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Madison River Fishing Report

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

Montana's Fifty-Mile Riffle: the most fished, most loved trout river in the state, and still worth every cast.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Flow
1,160 cfs
Air / High
77 / 77 F
Wind
SSW 25 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06041000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Tap a marker for today's tip
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.

Madison River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 1,160 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 25 mph, rising pressure near 1006 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 80 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 below Ennis Lake near McAllister.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06041000.

1,1911,3051,4191,160 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp77 F
High / Low77 / 53 F
WindSSW 25-32 mph
Pressure1005.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain5% 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 Madison River: 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 Madison River 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 Madison River 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. 27 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 27 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 35 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 80 F, wind to 35 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 19 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 + AIS pass. Upper river largely artificial lures/flies only, catch-and-release varies by reach; check the current FWP regulations for the Madison drainage.

Access

Legendary public access: $3 Bridge, Raynolds, Lyons Bridge, McAtee, Varney and Ennis FAS sites ladder the whole river. Fly shops in Ennis and West Yellowstone post daily flows and hatches.

About this water

Blue-ribbon trout river, ~140 miles from Yellowstone Park to Three Forks, MT. The Quake-to-Ennis reach is the famed Fifty-Mile Riffle. Managed by Montana FWP.

Fishing Madison River: the full guide

One long riffle

From Quake Lake to Ennis, the Madison runs as a single broken riffle for fifty miles: pocket water end to end, browns and rainbows averaging a legitimate 14-16 inches, and hatches that set the calendar for the whole fly-fishing world (salmonfly in late June, hoppers by August). It is Montana's most pressured river and somehow still its most generous.

The upper, the fifty, the lower

Between the lakes (Hebgen to Quake) is a short, big-fish tailwater section. The famous Fifty-Mile Riffle (Quake to Ennis) fishes the same everywhere and differently every day: nymph the seams, throw attractor dries against the banks from a drifting boat, streamers when clouds roll. Below Ennis Lake, the Bear Trap Canyon wilderness section holds big browns for those who hike, and the lower river toward Three Forks becomes a warm, moody big-fish game best in spring and fall.

Rules and rhythms

Much of the upper river is artificials-only, and regulations change by reach: read the current FWP book. Summer weekends bring flotillas: fish early, fish late, or walk the wade-only water between the lakes. Winter midge fishing on the upper river is underrated for those in the know.

Common questions

When is the salmonfly hatch on the Madison?

Typically the last week of June into early July, moving upstream day by day: three-inch bugs, reckless fish and full campgrounds. Hit it right and it is the show of the season.

Can beginners fish the Madison?

It is one of the best learning rivers anywhere: forgiving pocket water where a high-floating attractor dry and a rough drift still catch fish. Hire an Ennis guide for a day and shortcut a season of lessons.

How does the wind factor in?

It howls up the valley most afternoons: plan casting angles with it, not against it, and get the good fishing done by early afternoon in summer.

Is fishing good at Madison River 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

Ennis Lake6 miJefferson River39 miBeaverhead River40 miGallatin River42 miHebgen Lake42 miBig Hole River50 mi
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