Fishing Report

Lower Madison

From below Ennis Lake to the headwaters of the Missouri River is the stretch known as the lower Madison River. It cruises through the Bear Trap Canyon Wilderness Area and can get gnarly before calming down and widening out on its final stretch into Three Forks. There, it meets the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers to form the Missouri River.

March 27, 2024

Lower Madison

fishing report

Spring has historically been a great time to fish the Lower Madison and this start to the spring is no exception. The fish have been very happy on the Lower and should continue to stay fishing well as things warm up and we start to see more bugs. Right now nymph rigs are fishing very well, but streamers and dries have been working too. On sunny days the nymph rig has been the go to, worms, baetis nymphs, small zirdle bugs, sows and midge nymphs are all in the rotation just fish what you're most confident in and get those flies down to the bottom with splitshot. If you get an overcast day, watch those soft edges for heads, fish have been looking up for midges, but we should/ could start to see some baetis soon as well. Small parachute flies, Griffiths Gnats, and Buzz Balls in the 16-20 range will all work right now. Another good way to pick up some fish on overcast days is stripping a streamer low and slow, little crawfish like Cowbell Crays and Clouser Crays are hard to beat, but little jig streamers work great on the Lower too. Yellow is another great streamer color on the Lower, a Ditch Witch, Micro Dungeon or Hawkins Hat Trick are our favorites in the spring.

Suggested Fly Patterns

  • Dry Fly

    Parachute Adams (16-20), Purple Haze (16-20), Sparkle Dun (16-20), Film Critic (18-20), Griffiths Gnat (16-20), Buzz Ball (16-18)

  • Streamer

    Mills Cowbell Cray Tan/ Olive/ Rust (6), Turkey Back Cray Dark, Light (8), Beadhead Rubber Leg Krystal Bugger Brown/Olive/Black (6-10), Hale Bopp Leech Black/ Brown/ Olive (10), Strolis Micro Head Banger (8)

  • Nymph

    Pheasant Tail (12-20), BH Hare’s Ear (14-20), Black Blowtorch (12-16), Hare's Ear Blowtorch (14-16), Quilldigon Natural, Yellow, Pink (16-18), Perdigons, Olive/ Brown/ Black/ Pink/ Purple (14-18), Iron Sally (12-18), Worms Patterns, Shagedelic Mop

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