Upper Madison River Fishing Report

Upper Madison River Fishing Report

04/26/2024

Our beloved rainbow trout are spawning this time of year. That means if you see fish in shallow water on polished gravel DO NOT fish to them, walk in the water near them, or wade below the polished gravel as that is where the most eggs are. They are trying to keep our fish populations healthy and we need to do our part and leave them alone this time of year.

Walk/Wade Stretch(Upriver of Lyon's Bridge and Downriver of Ennis):

It is hard to beat spring time on the Upper, you just have to be prepared for every type of weather. Expect to see some rain and maybe a little bit of snow/frozen rain over the weekend. The wind is not expected to be that bad so even though you might get wet it could be worth venturing out fishing to try and catch a good BWO hatch between showers.

We are seeing some midges hatch steadily throughout the day with the most prolific hatch occurring when things start to warm up mid morning and then seeing some Blue Winged Olives come off in the afternoon when that temperature peaks. There are little black adult stoneflies that you will occasionally find, using a smaller sized (12-14) rubber legs can improve your options and using a small black or purple (14) Chubby Chernobyl will get a few looks but is not the most reliable option. Dry fly fishing is definitely a better option this weekend with the predicted good baetis action so you can get away from the rubber legs and midges if you are tired of the same old nymphing program. We are still in the very early stages of spring and are expecting things to only improve.

Float Stretch(Downriver of Lyon's Bridge to Ennis):

Just like in the walk wade section, we have just started to get a taste of something other than winter fishing. Flows have just gotten above 1000 cfs at Kirby and 1300 cfs at Cameron. With rain ahead the next few days, the West Fork of the Madison has just started to show some color with its water and is adding a little bit of murkiness above Lyon's Bridge. Once the West Fork really starts to pump mud out you will have the fun option of fishing two different levels of clarity in the upriver stretches of the float section.

Other than tossing those attractor patterns paired with a small baetis or midge emerger, we are getting more shots at fish on dry flies by taking advantage of those baetis hatches later in the day. Our favorite setup has been a Double Vision BWO with a two bit hooker or any midge as a dropper.

The streamer fishing has picked up substantially and is a good option when looking for a break from nymphing. Using black, white, yellow, and olive we have had some nice days stripping recently. Cycling these colors and different sizes until you find the ticket for what the fish want on the day you are out has been the way to go. We like sticking to streamers that push a lot of water and have a big head on them this time of year.

Dries: Double Vision BWO #16-18, Garcia's Mini Hot Mayfly #16-18, Para Sipper BWO #16-20, Griffith's Gnat #18-22, Buzzball #18-20

Nymphs: $3 Dip(Black, Red, Copper) #16-20, Frenchdipity(Peacock, Rust, Black)#16-18, Crystal Dip(Black, Olive) #18-20, Olive or Pearl Perdigon #16-18, Olive Hotspot Perdigon #16-18, Lightning Bugs #16-20, Lite Brite Perdigon (Green) #14-18, Pat's Rubber Legs #10-14

Streamers: Sex Dungeons, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnows and Zonkers will move fish for you. Play with color and profile every day. Skinny vs. big heads, dark vs. light, etc. Don't be afraid to throw a streamer under your indicator and dead drift it!

New to the Madison?  We have guides with 25 plus years of experience fishing the Madison ready to share their knowledge with you. We offer full-day float and walk-wade trips on the Madison River. Don’t need a guide? We have the flies and info to help you be successful on a DIY mission. 

Our Fly Fishing Guide School has helped lots of anglers achieve their dream of being a fishing guide. With schools throughout the spring and fall, there is likely a week of fishing that will fit your schedule. Check out our Montana Fishing Guide School to become a more rounded fisherperson or to jump-start your career in this amazing industry. 

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Thanks for checking out our Madison River Fishing Report brought to you from Big Sky, MT.