Madison River Fishing Report

Madison River, Montana, Fishing Report for March 20th, 2020

Dam: 963 cfs

Kirby: 1,030 cfs

Varney: 1,160 cfs

It’s been a crazy week out there ladies and gentleman.  Lots of instability and fear going around these days but we will get through the hard times and this too shall pass. The good news is that there’s no better place to distance yourself from all the stress and anxiety of life than on a river, and you could do worse than spend an afternoon on the Upper Madison these days.  If you can’t make it here do yourself a favor and find one in your own back yard, sit on the bank and just watch the water flow…it’ll do you good.

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Madison River, Montana, Fishing Report for March 5th, 2020

Dam: 870 cfs

Kirby: 948 cfs

Varney: 1,080 cfs

The Upper Madison has been fishing well over the last several weeks, and it looks like we are on a little bit of a warming trend after a cold start to February.  Around this time last year we were still buried in snow and enduring sub zero temperatures, and yet the highs for this weekend are supposed to be in the 50’s.  As a result, people have already started putting their ski boots away for the year and trading them out for wading boots, as there is nothing quite like Spring Fishing after getting through another Montana Winter.

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Madison River Fishing Report for January 31st, 2020

Dam: 900 cfs

Kirby: 994 cfs

Fishing on the Upper Madison has been good this January, and temperatures have been relatively mild for the most part.  Some folks have been taking advantage of the nicer weather and floating recently, as most of the boat ramps from Windy to Town have been accessible.  That could certainly change here shortly, as the forecast is calling for a decent amount of snow starting on Sunday and throughout the following week.

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Madison River Fishing Report for November 29th, 2019

Dam: 910 cfs

Kirby: 1,040 cfs

The Upper Madison has been fishing well this November, and after a nice couple of weeks with relatively warm temperatures it appears that Winter has finally settled in.  It’s about that time anyway, and we were fortunate enough to have some 50 degree days in November after one of the coldest Octobers anyone has seen around here in a very long time.  That said, the upper portion of the river will be your best bet from here on out and it’s going to be a little icy down by Ennis for a bit unless we get on another warming trend.

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Madison River Fishing Report for October 27th, 2019

Dam: 974 cfs

Kirby: 1,100 cfs

Varney: 1,170 cfs

The Upper Madison has been fishing well over the last several weeks, and it looks like we have another cold front moving in for the week ahead.  We are looking at below zero to single digits lows this week and highs not projected to hit above freezing until this coming Thursday so there’s not a huge need to be out on the water until the mercury starts rising in the late morning hours.  Subsurface fishing remains solid despite the cold conditions, and we are still finding good fish rising up to midges and BWO’s on the calmer days.

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Madison River Fishing Report for October 9th, 2019

Dam: 996 cfs

Kirby: 1,140 cfs

Varney: 1,210 cfs

The Upper Madison has been fishing well over the last several weeks, and we have had our fair share of weather changes as well.  From 65 degrees and sunny to thirty degrees and snowing sideways, all bets are off once you enter the Fall season in the northern rockies so be sure to dress accordingly.  Even as I write this, there is close to a foot of snow piling up around the shop with bright sun and a high near fifty expected by the weekend.

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Madison River Fishing Report for September 11th, 2019

Dam: 1,090 cfs

Kirby: 1,110 cfs

Varney: 1,230 cfs

After a warm and sun filled August that brought with it some of the most incredible hopper fishing the Madison has seen in decades, the weather finally took a turn a few days ago to remind us that Fall is just around the corner.  The mountains received their first dose of snow since the summer solstice yesterday morning, and the landscape has started to absorb the scents and colors synonymous with Autumn in the Greater Yellowstone Region.  It truly is our favorite time of year, and we know that rings true for many of you out there as well.

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Madison River Fishing Report for September 3rd, 2019

Dam: 1,110 cfs

Kirby: 1,110 cfs

Varney: 1,170 cfs

The Upper Madison has been spectacular over the last several weeks, and we can’t say enough about the quality of the dry fly fishing this year.  Most of us doubted that we could have another hopper season that could compare with what we saw in 2018, but I think its safe to say that this August was even better.  We should continue to have good terrestrial fishing for a couple more weeks as long as the temperatures hold, and it looks like we are in store for a little cooling trend in the next few days.  Otherwise flows are still above average for this time of year, and the entire river is fishing well, so definitely get out this way if the opportunity presents itself.

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Madison River Fishing Report for August 23rd, 2019

Dam: 1,210 cfs

Kirby: 1.230 cfs

Varney: 1,340 cfs

The dry fly fishing on the Upper Madison continues to impress, and we have another incredible August on our hands.  Crowds have been relatively sparse on the weekdays and the forecast is calling for bright skies and temperatures in the mid to high seventies for the week ahead…pretty much perfect weather for what is on everybody’s mind around here: Hopper fishing.

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Madison River Fishing Report for August 14th, 2019

Dam: 1,220 cfs

Kirby: 1,240 cfs

Varney: 1,380 cfs

If you asked anyone who has been on the Upper Madison over the last week to describe fishing in a word that word would indubitably be: Hoppers.  After an incredible hopper season in 2018 we are right back into it all over again and the dry fly fishing has been nothing short of spectacular over the last week. Flows are still well above average for the middle of August in the upper wade stretch as well as the lower river and water temperatures have rarely peaked above 67 degrees…it’s amazing what a little cold water does for a fishery.  The forecast for this coming week is calling for highs in the upper 70’s to mid 80’s, so now is a great time to get a taste of some of the best dry fly fishing of the year.

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