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Ennis Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Madison’s warm pause: Ennis Lake fattens river rainbows and browns where fifty-mile riffle water finally rests.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Flow
942 cfs
Air / High
77 / 77 F
Wind
SSW 25 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06040050, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Ennis Lake rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 942 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 25 mph, rising pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 77. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutFair

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutFair

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 81 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Madison River at Ennis.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06040050.

8961,0521,207942 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp77 F
High / Low77 / 53 F
WindSSW 25-32 mph
Pressure1005.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain10% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset06:52 / 19:59
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 77/53 F, wind 25 mph, rain 2%

Slow. Wind at 25 mph makes boat control the day's real problem; find protected banks.

Species guide

The species that matter on Ennis Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Ennis Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Ennis Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 25 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 72 F, wind to 25 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 37 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 81 F, wind to 37 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 79 F, wind to 17 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Montana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Montana license. Standard Madison drainage rules at the lake: check current FWP regs, including any temperature-related closures.

Access

Ennis FAS ramp and Meadow Lake access off Highway 287; Bear Trap accesses below the dam.

About this water

A 3,800-acre natural-dammed lake on the Madison River at Ennis, Madison County, Montana, feeding Bear Trap Canyon.

Fishing Ennis Lake: the full guide

Where the Madison exhales

Ennis Lake (locals say Meadow Lake) spreads the Madison River across 3,800 shallow acres at the foot of the valley: a fifty-mile riffle finally pooling before the Bear Trap Canyon. The lake works like a trout feedlot: river rainbows and browns slide in to graze its weedbeds and scud flats, growing the shoulders that make Madison fish famous. It is under-fished paradox water: everyone drives past it to the river.

Stillwater tactics for river fish

Spring and fall are the windows: trout cruise the drop-offs and weed edges, eating leeches, buggers and balanced nymphs under indicators, or trolled spoons and Rapalas for the gear crowd. The channel areas where the river enters and exits hold moving fish always: fish them like giant spring-creek pools. Callibaetis mornings and evening caddis bring dry-fly sessions on glass days. Summer warms the shallow bowl fast: fish dawn or move to the river.

The warm-water caveat

Its shallowness is the flaw: July-August surface temps can push past safe catch-and-release range, and the outflow warmth affects the lower Madison too. Watch temperatures, fish the cool months, and treat hot-spell fish gently or not at all. Ice fishing rebounds the calendar: perch and trout through the hard water make winter the secret second season.

Valley logistics

Ennis FAS and Meadow Lake accesses serve boats: wind is the boss: the valley’s afternoon southwesterly builds real chop on the shallow bowl, so mornings rule. Ennis town, ten minutes away, is Montana’s trout capital: shops, shuttles and advice on tap. Pair the lake with Bear Trap Canyon wade water below the dam for a full Madison day.

Common questions

Why fish the lake instead of the river?

Size: lake-grazing rainbows and browns outweigh their river siblings, and spring/fall cruisers eat stillwater flies with river aggression.

When should I avoid it?

Mid-summer heat: the shallow bowl warms past trout-safe temps. June and September-October are the honest windows.

Is ice fishing real here?

Yes: perch numbers and winter trout make it the valley’s hard-water spot, wind chill included.

Is fishing good at Ennis Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Madison River6 miJefferson River33 miGallatin River36 miBeaverhead River43 miHebgen Lake46 miBig Hole River50 mi
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