April 16, 2023 Upper Madison Fishing Report
Date: 04/16/2023
Posted by: Toby Swank
The river is in good shape these days, you still need to be mindful of ice shelves in the Ennis and Valley Garden area. The best fishing has been in the upper river, between the West Fork and Quake Lake with good dry fly fishing on Midges in the afternoons. Nymphing around Ennis and the upper river has been improving on stonefly nymphs or San Juan Worms as your lead fly with small droppers that imitate midges or egg patterns. The upper is a great choice for fly fishing around Bozeman this April and offers a lot of diversity for the wading angler right now.
Click to enlarge
Flows
1210 CFS
On 2023-4-16
Hi-Vis Griffith's Gnat
Brown/Black Pat's Rubberlegs
Black Zebra Midge
Upper Madison River Fishing
The Madison River is widely regarded as the premier Montana fly-fishing river. It originates in Yellowstone National Park at the point where the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers meet. The river flows northwards and merges with the Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers to eventually form the Missouri River near Three Forks, Montana.
The upper Madison River is the stretch between the outlet of Quake Lake and the mouth of Ennis Lake. The river is an incredibly productive and unique blue-ribbon trout fishery with wild Rainbow, Cutthroat, and Brown Trout populations.
The Fins and Feathers "Upper Madison River Fishing Guide" features a comprehensive overview of the river stretches and seasonal highlights with Madison River fishing tips from our Bozeman fly fishing guide staff.