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.
The lower Madison is currently sitting at 1360 cfs so it is low but fishing well. For nymphs, this time of year it is hard to beat a rig with a worm, stonefly, or zirdle up top to a pill popper, sweetmeat caddis, bead baetis, green machine, holo midge, frenchie, zebra midge, or psycho prince. Streamer fishing is really starting to pick up as well. Swinging has been really fun recently with hobo spey's, sculpzillas, MT intruders and the new king flow fly. For stripping, sparkle minnows, micro Nancy p, micro dungeon's, mini dungeon, foxy Cleopatra, mini peanut envy, and munchy minnows have all been awesome choices. The caddis hatch in the evening has been awesome. For dry flies, it's tough to beat a tan corn fed caddis, micro peanut, x-caddis, or a cinnamon stubby chubby. During the daytime the PMD's and sally's are mainly what they are eating consistently. It's hard to beat the zelon cripple or a spotlight may when you see PMD's on the water and if you see sally's we recommend Scott's mangler, corn fed sally, Larimer's sally, or the missing link sally.
Parachute Adams (16-20), Purple Haze (16-20), Paradrake (10-12), Sparkle Dun (16-20), Film Critic (16-18), X-Caddis (14-18), Elk Hair Caddis (14-20), Stubby Chubby Cinnamon/ Yellow (12-18), Buzz Ball (16-18)
Mills Cowbell Cray Tan/ Olive/ Rust (6), Snapping Craw (8), Mini Peanut Envy (1), Rubber Leg Krystal Bugger Olive (6-10), Hale Bopp Leech Black/ Brown/ Olive (10), Strolis Micro Head Banger (8)
Pheasant Tail (14-20), BH Hare’s Ear (14-20), HE Blowtorch (12-16), Purple/Pink Blowtorch (14-16), Quilldigon Natural (14-18), Perdigons, Olive/ Brown/ Black/ Pink/ Purple (14-18), Iron Sally (12-18), Squirminator (10), Twisted Worm (10), Shagedelic Mop
