Madison River Fishing Report for March 23rd, 2022
Dam: 565 cfs
Kirby: 643 cfs
Varney: 673 cfs
And….we’re back. We took a little hiatus from the Upper Madison this Winter in order to give the fish a break from the Hebgen Dam catastrophe that happened last Fall, but we have been hitting the river consistently over the last several weeks and fishing has been very good. It’s going to be a little boney with regard to river flows this Spring, as our snowpack in the Madison range is currently sitting at 80% and Hebgen is only 68% full. Our guess is that NW Energy will hold flows out of Hebgen Dam to around 550-650 cfs until runoff begins in mid to late May. Until then all we can do is cross our fingers for a lot more moisture in the forecast in order to make up for another mild winter.
While we have seen a few fish willing to chase larger streamers, nymphs and small dries are still your best bet in the upper wade stretch. Small Pat’s Rubber Legs in Olive/Brown and Black/Brown, Zebra Midges, Jujubee Midges, $3 Dips, and Perdigons have been the most consistent nymph patterns, and we should start to see BWO’s in the mix in the weeks to come. You can also find some good midge hatches during the late morning and early afternoon hours, particularly between Raynold’s and Pine Butte. If you do encounter rising fish, Kelly’s Goober Midge or Harrop’s CDC Adult Midge in #20-22 should be about all you need.
We have also been getting a lot of phone calls asking about the current boat ramp status on the Upper Madison and have them listed below for you.
Raynolds: Rafts only for now but it should be ready for hard boats by next week
Pine Butte: All Clear
Lyons: Still some snow there but you can push your boat to the ramp.
Windy: All Clear
Palisades: There is still a big drift on the road down to the parking lot. Should be good to go by next week.
Ruby: All clear
McAtee: All Clear
Storey: Iced Up. Should be thawed out and ready to go soon.
Varney: All Clear
8 Mile: All Clear
Burnt Tree: Still iced up. Should be ready to go in 1-2 weeks.
Ennis: Ice Gorge City…gonna be awhile.
Valley Garden: Still iced up.
