slow with a mix of warm and cool days, it could mean mildly clear water and fishable conditions all through the runoff. No matter what, we can always find a great place to fish, it might just mean we have to spend more time in the car!
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Monday, 17 Apr, 2017
Fish Caught:
4-8 fish
Upper Madison isn't sure whether it is still summer or fall. Everything semis to be working Kind of. Nothing is really killing them. Still if your willing to stay with a streamer. ... moreYou'll end up with a few shots at good fish. Hoppers and ants after it warms up in the afternoon are still getting good action. But not seeing much in the size department.
Fishing Water Report:
Date:
Wednesday, 31 Aug, 2016
Fishing turned out to be super fun with my friend Julia. We did Palisades to McAtee bridge to stay in front of the windy point traffic and behind the Ruby Creek crowd. I had her start ... morewith a half downed hopper and a flying ant. We never took 'em off. Whether they were eating the half downed for a moth or a hopper, I don't know. Since there weren't too many pine tree's around and they started eating it more regularly in the afternoon, it makes me think that they were eating the half downed hopper as a moth in the morning and a hopper in the afternoon. Red flying ant caught fish all day. Saw smaller black naturals but felt no need to switch. Fished dries, stayed out of the crowds, beautiful day--wonderful float. Thanks Julia
Fishing Water Report:
Start Access Site:
Date:
Tuesday, 16 Aug, 2016
Fish Caught:
20 fish or more